Super League Greece

Super League Greece
Countries	Greece
Confederation	UEFA
Founded	16 July 2006
Number of teams	16
Relegation to	Beta Ethniki
Level on pyramid	Level 1
Domestic cup(s)	Greek Cup; Greek Super Cup
International cup(s)	UEFA Champions League; UEFA Cup
Current champions	Olympiacos (2007-08)
Most successful club	Olympiacos (36 titles)
Website	http://www.superleaguegreece.net
	Super League Greece 2008–09

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For other uses, see Super League (disambiguation).

The Super League Greece (Greek: Σούπερ Λίγκα Ελλάδα) is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed in July 16, 2006, and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each. As of May 2008, Super League Greece is ranked 14th in the UEFA ranking of leagues based on performances in European competitions over the last five-years.

Since the foundation of the first Panhellenic Championship in season 1927-28, only six clubs have won the title, with the "big three" of Athens, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and AEK Athens, dominating and only Aris, PAOK and Larissa managing to break their dominance on a few occasions. The current champions are Olympiacos, who are also the most successful team of the league having won 36 titles.

[edit] History

In 2006, the Super League Greece replaced Alpha Ethniki as the highest Greek professional football league. Alpha Ethniki had held the position as the highest level of Greek football since 1959 when it replaced the Panhellenic Championship. In 1959, Alpha Ethniki, which had been an amateur competition from its inception, turned professional. Up to then the Panhellenic Championship, a cup competition open only to the largest football associations of Athens, Piraeus, Thessaloniki and Patras, had served as the top Greek league. The Panhellenic Championship began in 1906 and ran until superseded by Alpha Ethniki in 1959. This move came as Alpha Ethniki had a larger number of clubs and a greater national interest than the Panhellenic Championship. During its fifty-three years, the Panhellenic Championship was run by several organizations in succession. From 1906 to 1913, Contact of Greek Gymnastic and Athletic Associations (SEGAS), the precursor of Hellenic Football Federation (EPO), had responsibility for the Championship. From 1922 to 1923, the Union of Football Associations of Greece (EPSE) ran it before the EPO took over in 1927. Up to then the Championship was considered an informal and unofficial competition. The first official champion was named in 1928.

[edit] Structure

At present, sixteen clubs compete in the Super League, playing each other in a home and away series. At the end of the season, the bottom three clubs are relegated to Beta Ethniki. In their place, the top three teams from Beta Ethniki are promoted.

The Super League is entitled to two entrants into the UEFA Champions League. The Super League champion directly enters the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. The second through fifth place teams in the Super League enter a play-off for the second Greek entry. The play-off winner enters the UEFA Champions League's second qualifying round, a two-legged tie from which the winner advances to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. The winner of the Greek Cup automatically qualifies for the UEFA Cup, as well as the runners-up of the Super League play-off.

In the play-off for UEFA Champions League, the teams play each other in a home and away round robin. However, they do not all start with 0 points. Instead, a weighting system applies to the teams' standing at the start of the play-off mini-league. The team finishing fifth in the Super League will start the play off with 0 points. The fifth place team’s end of season tally of points is subtracted from the sum of the points that other teams have. This number is then divided by three to give the other teams the points with which they start the mini-league.

[edit] Super League Greece 2008-09 members

Club	Position in 2007-08	Stadium	Capacity
AEK Athens	2nd	Athens Olympic Stadium	71,030
Aris	4th	Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium	22,800
Asteras Tripolis	7th	Asteras Stadium	6,200
Ergotelis	13th	Pankritio Stadium	26,240
Iraklis	10th	Kaftanzoglio Stadium	27,770
Larissa	6th	Alkazar	13,108
Levadiakos	11th	Levadia Municipal Stadium	8,000
OFI	12th	Pankritio Stadium	26,240
Olympiacos	1st	Karaiskakis Stadium	33,334
Panathinaikos	3rd	Athens Olympic Stadium	71,030
Panionios	5th	Nea Smyrni Stadium	11,700
Panserraikos	1st; Beta Ethniki	Serres Stadium	9,500
Panthrakikos	3rd; Beta Ethniki	Komotini Stadium	4,800
PAOK	9th	Toumba Stadium	28,701
Skoda Xanthi	8th	Skoda Xanthi Arena	7,361
Thrasyvoulos	2nd; Beta Ethniki	Fyli Stadium	3,142

[edit] Champions

Main article: Greek football champions

1927-28 to 1958-59: Panhellenic Championship
1959-60 to 2005-06: Alpha Ethniki
2006-07 to present: Super League Greece

Season	Champion
1927-28	Aris
1928-29	not held
1929-30	Panathinaikos
1930-31	Olympiacos
1931-32	Aris
1932-33	Olympiacos
1933-34	Olympiacos
1934-35	not held
1935-36	Olympiacos
1936-37	Olympiacos
1937-38	Olympiacos
1938-39	AEK Athens
1939-40	AEK Athens
1940-41	not held due to World War II
1941-42
1942-43
1943-44
1944-45
1945-46	Aris
1946-47	Olympiacos
1947-48	Olympiacos
1948-49	Panathinaikos
1949-50	not held
1950-51	Olympiacos
1951-52	not held
1952-53	Panathinaikos
1953-54	Olympiacos
1954-55	Olympiacos
1955-56	Olympiacos
1956-57	Olympiacos
1957-58	Olympiacos
1958-59	Olympiacos

Season	Champion
1959-60	Panathinaikos
1960-61	Panathinaikos
1961-62	Panathinaikos
1962-63	AEK Athens
1963-64	Panathinaikos
1964-65	Panathinaikos
1965-66	Olympiacos
1966-67	Olympiacos
1967-68	AEK Athens
1968-69	Panathinaikos
1969-70	Panathinaikos
1970-71	AEK Athens
1971-72	Panathinaikos
1972-73	Olympiacos
1973-74	Olympiacos
1974-75	Olympiacos
1975-76	PAOK
1976-77	Panathinaikos
1977-78	AEK Athens
1978-79	AEK Athens
1979-80	Olympiacos
1980-81	Olympiacos
1981-82	Olympiacos
1982-83	Olympiacos
1983-84	Panathinaikos
1984-85	PAOK
1985-86	Panathinaikos
1986-87	Olympiacos
1987-88	Larissa
1988-89	AEK Athens
1989-90	Panathinaikos
1990-91	Panathinaikos

Season	Champion
1991-92	AEK Athens
1992-93	AEK Athens
1993-94	AEK Athens
1994-95	Panathinaikos
1995-96	Panathinaikos
1996-97	Olympiacos
1997-98	Olympiacos
1998-99	Olympiacos
1999-00	Olympiacos
2000-01	Olympiacos
2001-02	Olympiacos
2002-03	Olympiacos
2003-04	Panathinaikos
2004-05	Olympiacos
2005-06	Olympiacos
2006-07	Olympiacos
2007-08	Olympiacos
2008-09

[edit] Performance by club

Club	Champions	Winning years
Olympiacos	36	1931, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1966, 1967, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
Panathinaikos	19	1930, 1949, 1953, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2004
AEK Athens	11	1939, 1940, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1978, 1979, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994
Aris	3	1928, 1932, 1946
PAOK	2	1976, 1985
Larissa	1	1988

[edit] Statistics

Statistics in Super League Greece since the 1959-60 season, when the championship was established in its current form.

[edit] Top three ranking

Ranking by top three appearances in Super League Greece.

Club	1st	2nd	3rd
Olympiacos	21	14	8
Panathinaikos	16	14	12
AEK Athens	9	15	13
PAOK	2	2	7
Larissa	1	1	-
Aris	-	1	4
OFI	-	1	2
Panionios	-	1	1
Apollon Athens	-	-	1
Iraklis	-	-	1

[edit] Records

Outline	Club	Record
Record win	Olympiacos	11-0 (vs Fostiras, 1973-74)
Most wins in a season	Olympiacos	30 (1999-00)
Fewest defeats in a season	Panathinaikos	0 (1963-64)
Most goals scored in a season	Olympiacos	102 (1973-74)
Fewest goals conceded in a season	Olympiacos	13 (1972-73)
Longest sequence of wins	Olympiacos	16 (8th day of 2005-06 - 23rd day of 2005-06)
Longest sequence of unbeaten matches	Olympiacos	58 (3rd day of 1972-73 - 27th day of 1973-74)

[edit] Seasons in Super League Greece

The number of seasons that each team has played in the top division until 2008-09. Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, AEK Athens and PAOK are the only teams to have played Super League Greece football in every season. The teams in bold will take part in the Super League Greece 2008-09.

Seasons	Clubs
50	Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, AEK Athens, PAOK
49	Iraklis
48	Aris, Panionios
36	OFI, Apollon Athens, Ethnikos Piraeus
26	Panachaiki
24	Larissa
23	Egaleo, Panserraikos
20	Doxa Drama, Apollon Kalamaria, Skoda Xanthi
17	Kavala
16	Ionikos
15	PAS Giannina
12	Veria
10	Kastoria
9	Athinaikos, Levadiakos
8	Olympiakos Volos, Atromitos
7	Fostiras, Trikala, Kalamata, Paniliakos
6	Panegialios, Korinthos
5	Niki Volos, Edessaikos
4	Kallithea, Ethnikos Asteras, Vyzas, Rodos, Akratitos, Ergotelis
3	Panelefsiniakos, Diagoras
2	Panetolikos, Chalkidona, Kerkyra, Asteras Tripoli
1	Thrasyvoulos, Panthrakikos, Naousa, Makedonikos, Chalkida, Olympiakos Chalkida, Atromitos Piraeus, Thermaikos, AE Nikaia, Megas Alexandros

[edit] UEFA ranking

UEFA coefficients for national leagues including season 2008-09, which determines the number of teams from each country competing in the UEFA competitions of season 2010-11.^[1]

Last update: 19 December 2008

Rank	Country	Points	CL places	EL places
7	Romania	38.908	2	4
8	Netherlands	38.130
9	Portugal	35.319
10	Ukraine	33.600		3
11	Turkey	31.225
12	Greece	27.915
13	Scotland	27.875
14	Switzerland	25.250
15	Belgium	25.075
16	Denmark	23.050	1	3
17	Bulgaria	21.250	1