AC Omonia

Summary

Athletic Club Omonia Nicosia (Greek: Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Oμόνοια Λευκωσίας; Athlitikós Sýllogos Omónoia Lefkosías), commonly known as Omonia Nicosia, or simply Omonia (also transliterated as Omonoia), is a Cypriot professional multi-sport club, established on 4 June 1948 in Nicosia. It is best known for its football department, which has played in the Cypriot First Division since 1953. On 14 June 2018, the football department of AC Omonia became a professional for-profit football company, and is since known as Omonia FC.[1]

Omonia Nicosia
Full nameΑθλητικός Σύλλογος Ομόνοια Λευκωσίας (Athletic Club Omonia Nicosia)
Founded4 June 1948; 75 years ago (1948-06-04)
GroundGSP Stadium
Capacity22,859
PresidentStavros Papastavrou
ChairmanMarios Argyrides
Head CoachGiannis Anastasiou (interim)
LeagueFirst Division
2022–23First Division, 6th
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Omonia is one of Cyprus' most successful football clubs, having won 21 National Championships, 16 Cups, and a record 17 Super Cups.[2] Omonia has won five doubles and a record three domestic trebles, and is one of three Cypriot clubs to never have been relegated to the second division. Omonia also holds an outstanding record of 14 championships in two decades (between 1970 and 1989), a record of being either champion or runner-up 14 times in a row in the championship (between 1973 and 1986), and the record of having won the Cypriot Cup four times in a row (between 1980 and 1983).

AC Omonia also operates departments in basketball, volleyball, futsal, cycling, runners, women's football and women's volleyball.[3]

History edit

Creation and early years (1948–1953) edit

On 23 May 1948, the governing board of APOEL football club sent a telegram to the Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics (Greek: Σ.Ε.Γ.Α.Σ.), with the opportunity of the annual Panhellenic Track and Field Competition. In its telegram, the board stated its wish for what it described as the "communist mutiny" to be ended. Club players considering this action as a specifically political comment on the Greek Civil War distanced themselves from the board and were duly expelled from APOEL.[4] On 4 June 1948, Dr. Mattheos Papapetrou organized a meeting in Nicosia that led to the creation of Omonia. Many players expelled from APOEL were present at the meeting and joined the new club. Along with other left-wing teams such as Nea Salamina, Alki Larnaca and Orfeas Nicosia, Omonia helped create the Cyprus Amateur Football Federation in December 1948. Omonia took part in the CAFF league until 1953, having won four out of five played championships and five out of five played cups. Omonia was then accepted by the Cyprus Football Association to participate in the Cypriot First Division.

Beginnings in the Cypriot First Division (1953–1969) edit

After joining the Cypriot First Division in 1953, Omonia only placed seventh out of nine teams in the 1953–54 season, barely avoiding relegation. During that decade, the club's best placing came during the 1956–57 season when the club finished in the third position.

The team would make its closest push for the title during the 1959–60 season after finishing second, one point behind Anorthosis Famagusta.[5] The following year, after seven seasons in the First Division, the club would win its first title in 1960–61 season.[5] Omonia, in that season, would score 91 goals in 24 matches on their way to their first ever Cyprus First Division title. Omonia won their second title during the 1965–66 season.

Golden era (1970s–1980s) edit

 
Sotiris Kaiafas is not only considered one of Omonia's all-time greatest, but the best footballer in the history of Cypriot football.

Omonia won its first trophies of the decade in 1972, when the club won both the league and the cup. Led by a young Sotiris Kaiafas, Omonia won seven league titles in the 1970s, six of them were consecutive (1974–1979).[5] At the end of the decade, Omonia had a total of nine championship titles and three cups. At the end of the 1979 season, Omonia trailed its arch-rival APOEL by two championships. In 1976, Sotiris Kaiafas would go on and win the European Golden Shoe for his single-season 39-goal performance.[6] In 2003, he was awarded the UEFA Jubilee Awards for the Best Cypriot Footballer of the 20th century.

The 1980s was a successful decade for the club as it won an additional seven Cypriot League Championship titles including another five consecutive in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, and in 1987 and in 1989.[5] As the 1980s came to an end, Omonia had won 14 Cypriot championship titles, becoming the most successful team on the island at the time.[5]

General decline (1990s) edit

The 1990s would prove to be less successful than the previous two decades. During this time, Omonia only mustered one Cypriot League title during the 1992–93 season. It would be eight years before Omonia would see its next title. In 1997, Omonia signed the German Rainer Rauffmann, who would later become the second top goalscorer ever for the club. With the help of other Omonia great and then captain, Costas Malekkos, and a young Costas Kaiafas (the son of Sotiris Kaiafas), Rauffmann would become top scorer of the Cypriot First Division in 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00 and 2000–01 seasons and led Omonia to two titles.[7]

Revival (2000s) edit

After a disappointing eight seasons, the 2000s decade began with a trophy. Omonia celebrated its 18th Cypriot league championship title in 2001. Now captained by Costas Kaiafas, Omonia would win its 19th Cypriot League Championship again in 2003. Since 2003, however, the team would stumble and be without a title for the next several years. After numerous seasons of poor signings and underachieving, Omonia's reigns would be taken over by new chairman and team president, Miltiadis Neophytou in 2008.

 
Michalis Konstantinou, mostly credited for helping the team reach its 20th championship title.[8]

The team would soon be put back on track starting in 2006, beginning with the signing of Cyprus international goalkeeper Antonis Georgallides. Omonia would continue its star-studded signings by acquiring Cypriot stars that had been playing abroad, such as Elias Charalambous and Stathis Aloneftis. Omonia would then make headlines with the shocking signing of all-time leading scorer for Cyprus, Michalis Konstantinou. In 2009, Omonia would also sign another Cypriot star, Konstantinos Makrides. En route, Omonia would also acquire young Cypriot hopefuls, 21-year-old Dimitris Christofi and 20-year-old Georgios Efrem. Efrem, who had been playing on the youth team of Arsenal and later Scottish side Rangers, would be the final piece to the puzzle needed to win its 20th Cypriot league championship. After putting the proper pieces in place, Omonia did just that. During the 2009–10 season, led by the new captain, Elias Charalambous, Omonia would not lose a single derby, including play-off matches against APOEL, Anorthosis and Apollon.

Head coach Takis Lemonis left the club after disappointing results and Dušan Bajević became the new coach in October 2010,[9] but was fired in April 2011.[10] He was replaced by Neophytos Larkou. Omonia would not be able to repeat as Champion during the 2010–11 regular season, and instead had to settle with finishing second,[11] despite the addition of yet another young Cypriot rising star, Andreas Avraam. The club, however, was able to finish the season on a positive note: under Larkou, Omonia defeated Apollon Limassol in the Cypriot Cup final to win their 13th cup title.[12]

The following season, Omonia won their 14th cup starring André Alves, who scored the winning goal against AEL Limassol in the final.[13] Under the guidance of newly appointed director of football Nickolas Danskalou, Omonia finished third in the league, all but assuring they would qualify for the second round of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League.[14]

Financial crisis (2012–2018) edit

Head coach Neophytos Larkou left the club in September 2012[15] and Toni Savevski was then appointed as coach. The team began the season with a great win but found its second success after several games. A disappointing first round proved enough to exclude the club from contesting for the championship or the cup. The team managed better results in the second round, finishing the season in third place.[16] Thousands of fans answered the president's call to donate as much as they could and the financial issues of the club improved. Omonia was knocked out in the semi-finals of the cup by AEL Limassol.

In 2013, Omonia began the new season with Savevski as manager, but he was sacked halfway beside positive results. Miguel Ángel Lotina was hired as the replacer,[17] but was sacked just 37 days later.[18] Kostas Kaiafas, ex-player was then appointed as the new coach.[19] The club's financial difficulties returned despite the massive fundraiser organized the previous season. Omonia finished fifth in the league,[20] making it its worst season in 56 years.[5]

In August 2014, Omonia was knocked out of the Europa League by Dynamo Moscow, in the play-off round. The club issued a complaint to UEFA regarding the refereeing of the match by Alexandru Tudor.[21] In early September, the club stopped supplying the fans' group Gate 9 with tickets resulting in the group's abstention from matches.[22] Two weeks later, after a meeting between the president and the coach, it was decided that tickets were to be supplied again to Gate 9.[23] Omonia finished fourth in the league. The team was eliminated from the Cypriot Cup in the semi-finals by APOEL.[24]

The team ended the 2015–16 campaign in 4th place.[25] During this season, Omonia reached the final of the Cypriot Cup but lost to Apollon Limassol.[26] The 2016–17 season saw the club finish 5th. This meant that for the first time in 15 years the club had failed to qualify for European football.[27] Following a general assembly at the end of the season, Antonis Tzionis was elected as the new club president.[28] While the 2017–18 campaign began with high expectations, Omonia finished the season in 6th place. This season was the worst in the club's history, in terms of defeats and goals conceded.[29] Despite this, the club sold a total of 95,222 tickets during the season, more than any other team in the league.[30]

Papastavrou era (2018–present) edit

The decline of the club's football department and the financial difficulties it faced convinced many that a change in the way the club was being run was needed. In May 2018, a general assembly was called and members voted to hand the football department over to Stavros Papastavrou, an American-based Cypriot businessman.[31][32] He has stated that he will provide funds for the development of the club's academies and training grounds, and that the potential creation of a new stadium will be considered.[33] The agreement, initially set for 10 years, was extended indefinitely in 2023.[34] In the club's first season under Papastavrou's ownership, Omonia finished the 2018–19 campaign in 6th place. Manager Yannis Anastasiou was replaced by Henning Berg in June 2019.[35]

The 2019–20 Cypriot season was abandoned in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of its abandonment, Omonia was tied with Anorthosis Famagusta on points, but was ranked first due to a better head-to-head record and thus qualified for the first qualifying round of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League.[36]

AC Omonoia's 2020–21 UEFA Europa League starting line-up in the club's first ever winning game at a group stage level against PAOK with final score 2-1.

The following season, Omonia would beat Red Star Belgrade to qualify for the group stage of a European Competition for the first time in the club's history.[37] Omonia finished fourth in Group E of the 2020–21 Europa League.[38] In the home game against PSV Eindhoven, Omonia captain Jordi Gómez scored from a distance of 56 metres, breaking the record for the furthest distance ever for a goal scored in the Europa League.[39] In May 2021, Omonia ended the season by winning the Cypriot League for the 21st time, and for the first time since 2010.[40]

Omonia started the 2021–22 season by winning the Super Cup, and qualifying for the group stage of the Europa Conference League.[41][42] However, a disastrous first half of the league campaign saw the club out of the top 6 for the first time since the 1953–54 season.[43] Heavy criticism led to the release of head coach Henning Berg in February 2022.[44] He was replaced by Neil Lennon,[45] who was able to salvage the season by winning the 2021–22 Cypriot Cup, Omonia's first in 12 years.[46]

In August 2022, Omonia shocked Belgian cup winners Gent 4–0 on aggregate to enter the 2022–23 Europa League group stage.[47] There, Omonia would fail to earn a single point in their group, despite respectable showings against the likes of Manchester United and Real Sociedad.[48] The league campaign was also unsuccessful, with the club finishing in sixth. Under new coach Sofronis Avgousti, they were able to win the Cup for the second year in a row, beating AEL Limassol 1–0 in the final.[49] In the Europa Conference League, Omonia have managed to beat Gabala FK 3–7 on aggregate in the second round, and despite winning against FC Midtjylland 1–0 in the 1st leg of the 3rd qualifying round, Omonia have lost 5–1 in the second leg, which meant that they would be kicked out of any European group stage since the 2020–21 season.

Identity edit

Name edit

"Omonia" (Ομόνοια) is the Greek language word for harmony, unity, or concord.[50]

Colours and badge edit

Omonia's club colours are green and white. The green color indicates hope while white indicates happiness.[50]

Omonia's badge has a green shamrock in a white circle.[51]

Omonia tends to use a red alternative kit.

Anthem edit

Omonia's official anthem was written by Costas Melides in 1971, and recorded by Giannis Avraamides in 1972, in Athens. The lyrics of the anthem reference Omonia's competitive spirit ("Lions in defense, cannons in attack", Greek: "Στην άμυνα λιοντάρια, επίθεση κανόνια"), the club's left-wing roots ("the people's team", Greek: "Του λαού ομάδα"), and the loyalty of the team's supporters, regardless of its results ("In every match, thousands of your loyal fans", Greek: "Σε κάθε σου αγώνα, χιλιάδες οι πιστοί σου οπαδοί").[52]

Stadium edit

 
Omonia's current stadium, New GSP Stadium

Since 23 October 1999, Omonia has been using the 22,859-seat New GSP Stadium, the largest stadium in Cyprus. They share and rent the stadium with local rival APOEL.[53]

Initially, the team played at the Goal Stadium from 1948 to 1953. After joining the Cyprus Football Association, Omonia moved to the old GSP Stadium in 1953, and then to the Makario Stadium in 1978, where they played until 1999.[53]

Plans for construction of a privately-owned stadium edit

Omonia has never owned its own stadium. The idea was discussed and attempted several times, but it has yet to come to fruition. The club had initiated the creation of a stadium in Mia Milia in 1971, but plans were abandoned after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. In 2003, the club purchased a piece of land in Nicosia with the aim of building a stadium, however the property was given to the Bank of Cyprus due to debts of the owner company.[53]

The current owner of Omonia FC, Stavros Papastavrou, has spoken about wanting to build a new stadium for the team. His 2023 agreement with the Club's board of directors will allow him to proceed with the plan. He has stated that Omonia's new stadium could be ready in five years, and has described the matter as a "priority".[54]

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors edit

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt partner
1992–1994 Umbro Lois
1994–1998 Diadora KEO
1998–1999 Kappa
1999–2001 Umbro
2001–2004
2004–2007 Lotto LOEL juices
2007–2008 miVision
2008–2010 Ocean Tankers
2010–2012 Adidas CYTAmobile-Vodafone
2012–2016 Nike
2016–2017 Puma Gree
2017–2018 DIMCO
2018–2019 Fonbet
2019–2021 Macron
2021–2023 Stoiximan
2023–0000 Novibet

Supporters edit

 
Supporters of Omonia Nicosia at an away match vs. Red Bull Salzburg in 2010

Historically, Omonia has been one of the most popular teams in Cyprus since the creation of the club. A 2022 study conducted by the University of Nicosia found Omonia to be the most popular team on the island by far, with 30.7% of the approximately 1500 contestants stating they support the club.[55]

Omonia holds the record for the most league tickets sold by a Cypriot team in a single season (162,061 during the 2009–10 campaign). The club also holds the Cypriot record for the highest average attendance in a season (11,003 during the 2003–04 campaign).[56]

Omonia supporters are known for their left-leaning, socialist character, with many stating that they associate themselves with the Progressive Party of Working People. Omonia is also traditionally regarded as the club of "the people" and Cyprus' working class. Many of Omonia's supporters can be seen waving banners bearing Che Guevara's image.[57]

Financial crisis and 2013 Pan-Cypriot fundraiser edit

By the end of February 2013, Omonia was struggling to meet the UEFA criteria due to the economic crisis that had engulfed the club. The club's president then decided to start a fundraiser and called for the supporters of the club to donate as much as they could. Hundreds of events were organised island wide with the motto; "ΕΙΜΑΙ ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ ΔΗΛΩΝΩ ΠΑΡΩΝ" meaning, "I'M WITH OMONIA, I DECLARE MYSELF PRESENT."[58] Current and former players contributed by signing autographs and selling club merchandise. Although the situation at the beginning was described as grim, money poured in from all over the island and from abroad including England and the United States. In about a month and a half, €3.5 million was collected from the club's supporters.[citation needed]

Gate 9 edit

The team's ultras group, Gate 9, was established in 1992. The group would occupy the GSP Stadium's north stand during Omonia's home games.[59] Gate 9 has established relations with other left wing supporters such as those of Hapoel Tel Aviv and Standard Liège.[citation needed]

On 29 May 2018, the club agreed to turn its football department into a for-profit company, under the ownership of Stavros Papastavrou.[60] Gate 9 had previously condemned the idea and published several statements criticising it.[61][62] On the same day, Gate 9 declared they would no longer support the team, and announced they would create their own football club, which would "respect the principles and history of Omonia".[63][64] People's Athletic Club Omonia 29M was founded on 23 July 2018 and currently plays in the Cypriot Second Division.

Honours edit

Player records edit

All current players are listed in bold

As of match played 17 August 2023

Most appearances

Rank Player Apps Years
1   Andreas Kanaris 503 1968-1985
2   Kostas Kaiafas 498 1991-2009
3   Andreas Kantilos 489 1980-1997
4   Sotiris Kaiafas 476 1967-1984
5   Evagoras Christofi 463 1979-1996
6   Sotiris Tsikkos 427 1974-1990
7   Takis Mavris 417 1974-1988
8   Sakis Andreou 372 1986-2000
9   Andreas Charitou 369 1981-1999
10   Yiannos Kalotheou 353 1984-1999
  Panikos Xiouroupas 353 1986-1998

Top goalscorers

Rank Player Goals
1   Sotiris Kaiafas 321
2    Rainer Rauffmann 233
3   Andreas Kanaris 190
4   Panikos Xiouroupas 159
5   Andreas Kantilos 152
6   Giorgos Savvidis 120
7   Evagoras Christofi 108
8   Takis Mavris 86
  Gregory Savva 86
10   Kokos Christofi 84

Top scorers in UEFA competitions

Rank Player Goals Apps
1    Rainer Rauffmann 11 16
2   Andreas Kantilos 7 34
3   Roman Bezus 6 9
4   Sotiris Kaiafas 6 20
  Giorgos Savvidis 6 20
6   Filippos Dimitriou 6 22
7   Andronikos Kakoullis 6 29
8   Kostas Kaiafas 6 40
9   Michalis Konstantinou 5 9
10   Panikos Xiouroupas 5 16

Record in European competitions edit

As of match played 17 August 2023
Competition Played Won Drawn Lost Goals For Goals Against
UEFA Champions League 55 18 8 29 66 111
UEFA Europa League 90 35 19 36 132 118
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 12 2 1 9 7 23
UEFA Conference League 10 3 4 3 14 18
Total 167 58 32 78 219 270

European Cup / UEFA Champions League edit

European Cup / UEFA Champions League
Season Round Rival Home Away Agg.
1966–67 First round   1860 Munich 1–2 0–8 1–10  
1972–73 First round   Waterford United 2–0 1–2 3–2  
Second round   Bayern Munich 0–4 0–9 0–13  
1974–75 First round   Cork Celtic (w/o)  
1975–76 First round   IA Akranes 2–1 0–4 2–5  
1976–77 First round   PAOK 0–2 1–1 1–3  
1977–78 First round   Juventus 0–3 0–2 0–5  
1978–79 First round   Bohemians 2–1 0–1 2–2 (a)  
1979–80 First round   Red Boys Differdange 6–1 2–1 8–2  
Second round   Ajax 4–0 0–10 4–10  
1981–82 First round   Benfica 0–1 0–3 0–4  
1982–83 First round   HJK Helsinki 2–0 0–3 2–3  
1983–84 First round   CSKA Sofia 4–1 0–3 4–4 (a)  
1984–85 First round   Dinamo București 2–1 1–4 3–5  
1985–86 First round   Rabat Ajax 5–0 5–0 10–0  
Second round   Anderlecht 1–3 0–1 1–4  
1987–88 First round   Shamrock Rovers 0–0 1–0 1–0  
Second round   Steaua București 0–2 1–3 1–5  
1989–90 First round   Swarovski Tirol 2–3 0–6 2–9  
1993–94 Preliminary round   Aarau 2–1 0–2 2–3  
2001–02 Second qualifying round   Red Star Belgrade 1–1 1–2 2–3  
2003–04 First qualifying round   Irtysh 0–0 2–1 2–1  
Second qualifying round   Wisła Kraków 2–2 2–5 4–7  
2010–11 Second qualifying round   Renova 3–0 2–0 5–0  
Third qualifying round   Red Bull Salzburg 1–1 1–4 2–5  
2020–21 First qualifying round   Ararat-Armenia 1–0 (aet)  
Second qualifying round   Legia Warsaw 2–0 (aet)  
Third qualifying round   Red Star Belgrade 1–1 (4–2 p)  
Play-off round   Olympiacos 0–0 0–2 0–2  
2021–22 Second qualifying round   Dinamo Zagreb 0–1 0–2 0−3  

European Cup Winners' Cup edit

European Cup Winners' Cup
Season Round Rival Home Away Agg.
1965–66 First qualifying round   Olympiacos 0–1 1–1 1–2  
1980–81 First qualifying round   Waterschei Thor 1–3 0–4 1–7  
1988–89 First qualifying round   Panathinaikos 0–1 0–2 0–3  
1991–92 First qualifying round   Club Brugge 0–2 0–2 0–4  
1994–95 First qualifying round   Tiligul Tiraspol 3–1 1–0 4–1  
Second qualifying round   Arsenal 1–3 0–3 1–6  

UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League edit

UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League
Season Round Rival Home Away Agg.
1986–87 First round   Sportul Studențesc 1–1 0–1 1–2  
1990–91 First round   Slavia Sofia 4–2 1–2 5–4  
Second round   Anderlecht 1–1 0–3 1–4  
1995–96 Preliminary round   Sliema Wanderers 3–0 2–1 5–1  
First round   Lazio 1–2 0–5 1–7  
1998–99 First qualifying round   Linfield 5–1 3–5 8–6  
Second qualifying round   Rapid Wien 3–1 0–2 3–3 (a)  
1999–2000 Qualifying round   Belshina Bobruisk 3–0 5–1 8–1  
First round   Juventus 2–5 0–5 2–10  
2000–01 Qualifying round   Naftex Burgas 0–0 1–2 1–2  
2004–05 First Qualifying round   Sloga Jugomagnat 4–0 4–1 8–1  
Second qualifying round   CSKA Sofia 1–1 1–3 2–4  
2005–06 First qualifying round   Hibernians 3–0 3–0 6–0  
Second qualifying round   Dinamo București 2–1 1–3 3–4  
2006–07 First qualifying round   Rijeka 2–1 2–2 4–3  
Second qualifying round   Litex Lovech 0–0 1–2 1–2  
2007–08 First qualifying round   Rudar Pljevlja 2–0 2–0 4–0  
Second qualifying round   CSKA Sofia 1–1 1–2 2–3  
2008–09 First qualifying round   Milano 2–0 2–1 4–1  
Second qualifying round   AEK Athens 2–2 1–0 3–2  
First round   Manchester City 1–2 1–2 2–4  
2009–10 Second qualifying round   HB 4–0 4–1 8–1  
Third qualifying round   Vaslui 1–1 0–2 1–3  
2010–11 Play-off round   Metalist Kharkiv 0–1 2–2 2–3  
2011–12 Third qualifying round   ADO Den Haag 3–0 0–1 3–1  
Play-off round   Red Bull Salzburg 2–1 0–1 2–2 (a)  
2012–13 Third qualifying round   Red Star Belgrade 0–0 (a.e.t.) 0–0 0–0 (5–6 p)  
2013–14 Second qualifying round   Astra Giurgiu 1–2 1–1 2–3  
2014–15 Second qualifying round   Budućnost Podgorica 0–0 2–0 2–0  
Third qualifying round   Metalurg Skopje 3–0 1–0 4–0  
Play-off round   Dynamo Moscow 1–2 2–2 3–4  
2015–16 First qualifying round   Dinamo Batumi 2–0 0–1 2–1  
Second qualifying round   Jagiellonia Białystok 1–0 0–0 1–0  
Third qualifying round   Brøndby 2–2 0–0 2–2 (a)  
2016–17 First qualifying round   Banants 4–1 1–0 5–1  
Second qualifying round   Beitar Jerusalem 3–2 0–1 3–3 (a)  
2020–21 Group stage   PSV Eindhoven 1–2 0–4 4th  
  PAOK 2–1 1–1
  Granada 0–2 1–2
2021–22 Third qualifying round   Flora 1–0 1–2 (a.e.t.) 2–2 (5–4 p)  
Play-off round   Royal Antwerp 4–2 0–2 (a.e.t.) 4–4 (2–3 p)  
2022–23 Play-off round   Gent 2–0 2–0 4–0  
Group stage   Manchester United 2–3 0–1 4th  
  Real Sociedad 0–2 1–2
  Sheriff Tiraspol 0–3 0–1

UEFA Europa Conference League edit

UEFA Europa Conference League
Season Round Rival Home Away Agg.
2021–22 Group Stage   Basel 1–1 1–3 3rd  
  Qarabağ 1–4 2–2
  Kairat 0–0 0–0
2023–24 Second qualifying round   Gabala 4–1 3–2 7–3  
Third qualifying round   Midtjylland 1–0 1–5 2–5  

UEFA Club ranking edit

Last updated: 29 February 2024

Source: [65]

Players edit

Current squad edit

As of 02 March 2024[66]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF   CYP Paris Psaltis
3 DF   WAL Adam Matthews
5 DF   MLI Senou Coulibaly
6 DF   BRA Marquinhos Cipriano
7 FW   CPV Willy Semedo
8 MF   GNB Moreto Cassamá
9 FW   CYP Andronikos Kakoullis
11 FW   CMR Saidou Alioum (on loan from Hammarby IF)
14 FW   POL Mariusz Stępiński
15 FW   MNE Dušan Bakić
16 MF   SWE Alexander Fransson
17 DF   CZE Jan Lecjaks
19 MF   COM Fouad Bachirou
20 FW   CYP Panagiotis Zachariou
21 FW   SRB Veljko Simić
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 DF   HUN Ádám Lang
23 GK   NGA Francis Uzoho
24 MF   MNE Novica Eraković
30 DF   CYP Nikolas Panayiotou
31 MF   CYP Ioannis Kousoulos (captain)
40 GK   BRA Fabiano
48 DF   MAR Amine Khammas
71 GK   CYP Michalis Papastylianou
73 DF   SRB Nemanja Miletić
74 MF   CYP Panayiotis Andreou
76 MF   CYP Charalampos Charalampous
79 FW   CYP Tahsin Özler
87 DF   CYP Constantinos Panteli
90 MF   UKR Roman Bezus
98 GK   CYP Charalambos Kyriakides

Out on loan edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK   CYP Constantinos Panagi (at Ethnikos Achna until 31 May 2024)
DF   CYP Alexandros Kaiafas (at MEAP Nisou until 31 May 2024)
DF   CYP Nikolas Kyriakides (at MEAP Nisou until 31 May 2024)
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF   CYP Andreas Asimenos (at Olympiakos Nicosia until 31 May 2024)
FW   CYP Loizos Loizou (at Heerenveen until 30 June 2024)

Former players edit

For details of former players, see Category:AC Omonia players

Retired number edit

12The club's supporters (the 12th man)

Staff edit

Technical staff edit

Head coach   Giannis Anastasiou
Assistant coach   Marios Nicolaou
Head of Scouting   Simos Tarapoulouzis
Physical fitness coaches   Savvas Lithraggomitis
  Giorgos Georgiou
Goalkeeping coach   Andreas Lougrides
Performance Analyst   Athanasios Aggeli
Football Analyst   Kyriakos Panagiotou

Staff edit

Team Manager   Isavella Panaretou
Team Officer   Takis Kofteros
Doctor   Andreas Petrou
Physiotherapists   Evaggelos Nicolaou
  Marios Paraskeva
  Costas Piponas
Chiropractor   Giorgos Oxinos
Νutritionist   Elina Grigoriou
Masseur   Nicolai Temelkov
Scouters   Rainer Rauffmann
  Nicolas Theodosiou
Plant Administrator   Andreas Papastavrou
Caregiver   Giorgos Karagiannis
  Giorgos Hadjievaggelou
  Thanasis Risvanis

Source: omonoiafc.com.cy

Management edit

AC Omonia edit

Position Name
President   Marios Argyrides
Vice President A'   Matheos Papapetrou
Vice President B'   Antonis Zymaras
General Secretary   Pavlos Nicolaides
General Secretary B'   Kiki Hadjisergi
Head of Finance   Sokratis Efstratiou
Member   Gianna Argyrou
  Costas Vasileiou
  Emilios Ioannou
  Christodoulos Kountouris
  Koullis Poyiadjis
  Polys Poumpouris
  Nikolas Philotheou
  Koullis Hadjigavriel
  Christos Lambrou

Source: [3] Archived 24 July 2019 at the Wayback Machine

Omonia FC edit

Position Name
President   Stavros Papastavrou
Vice President   Demetris Grigori
Member   Marios Argyrides
  Nikolas Georgiades
  Polys Malloupas
  Mattheos Papapetrou

Source: omonoiafc.com.cy Archived 17 May 2020 at the Wayback Machine

Managerial history edit


Source: Trifylli Archived 2 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine (in Greek)

Presidential history edit

Here is the list of the previous presidents of Omonia:[68]

Name From To Honours
Takis Nikolaidis 1948 1974 4 Cypriot Championship, 3 Cypriot Cup, 1 Cypriot Super Cup, 4 CAFF Championship, 5 CAFF Cup
Kostas Limpouris 1974 1981 6 Cypriot Championship, 2 Cypriot Cup, 2 Cypriot Super Cup
Kostakis Konstantinides 1981 1989 6 Cypriot Championship, 3 Cypriot Cup, 5 Cypriot Super Cup
Panikos Neophytou 1989 1996 1 Cypriot Championship, 2 Cypriot Cup, 3 Cypriot Super Cup
Lakis Polykarpou 1996 2000 1 Cypriot Cup
Doros Seraphim 2000 2008 2 Cypriot Championship, 1 Cypriot Cup, 3 Cypriot Super Cup
Miltiades Neophytou 2008 2012 1 Cypriot Championship, 2 Cypriot Cup, 1 Cypriot Super Cup
Stelios Milonas 2012 2014 1 Cypriot Super Cup
Doros Seraphim 2014 2016
Antonis Tzionis 2016 2018
Loris Kyriakou 2018 2020
Marios Argyrides 2020 Present 1 Cypriot Championship, 2 Cypriot Cup, 1 Cypriot Super Cup

References edit

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  35. ^ "Νέος προπονητής της Ομόνοιας ο Μπεργκ!" [Berg is Omonia's new coach!]. Sigmalive (in Greek). Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  36. ^ "Στο Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ η Ομόνοια!" [Omonia is in the Champions League!]. Super Sport FM (in Greek). Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  37. ^ "ΙΣΤΟΡΙΚΗ πρόκριση για την Ομόνοια και τ' όνειρο συνεχίζεται!" [HISTORIC qualification for Omonia and the dream continues!]. Sportime (in Greek). Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
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  42. ^ "Απέκλεισε τη Φλόρα Ταλίν στα πέναλτι η Ομόνοια" [Omonia eliminates Flora Tallinn on penalties]. Cyprus Football Association (in Greek). Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
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  47. ^ "Ομόνοια – Γάνδη 2-0: Βραζιλιάνος σέρβιρε, Κύπριοι ήπιαν την πρόκριση" [Omonia – Gent 2-0: Brazilian served, Cypriots drank the qualification]. Philenews (in Greek). 25 August 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  48. ^ "Ηττήθηκε ξανά από τη Σέριφ και... αποχαιρέτησε την Ευρώπη η Ομόνοια" [Omonia lost to Sheriff again and... said goodbye to Europe]. Alphanews (in Greek). Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  49. ^ "Back to back κύπελλο… και Ευρώπη!" [Back to back cup... and Europe!]. 24sports.com.cy (in Greek). Retrieved 24 May 2023.
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External links edit

  • Official website (in Greek)
  • Omonia Lefkosias – National-Football-Teams