The Super League Greece 1 (Greek: Σούπερ Λιγκ Ελλάδας 1), or Stoiximan Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The members of the cooperative are the Football Limited Companies (P.A.E.) that have the right to participate in the Super League 1 championship.[2] The president of Super League 1 is Vangelis Marinakis, who has been re-elected for the third time.[3]
It consists of 14 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 26 games each followed by 6-game Championship play-offs to decide the champions.
As of May 2024, Super League Greece is ranked 15th[4][5] in the UEFA ranking of leagues, based on performances in European competitions over the last five years.
Since the foundation of the first official Panhellenic Championship in 1927,[6] only six clubs have won the title. With 47 conquests, Olympiacos has the most titles in the history of the competition.
The current champions are PAOK.
Football first appeared in Greece in 1894 and began to spread after the 1896 Olympiad, which was included in the games program. Many clubs started to establish football divisions while the first purely football clubs were also founded. The first years, until 1912, championship was organised by the Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics (SEGAS). This championship was actually a local tournament among clubs from Athens and Piraeus.[7]
After the Balkan Wars and World War I, two football associations were formed, one organising a football league in Athens and Piraeus, and one doing the same in Thessaloniki. These were the Athens-Piraeus FCA (EPSAP) and the Macedonia FCA (EPSM). In 1923, a Panhellenic Champion was determined by a play-off game between the Athens-Piraeus and the Thessaloniki champions. Peiraikos Syndesmos won 3–1 against Aris. This panhellenic final was not repeated the following year as the EPSAP was split into the Athens FCA (EPSA) and Piraeus FCA (EPSP) following a dispute.[8][9]
On 14 November 1926, the Hellenic Football Federation is founded and organizes the first Panhellenic Championship in the period 1927-28, in which, however, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and AEK Athens did not participate due to conflicts with the EPO.[10]
The initial events were held with teams from Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki, excluding the provincial ones. Previously, the local championships of the cities were held and in the final phase, sometimes only the first ones qualified, sometimes the first two or the first three teams. In the championship of 1938-39, which was held in two groups, teams outside Athens-Thessaloniki (Doxa Drama, AEK Kavala and Filippi Kavala) participated for the first time. The maiden presence of provincial teams in a single group of the Panhellenic Championship took place in 1953-54 with the participation of Panachaiki from Southern Greece and Niki Volou from Central and Northern Greece.[11]
Sourse: https://web.archive.org/web/20121031060033/http://rsssf.com/tablesg/grkalltime.html
In 1959 the Alpha Ethniki – the precursor of the current Super League – was set up as a national round-robin tournament. After several months of talks, the 1959–60 championship was the first nationwide league competition. It started on Sunday 25 October 1959 with the participation of 16 teams. The creation of a championship in the form of a single permanent national division rather than the way they have been held until then with the participation of the teams selected by the local competitions was a requirement of both the State and UEFA. The first wished to establish a fixed number of matches every Sunday in Greece to stimulate interest in PRO-PO while UEFA wished to nominate national champions with strict criteria and through joint events for all states. The Hellenic Football Federation (HFF) was obliged to proceed to the abolition of the competitions of the Football Clubs Associations (EPS) of Greece as qualifying stages for the Pan-Hellenic Championship. The first place was taken by Alpha Ethniki, a single division with clubs from all over the Greek territory and a stable participation, with the exception of those who would be relegated at the end of the season. The initial design provided for a number of teams well above the 10th of the 1958–59 Pan-Hellenic Championship and in particular 18 which, as the expanded division calendar would cover almost all the available dates of the year, would no longer participate in its local competitions their EPSs. Those would be the qualifier for the upcoming national division and not the participation in the final round of the current championship, so their significance was significantly reduced. On Saturday, 10 October 1959 at the General Assembly of the HFF, ie with the participation of all the members of the Association of Football Associations and in the presence of the General Secretariat of Sports (GGA) and representatives of the Karamanlis government, became the first national division of Greek football. The 1st game was set for 15 days. According to the general Assembly of HFF on 29 August 1959, it was decided that the newly created Alpha Ethniki would consist of 18 teams, with their determination being made in accordance with the positions in the local EPS competitions in the period 1958–59. The HFF, at its decisive General Assembly on Saturday, 10 October, decided to reduce the number of teams to 16 so that the racing program will not be extended in the summer. After the end of the first event in the summer of 1960, the teams did not increase despite HFF's initial intention, with the number 16 being considered the ideal for a championship in Greece and only 18 in 1967.[12]
The teams that participated in the first championship of the Alpha Ethniki were the following:
On 25 October 1959, the Alpha Ethniki was launched. Panathinaikos won the first Alpha Ethniki's Championship and became the Greek champions for the fourth time in his history. The club tied with AEK by 79 points and defeated them by 2–1 in the play-off, a match where Panathinaikos needed only a draw at the neutral Karaiskakis Stadium. In such a case, after the half-hour extension, the competition announcement set the best goal difference. Through the playoffs and with the same score was also the third place for the demotion, with the winner Panegialios to overtake Pankorinthiakos again in the event of a draw. The scoring system was 3 points for the win, 2 points for the draw, 1 point for the defeat.[13]
Time has been relentless for some teams that have participated in the first league of the Alpha Ethniki. The historic Ethnikos Piraeus, cup winner of Greece in 1933, participates in the Gamma Ethniki, as well as Proodeftiki while AE Nikaia participates in the local championship of Piraeus. Apollon Kalamaria, Doxa Drama and Iraklis are fighting in the Beta Ethniki, while Pankorinthiakos, a few years after joining Alpha Ethniki, merged with Aris Korinthos and created PAS Korinthos, which reached the Alpha Ethniki at the 1990s and is now participating in the Gamma Ethniki. Megas Alexandros Katerini is the ancestor of Pierikos. In 1961, they merged with Olympos Katerini and created Pierikos who plays in the Gamma Ethniki.[14]
On 19 January 1979 a bill was passed in the Hellenic Parliament under which football clubs became Football Incorporated Companies (PAE or ΠΑΕ in Greek). The Association of Football Incorporated Companies (EPAE, ΕΠΑΕ in Greek), under the supervision of the HFF, has since held the responsibility to hold the championship, with Makis Ithakisios being elected its first president. Initially the shares were owned by the sports union to which the football club belonged. Yet soon after, prominent Greek businessmen (shipowners, oil magnates, bankers etc.) began acquiring the newly formed PAEs by buying the majority of their shares, and then increasing their share capital, thus turning Greek football into a fully commercialised and highly profitable business for the decades to come.[15]
For a single racing season, 2000–01, the championship is renamed "Upper Category". It was an attempt to restructure the Greek football leagues, which included a gradual reduction of the teams in the Greek league and was announced at the end of 1999 by the then president of the Football Association of Societies (E.P.A.E.) Viktoras Mitropoulos. It was based on a plan developed on behalf of EPAE. the international company "Deloitte & Touche". However, it was never completed and a simple renaming of the leagues was only valid for the 2000–2001 season, which was abolished the following season.[16]
On 16 July 2006, was founded the copartnership Super League. Members of the copartnership are the PAE's that have the right to participate in the professional football championship of the First Division. The main activity of the copartnership is the organization and conduct of the First Division's Championship according to the regulations and decisions of the Hellenic Football Federation (HFF) and the supreme international football confederations (UEFA, FIFA). From the 2007-08 season, the play-offs were established for the exit of the teams in Europe (places 2-5).[17][18]
With the restructuring of 2019, from the period 2019–2020 the professional football association "Super League Greece Limited Liability Company" was renamed to "Super League 1 Greece Limited Liability Company". Playoffs are established to determine the champion, among the top six teams in the league. At the same time, the use of the V.A.R. was established.[19][20]
At present, 14 clubs compete in the Super League, playing each other in a 26-game home and away series. At the end of the season, the top 4 clubs face each other in a 6-game championship round to decide the Super League champions but also the teams to enter the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The bottom 6 clubs face each other in play-outs to decide who gets relegated to Super League 2.[21] In their place, the top two teams from Super League 2 are promoted. The number of teams to be relegated may change, depending on a licensing procedure that takes place at the end of the regular season.[citation needed]
The Super League for the 2024-25 season, is entitled to one entrant into the UEFA Champions League. The reigning champions currently enter the second qualifying round through the champions path. The second-placed team enters the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round. Olympiacos as the 2023-24 UEFA Europa Conference League winner, enters directly the league phase of the UEFA Europa League. Panathinaikos as the 2023-24 Greek Cup winner, enters the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
The following 14 clubs will compete in the Super League in the 2024–25 season.
Panhellenic Championship
National League
Professional League
i) From 1979–80 to 2005–06, Alpha Ethniki Katigoria (A' National Division).
ii) From 2006–07 to 2018–19, Super League Greece
iii) From 2019–20 to present, Super League 1 (The use of VAR is established)[22]
Source: epo.gr, rsssf.org.
Source: rsssf.org
The six clubs that have won the championship are from a total of four cities:
The six clubs that have won the championship are from a total of three regions:
The number of seasons that each team (in alphabetical order) has played in the national top division from 1959–60 until 2024–25. A total of 70 teams had competed at least once in the national league. Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and PAOK are the only teams that have never been relegated and participated in every season since the league's inception in its modern form. The teams in bold will participate in the 2024–25 Super League.
The number of seasons that each team (in alphabetical order) has played in the final stage of the Panhellenic Championship (1927–59) and also in the National League (1959–present). A total of 82 teams had competed at least one time. The teams in bold will participate in the 2024–25 Super League.
This index is an overall record of all match results, points, and goals of the best ten teams that has played in Alpha Ethniki and Super League championships since 1959–60. The table is correct as of the end of the 2022–23 season. Points are based on 3–1–0 and no deductions are counted.
All the geographic regions of Greece have been represented by at least one club in the first national division. Central Greece has had the strongest presence with 27 clubs overall, of which 22 come from Attica alone. Central Greece, Macedonia and the Peloponnese together contain almost three-quarters of the clubs that participated in the top flight. Between 1967 and 1974, the Cypriot champion also participated in the Greek top competition, and five different Cypriot clubs participated during those years. The Greek islands of Rhodes, Lesbos and Corfu have also been represented. A total of 74 clubs have participated at the first tier so far.
A total of 20 Greek clubs have participated in European competitions. Olympiacos is the club with the most overall apps and matches. They are also the only Greek team to have won a European trophy and the first team in Europe to win both men and youth European titles in the same season, after winning the UEFA Conference League and the UEFA Youth League (unbeaten) in 2024.[25]
All-time contribution of points for the UEFA country ranking.[26]
As of 30 May 2024, the Greek Super League ranks 15th in the UEFA coefficient database, with 31.525 points.
Nova Sports (premium channel) have taken the broadcasting rights for the home games of six teams of the Super League. The teams are Aris, Asteras Tripolis, Atromitos, Levadiakos, Panserraikos and PAOK.Cosmote Sport (also a premium channel) have taken the broadcasting rights for the home games of eight teams of the Super League. The teams are AEK Athens, Athens Kallithea, Lamia, OFI, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Panetolikos and Volos.[27]
Eurosport has pan-European broadcasting rights for the Super League (except Greece and Portugal).
South Korean OTT Coupang Play has taken the broadcasting rights for Olympiacos' matches.[citation needed]
From 2007 to 2017, the Super League had title sponsorship rights sold to one company, which were OPAP. From 2017 until 2019, the Super League has title sponsorship rights sold to the company Souroti.
OPAP' deal with the Super League expired at the end of the 2016–17 season. The Super League announced on 20 July 2017 that the new title sponsorship deal for the Super League was with the Souroti company.
As well as sponsorship for the league itself, the Super League has a number of official partners and suppliers. The official ball supplier for the league is Nike. Also, Panini has held the licence to produce collectables for the Super League since 2008, including stickers (for their sticker album) and trading cards. On 28 January 2023 Stoiximan became the official sponsor of the league.[28]
