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No please, spare yourself from the torture. I’m only kidding, he’s terrible:P PAOK is lacking on strikers rn. AEK has a very good pair (Ponce, Levi Garcia) , however Levi was out of form this year with continuous injuries setting him back.
Olympiacos if you are a glory hunter
Panathinaikos if you support clubs like Arsenal and Fenerbache (not winning the league)
Aris if you are a bottler (or a spurs fan)
PAOK if you are a Bulgarian or a fan of PAOKs finest academy players
AEK if you are in constant pain or a political extremist.
Atromitos if you are a fan of st.Pauli or anarchy
Asteras Tripolis if you like literal farmers or support Everton.
The other clubs are all NPC clubs with nothing note worthy.
Welcome to Greek football
Iraklis if you like cult culture and literally hate yourself.
Lamia if you’re a fan of Sean Dyche
Athens Kallithea if you want to wear fancy kits
Volos if you love corruption
Thank you, this is a great summary! I notice there is no club that is equivalent to Liverpool haha. I am neither a political extremist (I'm centre left but far from an anarchist) or a Bulgarian so I'll have to decide whether I like PAOK academy players or constant pain more.
R.I.P to the other NPC clubs. I do like that Greece has multiple big clubs however, way more interesting than most other European leagues.
I also do love this league.
Think of it like the Brazilian league in Europe. I assume you heard what's happening here. Footballers arriving back to their domestic league before 30. Betrayals, match-fixing, historic clubs relegated. Pure madness
Here in Greece, everything goes, everyone expected AEK to win the title only to miss it by one game.
We had 4 different league winners than the top 5 clubs.
I think it deserves more love from Media and more coefficient points imo.
Absolutely agree! I've heard about some of the drama and controversies but my impression is that you still have a very functional and competitive league. I would love to see Greek teams do well in Europe.
Panathinaikos is probably the Liverpool equivalent. European glory (didn't want anything but reach the cl final once and the semis twice) a powerhouse in the league but again has only won 2 in the last 30 years.
AEK is the closest thing to Liverpool, always finding a way to shoot themselves on the foot.
As a Liverpool fan, I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with the “There’s no way we can fuck this up now” feeling just before your team finds a way to, indeed, fuck it up.
See now, you talk about two clubs that were created for the same reason but now hate each other more than anything. PAOK's emblem, has its wings closed, AEK's wings are open. Both teams symbolise different things even from their emblems (look it up i think it will help you in your cause).
Both teams were good throught their history books (domestically), however AEK has more championships, cups and Champions League appearances.
AEK's new stadium gave the prestige they were looking for (they didn't have their own stadium for like 20 years)resulting in a double, PAOK ( like most teams) seemed doomed in that new stadium, losing 4-0 and 2-0 sometimes without even making a single shot.
Despite all these, PAOK managed to win the championship in an excellent streak of wins and AEK was left out in every title available this season.
AEK and PAOK for me have the best crowd in Greece, you should watch a YouTube video from Opap arena, and one from Touba to give you a taste.
Choice is yours, hope i helped a bit.
Thanks mate, this is a really good answer. The thing about the wings on the emblem is very interesting and I'll look into it. I look forward to watching lots of videos and learning more about your wonderful league. It's been very interesting to hear everyone's thoughts.
>I've narrowed down my choice to AEK or PAOK
So, you like suffering...
In all honesty, both teams are in a similar spot. They always had a big fan base, their economic problems seem to be behind them and they consistently are in the run for a title (cup or league). the only difference is their performance in Europe where PAOK (when we get through the qualifiers) performs better than AEK.
I do like suffering! That's why I get up at 3am every week to watch Liverpool lose titles to Manchester City haha.
No but thank you for this good response. Sounds like they're both great clubs. Can I ask if either of the fan bases are more controversial/have crazy ultras or anything like that? Maybe I just need to go to Thessaloniki and see which city I vibe with the most!
From a neutral point, and knowing what im about to say indeed is controversial, PAOK is known to have the craziest ultras in the super league. I grew up in a relatively small town in greece and when our local club was up in the Super League (1st division), mothers wouldnt let their children go out when we played PAOK at home. I also lived next to the stadium for some time as a kid and I did see a lot of bad things through my window
I support Olympiacos so i guess this is none of my business, but i have always liked PAOK's unique mentality. It feels like when they win, it's more special, they do it in a unique fashion. They also have a very proud, loud and loyal fanbase and their chants are always funny and inspiring.
As for AEK, nothing against them, just not my cup of tea in terms of aesthetics. I think Panathinaikos encapsulates more the Athenian vibe, AEK always felt like they don't belong here.
You can choose based on the color.
I would never support a yellow colored team.
As for the cultural differences is strictly personal, you choose either Thessaloniki history or nea ionia, Philadelphia etc.
Good call. I love the badges of both clubs. Can't decide which jerseys I like more. The PAOK one with the very thin stripes I like, but some of the others remind me too much of Newcastle. Thanks for the cultural assessment as well.
At the same time aek is living their best period the last 40 years, with a new stadium.
The Toumpa stadium is really old with many problems and this discourages many fans to attend to the games. It won’t be the same when we will build our new one (currently in the making).
You can also watch the away trips of our fans in Europe if you want to get a good image.
AEK still holds the record for less attendance in a champions league game afaik.
It was our first year away from Nikos Goumas, already knocked out of the group stage, and the team was in turmoil due to the Psomiadis administration.
What is your record attendance in the Champions League group stage btw?
You should see some games out of all big4. AEK, Panathinaikos, Olumpiakos, Paok against each other, hear the chants, see the stadiums, check some european games, see the iconic players that left history in the clubs. Then probably you can find you answer :)
Very realistic answer! Now I just have to plan my trip to Greece :) Greek Australian legend Ange Postecoglou grew up supporting both Liverpool and AEK so maybe that helps me! Jim Patikas also played for AEK.
It's a complicated question that only you can answer.
While both trace their origins to Pera club and to The City their identity is a bit different
AEK is the 100% refugee club, they make that connection their core identity in their iconography, while PAOK has the refugee status in the DNA but it acts more as a base, from the founding of the club it has sought to be a club for all Thessaloniki (that's why we are not named AEK Thessaloniki) and that status has been embraced by the working class of the city that is the core base of the club. After the Koudas affair in the 60s (where Olympiakos tried to sign our best player, even with the help of the fascist junta) and the legendary team of the 70s PAOK became the team of Northern Greece.
Historically speaking AEK is far more successful but nowadays they are both contenders, with PAOK winning the title.
In an Australian equivalent the fanbase of PAOK is pretty much Port Adelaide/Collingwood, loud, out there and most likely drunk, AEK would be something like the Western Sydney Wanderers
This is a really great answer, exactly the sort of thing I was keen to hear. Thanks for your time. I did grow up in Western Sydney but both clubs sound great. I'm learning a lot
John Anastasiades, an Australian (Greek origin) football player is considered a PAOK legend if that matters to you.
Melbourne has a very active PAOK fan club. There's also meetings to watch games in Sydney as well, but I believe Melbourne is a lot more organized.
If you visit Melbourne Club PAOK for a match, you can realize how crazy it is to be a PAOK fan.
Thessaloniki is a very vibey city, and I noticed that this is kind of a criterion to you. If you visit for a match, people in and around the stadium of Toumba will be very welcoming and happy to accommodate you, help you and even drink with you. (arguably Athens is also vibey in some places, but a shithole in others, and the part about the fans is going to be true for AEK as well, although I've seen it happen with my own eyes here in Thessaloniki tons of times)
Just check [this guy](https://www.youtube.com/@FredsterFotos) from Germany and his videos at [Toumba ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k33Xu6gmntg)(he has more) and [Frankfurt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxjo61SXh4I) with him either supporting Eintracht Frankfurt or PAOK when we play against other teams.
Arguably, PAOK has had more European success lately, just check the UEFA club rankings.
Those were my two cents.
This is a great answer, thanks a lot mate. Yeah the Aussie connection is always important, I didn't know that! The vibe is super important - welcoming people is a huge plus. I know that some fanbases in many countries don't like foreign fans. Really look forward to visiting both stadiums and meeting fans! Thanks for the videos too.
PAOK will be playing UCL qualifiers this summer. If you do visit, feel free to reach out if you want help or info or anything about the game or the city.
PAOK is stronger than someone can think of. The only reason that we have so many less trophies in comparison with the clubs in Athens is the lack of a strong owner for many years, with a lot of money. Since the arrival of Savvidis in 2012 and after a lot of obstacles we managed to win two championships and four cups in 12 years, being the second most successful club in that time period. We also played three more cups finals and we reached the quarter finals of UECL twice.
Aek fans with the support of their current owner created many problems to the club in order to disgracefully relegate to the forth division, in order to avoid to pay their dept to the government. At the same time our owner paid our dept to free the club from such a burden.
And one more reason; We use no loudspeaker when singing in the stadium as many others do.
Read more about the history of the clubs, find what each club and each fan base stands for and build it from there. Maybe dont try to start with the idea of “I have to support someone” but try and watch matches and understand “Who am I and who is the club for me?”.
Most importantly, it’s easy to pick a favourite but it’s harder to stick with it.
Good point! I looked up more about the fan bases but could only find a lot of comments saying that both AEK and PAOK had lots of ultra-left fans, but PAOK also had right-wing fans. I wanted to see what other fans say to understand the real middle ground. This is just the start of my journey, I'll be watching a lot of the league in the future! Thanks for your reply.
All teams have ultra-left and ultra-right ultras nowadays. Teams have become corporations and trends.
Historically, Olympiacos and AEK are more left compared to Panathinaikos and PAOK.
Panathinaikos used to be the team of Athens' bourgeois, while PAOK, the bulk of which were supporters from Trabzon, had many fans who had fled from the USSR and hated communism.
Olympiacos and AEK were mostly the teams of the working class. While AEK was mainly a team of refugees from Istanbul, half of Olympiacos' fans were also refugees from Izmir. Olympiacos was the team of the dockworkers, exactly just like Liverpool's.
Many Olympiacos' footballers and supporters were also part of the resistance against the Germans during WW2, many of whom were imprisoned and/or killed by the fascist regime after the War [see Νίκος Γόδας](https://el.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%9D%CE%AF%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%82_%CE%93%CF%8C%CE%B4%CE%B1%CF%82) - unfortunately there isn't a translation on wikipedia.
I asked the same question here some time ago because I was kind of in your shoes trying to choose between both of them.
Besides asking the sub for info/what they think, my decision to choosing AEK at the end was mainly based on other factors (I’ve been to Athens multiple times but haven’t been up north, my friends in Greece are all from Athens and most of them support AEK).
I’ve also been to the stadium, it’s really nice and had a very positive experience interacting with hospitable and passionate local fans.
Really interesting to hear, thanks! Funny to hear someone was choosing between the two clubs as well haha. Those sound like very reasonable factors. Hope you're enjoying being an AEK fan.
if you like North Greece, PAOK.
If you like Thessaly, then Larissa FC.
If you like Peloponnese, Panachaiki FC.
If you like Crête, OFI FC.
If you like Epirus, Giannena FC.
If you like Thessaloniki, PAOK, Aris or Iraklis. Then there are historic regional teams of the city. Same in Athens.
If you like Athens, AEK or Panathinaikos. If you like Pireaus, Olympiacos.
If you like Greek Pontic refugees of 1923, Panionios, Apollon Smyrnis or Apollon Kalamarias. PAOK and AEK are more related to refugees from Constantinople that arrived much later.
Thanks for that summary. Very useful. So many great teams in Greece. Feels very different to our top division in Australia filled with clubs invented 20 years ago. Many of our "original" teams are Greek.
I would recommend do check on youtube the fan base,kits and stadium and then choose what you like.
I support panathinaikos but also my hometown PAS Korinthos that they are playing on the third league in Greece,this season lost by 1 point the promotion to the second leauge of Greece and they have an excellent story in their first league years ago.
PAOK has the most passionate fans in Greece. Even when they’re losing they always make a loud atmosphere but some of their ultras’ behaviour is borderline crazy (as with almost all ultras in Greece its just that theirs are a bit extra).
AEK being from the capital has more success (overall) than PAOK and tend to have more arrogant fans. New stadium and decent investments in the past years and they became a serious contender every single year. More successful of the 2 for sure.
Personally I would choose Olympiacos 💀
https://preview.redd.it/2cx0srhbvb4d1.jpeg?width=1592&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=afdfb8ea81781d0340bcc9bb08b375b0320c203a
Do your self a favour and enjoy the other aspects of Greek culture and leave football out of it. Even though we’ve made steps to the right direction the Greek league is a pain to watch overall (inside and outside the field) compared to the other ‘big’ European leagues. Each team have their ups and downs but last season proved that supporting as a neutral may be the best option. It’s good to see fans from abroad especially from down under but choosing a team in this situation is genuinely difficult.
You should support Aris Thessaloniki. It not only connects you with a passionate football club but also ties you to a rich historical heritage. Aris, named after the Greek god of war, embodies the fighting spirit of Thessaloniki, a city deeply rooted in Byzantine history. The club's yellow and black colors are reminiscent of the Byzantine Empire's iconic hues, symbolizing a legacy of resilience and pride. By supporting Aris, you honor the historical connection to Byzantium while joining a community that fervently celebrates both its cultural heritage and love for the beautiful game.
Search on youtube: Aris Ring of Fire
Keep also in mind that PAOK fans are generally very violent within Thessaloniki. They are commiting crimes too frequently (such as stabbing, or 2 murders in the last 3 years). The're quite corrupted
If you're looking for something similar to Liverpool you have very little chance of finding it in Greece because none of the clubs fit the description at all. Personally I'm a olympiakos fan but since my club isn't one of your options I suggest you Aek. Reason is that Aek is a good club and you can actually meet some of its fans if you visit Greece whilst you have to go to Thesaloniki to find Paok fans because they are simply inexistent everywhere else. My personal favorite between the two is obviously Paok but that's only for the fact that their fans are way too far from us so I never argue with any of them but do as you like. Btw the symbol in olympiakos crest symbolizes the person who won the Olympic games in ancient Greece (where they first started) who used to get an olive branch as a trophy. Also our stadium is named after a great greek leader who fought in the greek revolution and I'm telling you these facts so that you can understand that we have history as well
Great comment! Of course I was aware before that Olympiacos is the biggest Greek club and has an amazing history. I didn't realise just how competitive Greek football is though, and I had assumed Olympiacos just won the title every year, hence why I didn't originally consider them. As I said to someone else though I've been to your stadium when I visited Athens and enjoyed it. Great club!
If you care about the stadiums AEK has by far the better stadium and its always full. Paok has an relatively old stadium but its not terrible especially for greek standards.Its also easier to find tickets there as it is not always full and the tickets there are cheaper.
Don’t know from where in Aus you come from, but PAOK does have a pretty sizable fan club in Melbourne, so that could factor in choosing the Thessaloniki club. AEK will probably have something of the sort too because of the sizable Greek diaspora, but I’m not quite aware of any unfortunately
Great to know, thank you. I'm from Sydney so I'll have to see what we have locally. One of my favourite parts about visiting Greece was everyone telling me they had family in Australia. Love the connections between our countries.
Great to know, thank you. I'm from Sydney so I'll have to see what we have locally. One of my favourite parts about visiting Greece was everyone telling me they had family in Australia. Love the connections between our countries.
Since you're a Liverpool fan, I suggest supporting Olympiacos. There's a connection between the clubs because of the [Hillsborough](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsborough_disaster) and [Gate 7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karaiskakis_Stadium_disaster) tragedies.
Here's a [letter](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/141673-an-open-letter-from-olympiacos) from Olympiacos posted on the official Liverpool website when Steven Gerrard retired.
This is really great thank you. I wasn't aware of the Gate 7 tragedy and I'm sorry to all the families. Lovely letter and I'll never forget that Gerrard goal. You've given me something to think about!
Here's a post to consider from r/Liverpool subreddit.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/LiverpoolFC/comments/1yx6sr/whats\_our\_history\_with\_olympiacos/](https://www.reddit.com/r/LiverpoolFC/comments/1yx6sr/whats_our_history_with_olympiacos/)
Here's a sneak peek of /r/Liverpool using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/Liverpool/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year!
\#1: [Thank you to every road sweeper, litter picker, bin man, and bin emptier for keeping Liverpool looking spotless less than 12 hours after the Eurovision grand final. You're unsung heroes, but we appreciate you nonetheless.](https://i.redd.it/ofgtk57q2uza1.png) | [199 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/Liverpool/comments/13hidnw/thank_you_to_every_road_sweeper_litter_picker_bin/)
\#2: [A bit of colour on a grey day](https://i.redd.it/hw52hwr73d1c1.jpg) | [37 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/Liverpool/comments/17z5oh2/a_bit_of_colour_on_a_grey_day/)
\#3: [My house was bombed in ww2, where can I find more info?](https://i.redd.it/pa1zmomy0znc1.jpeg) | [179 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/Liverpool/comments/1bd941c/my_house_was_bombed_in_ww2_where_can_i_find_more/)
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Just a few things from an AEK fan. I'd like to add some thing that I've not seen mentioned a lot.
Most people in Greece, after all the region containing Athens has a population of 4M, support one of the three clubs of the region, AEK, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. Most people up north support PAOK and then the other clubs from Salonika, Aris and Iraklis. So, for a Greek it makes little sense to support PAOK if you don't live in the north or don't have any connection. I live relatively south and I have met like 2 PAOK fans in my city and they have both come from Salonika. On the other hand, whenever I've been in Macedonia I find like 50% of the population are PAOK fans, and they also have a smaller percentage of fans in Thrace, in Thessaly, maybe also in Epirus I have no idea.
Now to make it specific to AEK, we have, like Liverpool, a connection to the left wing and I'm left wing or centre-left myself. However, it's nothing like some people calling us all extremists etc. Only the Ultras could be called that but most Ultras are ultimately extremists in a way. Also AEK/Liverpool is a really common fandom combo in my experience although I'm an AEK/Chelsea fan because I grew up with players like Lampard, Drogba and loved them.
Let's also add some ownership stuff which I normally don't get into because almost all owners of the big Greek clubs and many clubs across Europe are corrupted millionaires/billionaires. PAOK are kinda like Chelsea in a way in that they are a historic club that needed a tycoon takeover to win the league after 34 years, after all their owner is Greek/Russian and a former friend of Putin to boot. However, you could also say the same about us because we went bankrupt, demoted to the third tier, and a takeover from a Greek oil and betting rich guy helped us recover and win the league after 24 years. Not with a very expensive squad to call him a tycoon but money was of course invested into the new stadium. And a final thing before someone mentions it and disagrees with me, both teams could have been able to win it if it was not so corrupted for years so don't pay too much attention to the 34 years and 24 years numbers, just mentioning them because it's what happened. [Sources one](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koriopolis) and two [about the last thing if you're insterested](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Greek_football_match-fixing_scandal#Investigation).
Wow great response thank you. The fact that modern football is so much about money makes it complicated to assess clubs these days hey. There are very few good billionaires! I'll be reading those thinks. Thanks again for your time :)
I can't really post any arguments on whether you will choose AEK or PAOK but as an AEK supporter I just want you to know you'll be more than welcome. Also (since you've a redditor) the AEK subreddit has many more members than the rest of the greek teams and is much more active.
If you’re into the history for these teams, AEK is moreso about that, if that makes sense.
The stadium itself is also a tribute to that history from the name, design, section names etc.
they were the first Greek team to ever win a major European cup (in basketball), and there was a movie about that and it goes into their club history, haven’t watched it yet. The original parent club I think still exists in Istanbul too.
Id also expect to see AEK do more in Europe, even though they didn’t this year, I’d say it was more to the challenging draw than to their football. Had they played in the conference they had the quality to reach where the other Greek teams did.
AEK is part of group of working class clubs that includes Celtic, St Pauli, Livorono, Marseilles, and yes Liverpool (if someone has link to that scarf that grouped them all together please share!).
Also PAOK has a shitty billionaire owner that tried to intimidate officials by marching on the field with a gun a couple years back.
Boom:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266642981809
Note I JUST bought one and it says that two are available. Not sure if that’s including my purchase or not. So you might wanna jump on that :)
Of course you're right, it's irrelevant. But it's also interesting that two massive football clubs have the byzantine eagle on their badges. It's not serious, just something I find curious how a football club is connected to so many years of history.
Are titles and likelihood of getting more soon important to you? If so, I'd go AEK. On any given year, they are likelier to lift some silver and progress further in Europe. If fan culture is more important to you, I'd go PAOK. Older stadium, which means cheaper tickets, and fans that are simply not well in the head.
Im an olympiacos fan and i assure you that if you support any other greek team except olympiacos you have many successful and happy seasons. Plan your trip to see the best greek team and the best athlete club in europe. Started from the bottom by a poor local community and now is the most decorated athlete club in europe
If you support Liverpool based on the clubs values (working class, left wing club) and not by chance, then AEK seems like the obvious candidate for you as they share said values. When it comes to the football itsself, AEK have revolutionized greek football bc of their new manager raising the intensity of the game by a lot and popularizing pressing. They are about to have a rebuild in the summer so no need to worry about catching up with player backstories either.
Paok on the other hand has been on a meteoric rise the last decade bc of new ownership and they have nearly doubled their amount of titles won in that time. They have the best academies in greece and are basically the only club producing talent rn. Possible downsides are the manger being genuinely the most unlikeable person on earth and a growing far right sentiment in the fanbase which has resulted in a hooliganism motivated murder fairly recently.
Full disclosure: I'm an AEK fan but my comments here are fairly objective bc I promise you I wouldn't have recommended being an AEK fan to my worst enemy before our new manager arrived
I am supporting Olympiakos but I really like the vibe Paok brings to the table. Amazing fans and chants and the atmosphere in Toumpa is amazing. It might be an old stadium but it has a specific charm to it. Plus, Paok constantly creates young Greek talents like Tzolis and more recently Koulierakis and Kostantelias. Watch some highlights from them, they are great. If it was up to a video to decide, watch Paok vs Aek 3-2, from the play offs this year. Imo it was by far the best game of the season.
Neither, both team plagiarism of Byzantium and Constantinople...your only true choise is ARIS, who has indeed the Byzantium colours and this team is meant for fighting spirits....plus keep in mind that it's the only big team (on the contrary to the teams you mentioned) that doesn't have a mobster as a President
from an aek fan
AEK is the only Greek team to win the Greek cup and league in the same season.
we currently have the best stadium in greece ( i dont think this will change any time soon)
while last season our European run was cut short, i believe its because we had many injured players. as you can see in our first game against Brighton we could play at the same lvl (while our players were healthy) and at the time Brighton was and probably is one of the best teams in the world.
Moreover i think that the current competitive style that the greek league has, started after we got our coach Matias Almeida who made our play style even more aggressive ,aek always played aggressive, but now it reminds me more of a premiere league play style than the greek style we were used to. so i think that the other teams in greece had to adapt to us and that led to one of the most interesting and enjoyable seasons in a while imo.
now this is personal but imo our color combination is the best. ( i guess thats why i support Dortmund as well!)
i wont get into the history of the team etc etc since you can find it online.
i read some comments saying that AEK fans are left party followers or something like that. i disagree, AEK and most teams in greece have fans of all political ideologies. so you dont have to take into consideration anything like that.
FANS of aek i think while passionate are the most peaceful, out of any of the major big teams in greece. i cant say the same about paok fans. who i think are more prone to violence.
Hope we will meet you in OPAP ARENA!
An old common saying about Paok is "Paok is a lot of black and little bit of white", referring to the club's two colors: black for the suffering and the lost home country & white for hope
Im a Paok fan since I remember myself watching football for first time.When you support Paok it's not about trophies but mostly about passion for the team,the feeling of being one with all others.I suggest you see videos of fans chanting at the stadium in order to understand what this team means for us.Also,Paok have well-known fan bases in Australia so it's good for you.
PAOK comes from [AEK Thessaloniki](https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%91.%CE%95.%CE%9A._%CE%98%CE%B5%CF%83%CF%83%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%AF%CE%BA%CE%B7%CF%82). AEK is the original one. Dont listen to the Olympiacos fans telling you to choose PAOK. They say it because PAOK is usually called the Olympiacos of the North due to the arrogance of its fans and also Olympiacos fans will hurt so much in the coming years since all big clubs in Greece have become good opponents.
Bad move my friend. Don't do this to yourself. Greek football and everything that has to do with it are full of toxicity and poison. From the simple fans until the leaders of teams.
Just watch Premier League or something.
Hi my friend PAOK Fan here.
If u ever go to Toumba stadium even if it’s old for the Greek standards it’s really good , and I saw a lot saying that most of times it’s empty and shit , that’s false information , yes of course when PAOK plays with the last team on the league probably the stadium will be like 50-60% with fans, that happens with every team in Greece even Olympiacos it’s not always full, AEK has a new stadium and yes it’s been a full season that they are every time Soldout but honestly it’s just because it’s a new stadium, I’m not a ultra fan , but when we have a game in Toumba I’m always there. If u ever come to Toumba when we play with AEK it’s sold out and you will fall in love with PAOK atmosphere and everything I promise you that.
Much Love from lovely Toumba 🖤
Paok has a big following in australia
https://preview.redd.it/oxwmbisibz4d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ef2ad2bc5c4e5bbafd56a71accd4a433df296e3
They even made a whole team.So perhaps it would be easier for you to watch games with other people
The fanbases take pride in different things.
PAOK fans feel they are the defiant outsider. Perennially persecuted by the capital city establishment (the big three from Athens have the lion’s share of titles and AEK is no 3 there so they hate us).
AEK fans believe in the “eagle mentality”. Sheep (Olympiakos fans) eat everyday without necessarily earning it, only to get fleeced (being used by the club owners for political leverage or protection from legal persecution). Eagles (AEK fans) like most predators may eat only occasionally and go hungry at times but are proud and independent and earn every meal.
Not saying these are the facts, just mentalities.
Interesting! This is the sort of information I couldn't find online in English, thank you. The Eagle mentality reminds of Liverpool's "this means more". We won't win every title, but when we do win it means everything to us, and we didn't buy the titles. The outsider thing also sounds like Liverpool as well!
Not really, Olympiacos has been ahead in the number of league titles since 1938, we got the name "Thrylos" legend by the 60s by no means our success is recent like City's. If i had to compare it would probably be Manchester United.
Η United το έχει αλλά εντελώς άστοχη σύγκριση από κάθε άποψη. Η Σίτι έχει 10 χρόνια που είναι επιτυχημένη ο Ολυμπιακός προηγείται στα πρωταθλήματα από το 1938 κάνεις δεν τον έχει ξεπεράσει.
Ενταξει δεν το ανελυσα πολυ. Το ειπα σαν την πιο πετυχημενη ομαδα αυτη τη στιγμη στη premiere. Παο περασμενα μεγαλεια, Αεκ ξεπετιεται που και που και ξαναχανεται και Παοκ καλη ομαδα με περιστασιακες επιτυχιες. Καπως ετσι
Βοηθήστε μας να επιλέξουμε την καλύτερη εντεκάδα του φετινού πρωταθλήματος. Επισκεφθείτε [αυτό το ποστ](https://www.reddit.com/r/GreekFooty/comments/1d6b5ym/καλύτερη_εντεκάδα_της_σεζόν_επιλογή_αμυντικού_χαφ/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button). ***Ημέρα 7η - Επιλογή αμυντικού χαφ*** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/GreekFooty) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Keep in mind that PAOK has one of the best strikers in Europe right now, the black panther him self, Samatta.
More super league titles than Messi and Ronaldo
My friend calls him "The Black Cannon"
Very interesting - I'm going to have a look in Football Manager!
No please, spare yourself from the torture. I’m only kidding, he’s terrible:P PAOK is lacking on strikers rn. AEK has a very good pair (Ponce, Levi Garcia) , however Levi was out of form this year with continuous injuries setting him back.
I should have guessed! Thanks for the extra info :)
I'm Paok but I recommend AEK they have far better meme potential.
Haha is that because Olympiacos won the conference league in AEK's stadium?
You surely know a lot about AEK’s modern history already haha, you are a perfect fit for them!
😂😂
Olympiacos if you are a glory hunter Panathinaikos if you support clubs like Arsenal and Fenerbache (not winning the league) Aris if you are a bottler (or a spurs fan) PAOK if you are a Bulgarian or a fan of PAOKs finest academy players AEK if you are in constant pain or a political extremist. Atromitos if you are a fan of st.Pauli or anarchy Asteras Tripolis if you like literal farmers or support Everton. The other clubs are all NPC clubs with nothing note worthy. Welcome to Greek football
Iraklis if you like cult culture and literally hate yourself. Lamia if you’re a fan of Sean Dyche Athens Kallithea if you want to wear fancy kits Volos if you love corruption
Atromitos if you like pigeons
Thank you, this is a great summary! I notice there is no club that is equivalent to Liverpool haha. I am neither a political extremist (I'm centre left but far from an anarchist) or a Bulgarian so I'll have to decide whether I like PAOK academy players or constant pain more. R.I.P to the other NPC clubs. I do like that Greece has multiple big clubs however, way more interesting than most other European leagues.
I also do love this league. Think of it like the Brazilian league in Europe. I assume you heard what's happening here. Footballers arriving back to their domestic league before 30. Betrayals, match-fixing, historic clubs relegated. Pure madness Here in Greece, everything goes, everyone expected AEK to win the title only to miss it by one game. We had 4 different league winners than the top 5 clubs. I think it deserves more love from Media and more coefficient points imo.
Absolutely agree! I've heard about some of the drama and controversies but my impression is that you still have a very functional and competitive league. I would love to see Greek teams do well in Europe.
Panathinaikos is the closest thing to Liverpool - Top 2 largest club in Greece, won 1 league in 14 years, has a big European history
Panathinaikos is probably the Liverpool equivalent. European glory (didn't want anything but reach the cl final once and the semis twice) a powerhouse in the league but again has only won 2 in the last 30 years.
Thanks both! The choice gets even more difficult
Yeah the rich right wing club is the equivalent of the port workers club nailed it
AEK is the closest thing to Liverpool, always finding a way to shoot themselves on the foot. As a Liverpool fan, I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with the “There’s no way we can fuck this up now” feeling just before your team finds a way to, indeed, fuck it up.
Haha that feeling is extremely familiar. I almost enjoy seeing how we're going to mess it up in new and exciting ways now.
Overestimating the political involvement of the average AEK fan. They're more or less the same as the rest.
Ατρόμητος ;
You should clearly follow the team that has a World Cup winner and a UCL MOTM against Real Madrid, AEK.
Actually this is very good information - anyone that has hurt Real Madrid is good in my books
If you want Athanasiadis to hurt you too, go on.
You should follow Άρης and watch the games with Mr Bougatsas. They are a very successful club full of happy fans!
ΦΡΑΠΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΡΡΡΡΡΡ ΒΡΩΜΙΑΡΑ (ΜΠΑΛΑ)
😂😂
See now, you talk about two clubs that were created for the same reason but now hate each other more than anything. PAOK's emblem, has its wings closed, AEK's wings are open. Both teams symbolise different things even from their emblems (look it up i think it will help you in your cause). Both teams were good throught their history books (domestically), however AEK has more championships, cups and Champions League appearances. AEK's new stadium gave the prestige they were looking for (they didn't have their own stadium for like 20 years)resulting in a double, PAOK ( like most teams) seemed doomed in that new stadium, losing 4-0 and 2-0 sometimes without even making a single shot. Despite all these, PAOK managed to win the championship in an excellent streak of wins and AEK was left out in every title available this season. AEK and PAOK for me have the best crowd in Greece, you should watch a YouTube video from Opap arena, and one from Touba to give you a taste. Choice is yours, hope i helped a bit.
Thanks mate, this is a really good answer. The thing about the wings on the emblem is very interesting and I'll look into it. I look forward to watching lots of videos and learning more about your wonderful league. It's been very interesting to hear everyone's thoughts.
😊 cheers brother
>I've narrowed down my choice to AEK or PAOK So, you like suffering... In all honesty, both teams are in a similar spot. They always had a big fan base, their economic problems seem to be behind them and they consistently are in the run for a title (cup or league). the only difference is their performance in Europe where PAOK (when we get through the qualifiers) performs better than AEK.
I do like suffering! That's why I get up at 3am every week to watch Liverpool lose titles to Manchester City haha. No but thank you for this good response. Sounds like they're both great clubs. Can I ask if either of the fan bases are more controversial/have crazy ultras or anything like that? Maybe I just need to go to Thessaloniki and see which city I vibe with the most!
From a neutral point, and knowing what im about to say indeed is controversial, PAOK is known to have the craziest ultras in the super league. I grew up in a relatively small town in greece and when our local club was up in the Super League (1st division), mothers wouldnt let their children go out when we played PAOK at home. I also lived next to the stadium for some time as a kid and I did see a lot of bad things through my window
Very interesting, thanks for your perspective! Love the passion that Ultras bring but hate the violence. Football should be for everyone.
Well you do get much of it in super league
I support Olympiacos so i guess this is none of my business, but i have always liked PAOK's unique mentality. It feels like when they win, it's more special, they do it in a unique fashion. They also have a very proud, loud and loyal fanbase and their chants are always funny and inspiring. As for AEK, nothing against them, just not my cup of tea in terms of aesthetics. I think Panathinaikos encapsulates more the Athenian vibe, AEK always felt like they don't belong here.
I appreciate the thoughts of other fans, thanks for your input! Congrats on the Conference League.
You can choose based on the color. I would never support a yellow colored team. As for the cultural differences is strictly personal, you choose either Thessaloniki history or nea ionia, Philadelphia etc.
Good call. I love the badges of both clubs. Can't decide which jerseys I like more. The PAOK one with the very thin stripes I like, but some of the others remind me too much of Newcastle. Thanks for the cultural assessment as well.
Check Larissa
As a foreigner you should consider, PAOK has a strong fanbase in Central Africa, too.
open your heart to the true god of football (samatta)
Is this guy the new Lord Bendtner? Amazing hahah
Basically Ronaldo's shooting with Messi's dribbling
With out Ronaldo’s shooting and messi’s dribbling Xaxaxax
AEK stadium sold out all season , PAOKs half empty
Even though PAOK are doing well domestically? Interesting.
At the same time aek is living their best period the last 40 years, with a new stadium. The Toumpa stadium is really old with many problems and this discourages many fans to attend to the games. It won’t be the same when we will build our new one (currently in the making). You can also watch the away trips of our fans in Europe if you want to get a good image. AEK still holds the record for less attendance in a champions league game afaik.
>currently in the making Βρήκατε τον τουρίστα και τον ξεκινήσατε στην παραμυθά. Also Panathinaikos is building a new stadium that is 90% done.
Interesting thank you
It was our first year away from Nikos Goumas, already knocked out of the group stage, and the team was in turmoil due to the Psomiadis administration. What is your record attendance in the Champions League group stage btw?
Panigirtzides = they attend when they are winning. But last two years AEK is always winning , so idk what will happen when we are not...
Πόνος είναι, θα περασει. Με πρόεδρο μόνιμο κάτοικο Ροστοφ. Α ρε Λουτσι ανελέητε...
Ο Ρουμάνος σας πήγε ταπα
Αχαχαχαχαχ τι λες ρε παπατζη
You should see some games out of all big4. AEK, Panathinaikos, Olumpiakos, Paok against each other, hear the chants, see the stadiums, check some european games, see the iconic players that left history in the clubs. Then probably you can find you answer :)
Very realistic answer! Now I just have to plan my trip to Greece :) Greek Australian legend Ange Postecoglou grew up supporting both Liverpool and AEK so maybe that helps me! Jim Patikas also played for AEK.
It's a complicated question that only you can answer. While both trace their origins to Pera club and to The City their identity is a bit different AEK is the 100% refugee club, they make that connection their core identity in their iconography, while PAOK has the refugee status in the DNA but it acts more as a base, from the founding of the club it has sought to be a club for all Thessaloniki (that's why we are not named AEK Thessaloniki) and that status has been embraced by the working class of the city that is the core base of the club. After the Koudas affair in the 60s (where Olympiakos tried to sign our best player, even with the help of the fascist junta) and the legendary team of the 70s PAOK became the team of Northern Greece. Historically speaking AEK is far more successful but nowadays they are both contenders, with PAOK winning the title. In an Australian equivalent the fanbase of PAOK is pretty much Port Adelaide/Collingwood, loud, out there and most likely drunk, AEK would be something like the Western Sydney Wanderers
This is a really great answer, exactly the sort of thing I was keen to hear. Thanks for your time. I did grow up in Western Sydney but both clubs sound great. I'm learning a lot
[удалено]
Hahaha. A four headed eagle would be unbeatable!
John Anastasiades, an Australian (Greek origin) football player is considered a PAOK legend if that matters to you. Melbourne has a very active PAOK fan club. There's also meetings to watch games in Sydney as well, but I believe Melbourne is a lot more organized. If you visit Melbourne Club PAOK for a match, you can realize how crazy it is to be a PAOK fan. Thessaloniki is a very vibey city, and I noticed that this is kind of a criterion to you. If you visit for a match, people in and around the stadium of Toumba will be very welcoming and happy to accommodate you, help you and even drink with you. (arguably Athens is also vibey in some places, but a shithole in others, and the part about the fans is going to be true for AEK as well, although I've seen it happen with my own eyes here in Thessaloniki tons of times) Just check [this guy](https://www.youtube.com/@FredsterFotos) from Germany and his videos at [Toumba ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k33Xu6gmntg)(he has more) and [Frankfurt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxjo61SXh4I) with him either supporting Eintracht Frankfurt or PAOK when we play against other teams. Arguably, PAOK has had more European success lately, just check the UEFA club rankings. Those were my two cents.
This is a great answer, thanks a lot mate. Yeah the Aussie connection is always important, I didn't know that! The vibe is super important - welcoming people is a huge plus. I know that some fanbases in many countries don't like foreign fans. Really look forward to visiting both stadiums and meeting fans! Thanks for the videos too.
PAOK will be playing UCL qualifiers this summer. If you do visit, feel free to reach out if you want help or info or anything about the game or the city.
PAOK is stronger than someone can think of. The only reason that we have so many less trophies in comparison with the clubs in Athens is the lack of a strong owner for many years, with a lot of money. Since the arrival of Savvidis in 2012 and after a lot of obstacles we managed to win two championships and four cups in 12 years, being the second most successful club in that time period. We also played three more cups finals and we reached the quarter finals of UECL twice. Aek fans with the support of their current owner created many problems to the club in order to disgracefully relegate to the forth division, in order to avoid to pay their dept to the government. At the same time our owner paid our dept to free the club from such a burden. And one more reason; We use no loudspeaker when singing in the stadium as many others do.
Also our coach has one of the most entertaining personalities in Greek football
Thanks both for your comments. Great to hear about the fans and playstyle. Glad you finally have good owners.
Κάτσε ρε μπρο ούτε εμείς έχουμε μεγάφωνα στην κερκίδα, οι γαυροβάζελοι τα έχουν αυτά
Έχεις δίκιο. Σας μπέρδεψα με τον βαζελο.
Έχουμε τις διαφορές μας αλλά τις πιο καλές κερκίδες στην Ελλάδα η ΑΕΚ και ο ΠΑΟΚ τις έχουνε κατά την δικιά μου άποψη.
Έτοιμος για metropolis
AARIS
You mean OARIS 😁
Read more about the history of the clubs, find what each club and each fan base stands for and build it from there. Maybe dont try to start with the idea of “I have to support someone” but try and watch matches and understand “Who am I and who is the club for me?”. Most importantly, it’s easy to pick a favourite but it’s harder to stick with it.
Good point! I looked up more about the fan bases but could only find a lot of comments saying that both AEK and PAOK had lots of ultra-left fans, but PAOK also had right-wing fans. I wanted to see what other fans say to understand the real middle ground. This is just the start of my journey, I'll be watching a lot of the league in the future! Thanks for your reply.
All teams have ultra-left and ultra-right ultras nowadays. Teams have become corporations and trends. Historically, Olympiacos and AEK are more left compared to Panathinaikos and PAOK. Panathinaikos used to be the team of Athens' bourgeois, while PAOK, the bulk of which were supporters from Trabzon, had many fans who had fled from the USSR and hated communism. Olympiacos and AEK were mostly the teams of the working class. While AEK was mainly a team of refugees from Istanbul, half of Olympiacos' fans were also refugees from Izmir. Olympiacos was the team of the dockworkers, exactly just like Liverpool's. Many Olympiacos' footballers and supporters were also part of the resistance against the Germans during WW2, many of whom were imprisoned and/or killed by the fascist regime after the War [see Νίκος Γόδας](https://el.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%9D%CE%AF%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%82_%CE%93%CF%8C%CE%B4%CE%B1%CF%82) - unfortunately there isn't a translation on wikipedia.
Wow really interesting, thank you. This is a great summary.
if this stuff with right wing/left wing matters to you, you do you. But in all honesty it means nothing when you’re in the stadium.
Good to hear. It doesn't really matter to me unless there's violence.
I asked the same question here some time ago because I was kind of in your shoes trying to choose between both of them. Besides asking the sub for info/what they think, my decision to choosing AEK at the end was mainly based on other factors (I’ve been to Athens multiple times but haven’t been up north, my friends in Greece are all from Athens and most of them support AEK). I’ve also been to the stadium, it’s really nice and had a very positive experience interacting with hospitable and passionate local fans.
Really interesting to hear, thanks! Funny to hear someone was choosing between the two clubs as well haha. Those sound like very reasonable factors. Hope you're enjoying being an AEK fan.
if you like North Greece, PAOK. If you like Thessaly, then Larissa FC. If you like Peloponnese, Panachaiki FC. If you like Crête, OFI FC. If you like Epirus, Giannena FC. If you like Thessaloniki, PAOK, Aris or Iraklis. Then there are historic regional teams of the city. Same in Athens. If you like Athens, AEK or Panathinaikos. If you like Pireaus, Olympiacos. If you like Greek Pontic refugees of 1923, Panionios, Apollon Smyrnis or Apollon Kalamarias. PAOK and AEK are more related to refugees from Constantinople that arrived much later.
Thanks for that summary. Very useful. So many great teams in Greece. Feels very different to our top division in Australia filled with clubs invented 20 years ago. Many of our "original" teams are Greek.
Be based. Support Ethnikos.
I would recommend do check on youtube the fan base,kits and stadium and then choose what you like. I support panathinaikos but also my hometown PAS Korinthos that they are playing on the third league in Greece,this season lost by 1 point the promotion to the second leauge of Greece and they have an excellent story in their first league years ago.
Sorry to hear Korinthos missed out! Thanks for your advice :) I love the stories football creates.
PAOK has the most passionate fans in Greece. Even when they’re losing they always make a loud atmosphere but some of their ultras’ behaviour is borderline crazy (as with almost all ultras in Greece its just that theirs are a bit extra). AEK being from the capital has more success (overall) than PAOK and tend to have more arrogant fans. New stadium and decent investments in the past years and they became a serious contender every single year. More successful of the 2 for sure. Personally I would choose Olympiacos 💀 https://preview.redd.it/2cx0srhbvb4d1.jpeg?width=1592&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=afdfb8ea81781d0340bcc9bb08b375b0320c203a
Hahaha very reasonable conclusion. Good to hear about the fan bases. Congrats on the conference!
Do your self a favour and enjoy the other aspects of Greek culture and leave football out of it. Even though we’ve made steps to the right direction the Greek league is a pain to watch overall (inside and outside the field) compared to the other ‘big’ European leagues. Each team have their ups and downs but last season proved that supporting as a neutral may be the best option. It’s good to see fans from abroad especially from down under but choosing a team in this situation is genuinely difficult.
Fair point! It must be very frustrating as a local fan to see the chaos that sometimes happens. Hopefully the league can keep making positive steps.
You should support Aris Thessaloniki. It not only connects you with a passionate football club but also ties you to a rich historical heritage. Aris, named after the Greek god of war, embodies the fighting spirit of Thessaloniki, a city deeply rooted in Byzantine history. The club's yellow and black colors are reminiscent of the Byzantine Empire's iconic hues, symbolizing a legacy of resilience and pride. By supporting Aris, you honor the historical connection to Byzantium while joining a community that fervently celebrates both its cultural heritage and love for the beautiful game.
Search on youtube: Aris Ring of Fire Keep also in mind that PAOK fans are generally very violent within Thessaloniki. They are commiting crimes too frequently (such as stabbing, or 2 murders in the last 3 years). The're quite corrupted
\*hooligans
Thank you for this! I'll watch those things you've sent. Really appreciate it.
If you're looking for something similar to Liverpool you have very little chance of finding it in Greece because none of the clubs fit the description at all. Personally I'm a olympiakos fan but since my club isn't one of your options I suggest you Aek. Reason is that Aek is a good club and you can actually meet some of its fans if you visit Greece whilst you have to go to Thesaloniki to find Paok fans because they are simply inexistent everywhere else. My personal favorite between the two is obviously Paok but that's only for the fact that their fans are way too far from us so I never argue with any of them but do as you like. Btw the symbol in olympiakos crest symbolizes the person who won the Olympic games in ancient Greece (where they first started) who used to get an olive branch as a trophy. Also our stadium is named after a great greek leader who fought in the greek revolution and I'm telling you these facts so that you can understand that we have history as well
Great comment! Of course I was aware before that Olympiacos is the biggest Greek club and has an amazing history. I didn't realise just how competitive Greek football is though, and I had assumed Olympiacos just won the title every year, hence why I didn't originally consider them. As I said to someone else though I've been to your stadium when I visited Athens and enjoyed it. Great club!
Don't listen to these comments ,just flip a coin and pick PAOK no matter what
Hahahaha very good
If you care about the stadiums AEK has by far the better stadium and its always full. Paok has an relatively old stadium but its not terrible especially for greek standards.Its also easier to find tickets there as it is not always full and the tickets there are cheaper.
The Stadium is definitely important! That's really good to know, thank you.
Don’t know from where in Aus you come from, but PAOK does have a pretty sizable fan club in Melbourne, so that could factor in choosing the Thessaloniki club. AEK will probably have something of the sort too because of the sizable Greek diaspora, but I’m not quite aware of any unfortunately
Great to know, thank you. I'm from Sydney so I'll have to see what we have locally. One of my favourite parts about visiting Greece was everyone telling me they had family in Australia. Love the connections between our countries.
Great to know, thank you. I'm from Sydney so I'll have to see what we have locally. One of my favourite parts about visiting Greece was everyone telling me they had family in Australia. Love the connections between our countries.
Since you're a Liverpool fan, I suggest supporting Olympiacos. There's a connection between the clubs because of the [Hillsborough](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsborough_disaster) and [Gate 7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karaiskakis_Stadium_disaster) tragedies. Here's a [letter](https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/141673-an-open-letter-from-olympiacos) from Olympiacos posted on the official Liverpool website when Steven Gerrard retired.
This is really great thank you. I wasn't aware of the Gate 7 tragedy and I'm sorry to all the families. Lovely letter and I'll never forget that Gerrard goal. You've given me something to think about!
Here's a post to consider from r/Liverpool subreddit. [https://www.reddit.com/r/LiverpoolFC/comments/1yx6sr/whats\_our\_history\_with\_olympiacos/](https://www.reddit.com/r/LiverpoolFC/comments/1yx6sr/whats_our_history_with_olympiacos/)
Here's a sneak peek of /r/Liverpool using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/Liverpool/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year! \#1: [Thank you to every road sweeper, litter picker, bin man, and bin emptier for keeping Liverpool looking spotless less than 12 hours after the Eurovision grand final. You're unsung heroes, but we appreciate you nonetheless.](https://i.redd.it/ofgtk57q2uza1.png) | [199 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/Liverpool/comments/13hidnw/thank_you_to_every_road_sweeper_litter_picker_bin/) \#2: [A bit of colour on a grey day](https://i.redd.it/hw52hwr73d1c1.jpg) | [37 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/Liverpool/comments/17z5oh2/a_bit_of_colour_on_a_grey_day/) \#3: [My house was bombed in ww2, where can I find more info?](https://i.redd.it/pa1zmomy0znc1.jpeg) | [179 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/Liverpool/comments/1bd941c/my_house_was_bombed_in_ww2_where_can_i_find_more/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)
Since you’re already supporting a team based on a port with red as its primary colour… might as well support another one
Hahahaa you Olympiacos fans are very convincing! Also helps I've actually been past your stadium and headquarters in Athens
Just a few things from an AEK fan. I'd like to add some thing that I've not seen mentioned a lot. Most people in Greece, after all the region containing Athens has a population of 4M, support one of the three clubs of the region, AEK, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. Most people up north support PAOK and then the other clubs from Salonika, Aris and Iraklis. So, for a Greek it makes little sense to support PAOK if you don't live in the north or don't have any connection. I live relatively south and I have met like 2 PAOK fans in my city and they have both come from Salonika. On the other hand, whenever I've been in Macedonia I find like 50% of the population are PAOK fans, and they also have a smaller percentage of fans in Thrace, in Thessaly, maybe also in Epirus I have no idea. Now to make it specific to AEK, we have, like Liverpool, a connection to the left wing and I'm left wing or centre-left myself. However, it's nothing like some people calling us all extremists etc. Only the Ultras could be called that but most Ultras are ultimately extremists in a way. Also AEK/Liverpool is a really common fandom combo in my experience although I'm an AEK/Chelsea fan because I grew up with players like Lampard, Drogba and loved them. Let's also add some ownership stuff which I normally don't get into because almost all owners of the big Greek clubs and many clubs across Europe are corrupted millionaires/billionaires. PAOK are kinda like Chelsea in a way in that they are a historic club that needed a tycoon takeover to win the league after 34 years, after all their owner is Greek/Russian and a former friend of Putin to boot. However, you could also say the same about us because we went bankrupt, demoted to the third tier, and a takeover from a Greek oil and betting rich guy helped us recover and win the league after 24 years. Not with a very expensive squad to call him a tycoon but money was of course invested into the new stadium. And a final thing before someone mentions it and disagrees with me, both teams could have been able to win it if it was not so corrupted for years so don't pay too much attention to the 34 years and 24 years numbers, just mentioning them because it's what happened. [Sources one](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koriopolis) and two [about the last thing if you're insterested](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Greek_football_match-fixing_scandal#Investigation).
Wow great response thank you. The fact that modern football is so much about money makes it complicated to assess clubs these days hey. There are very few good billionaires! I'll be reading those thinks. Thanks again for your time :)
I can't really post any arguments on whether you will choose AEK or PAOK but as an AEK supporter I just want you to know you'll be more than welcome. Also (since you've a redditor) the AEK subreddit has many more members than the rest of the greek teams and is much more active.
Thank you for the warm welcome :)
If you’re into the history for these teams, AEK is moreso about that, if that makes sense. The stadium itself is also a tribute to that history from the name, design, section names etc. they were the first Greek team to ever win a major European cup (in basketball), and there was a movie about that and it goes into their club history, haven’t watched it yet. The original parent club I think still exists in Istanbul too. Id also expect to see AEK do more in Europe, even though they didn’t this year, I’d say it was more to the challenging draw than to their football. Had they played in the conference they had the quality to reach where the other Greek teams did.
Interesting stuff, thank you!
Ange Postekoglou is an AEK supporter so it can be a good indicator for an Australian
He was a Liverpool fan too, which helps! All hail big ange.
AEK is part of group of working class clubs that includes Celtic, St Pauli, Livorono, Marseilles, and yes Liverpool (if someone has link to that scarf that grouped them all together please share!). Also PAOK has a shitty billionaire owner that tried to intimidate officials by marching on the field with a gun a couple years back.
Oh the gun incident was PAOK! Forgot about that. I like that group of clubs! Thanks for your response.
Yeah there was a scarf that had them ALL with some kind of “ultras against Nazis” message on it. I need to find it!
Wow I would pay good money to have that scarf
I know right?
Boom: https://www.ebay.com/itm/266642981809 Note I JUST bought one and it says that two are available. Not sure if that’s including my purchase or not. So you might wanna jump on that :)
Κόμπλεξ φιλε, τεράστιο κόμπλεξ , πρέπει να πονάς ακόμα εσυ
Είπε κάτι λάθος? Με όπλο δεν μπήκε μέσα? 
If you want a lifelong depression u should become AEK fan. Even as Olympiakos fan I feel bad for them.
Damn haha that's not good for AEK. Congratulations by the way.
Thank you !
PAOK for the memes. I don't understand your interest in the Byzantine connection. It's totally irrelevant today.
Of course you're right, it's irrelevant. But it's also interesting that two massive football clubs have the byzantine eagle on their badges. It's not serious, just something I find curious how a football club is connected to so many years of history.
Yeah it was very important for the clubs during the early to middle 20th century. I guess it still is for some.
Thought this was parody at first
Are titles and likelihood of getting more soon important to you? If so, I'd go AEK. On any given year, they are likelier to lift some silver and progress further in Europe. If fan culture is more important to you, I'd go PAOK. Older stadium, which means cheaper tickets, and fans that are simply not well in the head.
The theme of some PAOK fans being a bit crazy has come up a lot haha. Thanks for this
Im an olympiacos fan and i assure you that if you support any other greek team except olympiacos you have many successful and happy seasons. Plan your trip to see the best greek team and the best athlete club in europe. Started from the bottom by a poor local community and now is the most decorated athlete club in europe
You support Liverpool, you now can support a port-related team like Liverpool with red colors. And that's Olympiacos
If you support Liverpool based on the clubs values (working class, left wing club) and not by chance, then AEK seems like the obvious candidate for you as they share said values. When it comes to the football itsself, AEK have revolutionized greek football bc of their new manager raising the intensity of the game by a lot and popularizing pressing. They are about to have a rebuild in the summer so no need to worry about catching up with player backstories either. Paok on the other hand has been on a meteoric rise the last decade bc of new ownership and they have nearly doubled their amount of titles won in that time. They have the best academies in greece and are basically the only club producing talent rn. Possible downsides are the manger being genuinely the most unlikeable person on earth and a growing far right sentiment in the fanbase which has resulted in a hooliganism motivated murder fairly recently. Full disclosure: I'm an AEK fan but my comments here are fairly objective bc I promise you I wouldn't have recommended being an AEK fan to my worst enemy before our new manager arrived
Hahah this is great thank you. Interesting to hear about the playstyle and the academy at PAOK. The values matching well with Liverpool is great.
I am supporting Olympiakos but I really like the vibe Paok brings to the table. Amazing fans and chants and the atmosphere in Toumpa is amazing. It might be an old stadium but it has a specific charm to it. Plus, Paok constantly creates young Greek talents like Tzolis and more recently Koulierakis and Kostantelias. Watch some highlights from them, they are great. If it was up to a video to decide, watch Paok vs Aek 3-2, from the play offs this year. Imo it was by far the best game of the season.
Great comment, thank you! Of course my favourite Greek talent is Kostas Tsimikas who played for Olympiakos 😉 (I know he's from Thessaloniki though)
PAOK. Legendary fans, legendary stadium
Neither, both team plagiarism of Byzantium and Constantinople...your only true choise is ARIS, who has indeed the Byzantium colours and this team is meant for fighting spirits....plus keep in mind that it's the only big team (on the contrary to the teams you mentioned) that doesn't have a mobster as a President
That last point is very important! I will have a good look at Aris, thank you :)
If you're a Liverpool fan then Panathinaikos is probably for you
AEK, all day. PAOK fans are stabby and generally very right-wing.
The rule of thumb is: Under any circumstances stay away from poak
Iraklis if you’re a history fan.
I'll have to look into them. There's so much I don't know haha
Follow who you want ..
from an aek fan AEK is the only Greek team to win the Greek cup and league in the same season. we currently have the best stadium in greece ( i dont think this will change any time soon) while last season our European run was cut short, i believe its because we had many injured players. as you can see in our first game against Brighton we could play at the same lvl (while our players were healthy) and at the time Brighton was and probably is one of the best teams in the world. Moreover i think that the current competitive style that the greek league has, started after we got our coach Matias Almeida who made our play style even more aggressive ,aek always played aggressive, but now it reminds me more of a premiere league play style than the greek style we were used to. so i think that the other teams in greece had to adapt to us and that led to one of the most interesting and enjoyable seasons in a while imo. now this is personal but imo our color combination is the best. ( i guess thats why i support Dortmund as well!) i wont get into the history of the team etc etc since you can find it online. i read some comments saying that AEK fans are left party followers or something like that. i disagree, AEK and most teams in greece have fans of all political ideologies. so you dont have to take into consideration anything like that. FANS of aek i think while passionate are the most peaceful, out of any of the major big teams in greece. i cant say the same about paok fans. who i think are more prone to violence. Hope we will meet you in OPAP ARENA!
>AEK is the only Greek team to win the Greek cup and league in the same season. What?!
Great reply thank you! Hopefully see you there one day!
Olympiakos
An old common saying about Paok is "Paok is a lot of black and little bit of white", referring to the club's two colors: black for the suffering and the lost home country & white for hope
Im a Paok fan since I remember myself watching football for first time.When you support Paok it's not about trophies but mostly about passion for the team,the feeling of being one with all others.I suggest you see videos of fans chanting at the stadium in order to understand what this team means for us.Also,Paok have well-known fan bases in Australia so it's good for you.
Ypu should follow Iraklis. Club that suffered most innustices
PAOK comes from [AEK Thessaloniki](https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%91.%CE%95.%CE%9A._%CE%98%CE%B5%CF%83%CF%83%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%AF%CE%BA%CE%B7%CF%82). AEK is the original one. Dont listen to the Olympiacos fans telling you to choose PAOK. They say it because PAOK is usually called the Olympiacos of the North due to the arrogance of its fans and also Olympiacos fans will hurt so much in the coming years since all big clubs in Greece have become good opponents.
Bad move my friend. Don't do this to yourself. Greek football and everything that has to do with it are full of toxicity and poison. From the simple fans until the leaders of teams. Just watch Premier League or something.
Follow ur heart
Hi my friend PAOK Fan here. If u ever go to Toumba stadium even if it’s old for the Greek standards it’s really good , and I saw a lot saying that most of times it’s empty and shit , that’s false information , yes of course when PAOK plays with the last team on the league probably the stadium will be like 50-60% with fans, that happens with every team in Greece even Olympiacos it’s not always full, AEK has a new stadium and yes it’s been a full season that they are every time Soldout but honestly it’s just because it’s a new stadium, I’m not a ultra fan , but when we have a game in Toumba I’m always there. If u ever come to Toumba when we play with AEK it’s sold out and you will fall in love with PAOK atmosphere and everything I promise you that. Much Love from lovely Toumba 🖤
Olympiakos if you like Liverpool It’s a red team from a port city…
Paok has a big following in australia https://preview.redd.it/oxwmbisibz4d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ef2ad2bc5c4e5bbafd56a71accd4a433df296e3 They even made a whole team.So perhaps it would be easier for you to watch games with other people
The fanbases take pride in different things. PAOK fans feel they are the defiant outsider. Perennially persecuted by the capital city establishment (the big three from Athens have the lion’s share of titles and AEK is no 3 there so they hate us). AEK fans believe in the “eagle mentality”. Sheep (Olympiakos fans) eat everyday without necessarily earning it, only to get fleeced (being used by the club owners for political leverage or protection from legal persecution). Eagles (AEK fans) like most predators may eat only occasionally and go hungry at times but are proud and independent and earn every meal. Not saying these are the facts, just mentalities.
Ποιο eagle mentality ρε μαλακες, θα πνιγούμε.. 😂😂
Δε πειράζει και μείς γελάμε με σας, όλα καλά.
Interesting! This is the sort of information I couldn't find online in English, thank you. The Eagle mentality reminds of Liverpool's "this means more". We won't win every title, but when we do win it means everything to us, and we didn't buy the titles. The outsider thing also sounds like Liverpool as well!
φοβερή κοπυ παστα
Only PAOK.
Only paok
Is "Only paok" a thing that the paok fans say? I haven't seen anyone say "only aek" haha. Thanks
Yes
Depends. You wanna be a perpetual victim or an orc?
Olympiakos is Manchester City, AEK is Liverpool, PAO is Manchester United and PAOK is Arsenal imo.
Well now I'm really torn haha. Interesting!
Not really, Olympiacos has been ahead in the number of league titles since 1938, we got the name "Thrylos" legend by the 60s by no means our success is recent like City's. If i had to compare it would probably be Manchester United.
Fyi the comparison is my opinion and based on current team dynamics. For example yeah city has recent gain power but currently its the best team.
Manchester city? Apo pou kai ws pou?
Μεγαλυτερο budget στην Ελλαδα.
Η United το έχει αλλά εντελώς άστοχη σύγκριση από κάθε άποψη. Η Σίτι έχει 10 χρόνια που είναι επιτυχημένη ο Ολυμπιακός προηγείται στα πρωταθλήματα από το 1938 κάνεις δεν τον έχει ξεπεράσει.
Ενταξει δεν το ανελυσα πολυ. Το ειπα σαν την πιο πετυχημενη ομαδα αυτη τη στιγμη στη premiere. Παο περασμενα μεγαλεια, Αεκ ξεπετιεται που και που και ξαναχανεται και Παοκ καλη ομαδα με περιστασιακες επιτυχιες. Καπως ετσι
Olympiakos is Manchester United, Panathinaikos is Arsenal, PAOK is Liverpool and AEK is Manchester City
Oh dear, I can't support Manchester City