Olympiacos is a global phenomenon – Documento – 2024-05-13 19:23:17

With one title, three trophy claims and six sections in semi-finals and finals, the “red and whites” emerge as one of the leading organizations

“Olympiacos is a global phenomenon” said Giorgos Angelopoulos, one of the presidents of the “red and white” KAE, after the Piraeus basketball team qualified for the final four of the Euroleague for the third consecutive year and his words are justified by the… actions of a from the largest multi-sport organizations in Europe, such as Olympiacos with so many international successes and 22 European and world trophies in all popular (and not only) sports.

The qualification of the “red and white” football team for the first time in its history to the final of the European competition, the Conference League, after the two amazing victories in the two semi-finals against the fourth best team of the Premier League, Aston Villa, is for Olympiacos yet another a huge excess – and not only at a football level – in the amount he has done this year in all sports, which places him among the top clubs in Europe. Without exaggeration, 2024 is his year. Just ten months before its 100th anniversary!

A “crimson” season

This season alone, in the five most popular team sports (football, basketball, polo, volleyball, handball), Olympiacos achieved:

In football, the youngsters won the Youth League, the Champions League of the young, while the first team reached the final of the Conference League and will play for the trophy against Fiorentina at the OPAP Arena on May 29.

In basketball his team Giorgos Bartzokas qualified for the final four of the Euroleague in Berlin (24-26/5) and will play a semi-final against Real Madrid.

In polo, the women reached the final of the Champions League, while the men qualified for the final four of the Champions League (Malta, June 5-7) and will play in the semi-final against one of the Pro Recos, Novi Beograd.

In handball, the men’s team qualified for the double final of the EHF European Cup, where they will face Iceland’s Valur (18 or 19 May and 25 or 26/5).

In volleyball, the men reached the quarter-finals of the CEV Cup.

In short, this year, in the “crimson” year in sports, Olympiacos has already won a European trophy (youths in football), reached three finals (men’s football, women’s polo, men’s handball), two of its teams are playing semi-finals and claiming qualification in finals (men’s basketball, men’s polo). In other words, it claims four more European titles, in addition to the title of the youth team in football. What more could anyone ask for…

Olympiacos currently cultivates a total of 16 sports, of which 15 are Olympic sports: volleyball, sailing, swimming, canoeing, rowing, basketball, beach volleyball, fencing, table tennis, soccer, polo, boxing, athletics, tae kwon do , handball and kickboxing (the only non-Olympic sport). In total the “red and whites” maintain 19 divisions, since they operate separate women’s divisions in volleyball, basketball and polo. However, according to the register of the General Secretariat of Sports, based on the official data of 2023, Olympiacos, in addition to the sports we mentioned, has a registered sport as well as tennis and open water swimming (long-distance swimming).

Present in 47 finals

The fact that Olympiacos as a multi-sport organization is the most successful Greek club in international competitions in terms of trophies is impressive, having won a total of 22! Namely one Balkan, one intercontinental and 20 European (a record for a Greek club). They are also first among Greek teams in winning European championships with nine in total. Of its 20 European titles, 17 came from three popular team sports and five divisions: men’s basketball and men’s and women’s volleyball. Few clubs in Europe have achieved this feat.

Apart from the titles, eight of its divisions have managed to qualify, at least once each, in a total of 47 international-level finals, while men’s basketball (1997) and polo (2002 and 2018) have celebrated the triple crown. Also, men’s basketball won the Euroleague in 2012 and 2013, making the association the only Greek club with two consecutive European championships in any men’s team sport.

In 2017 Olympiakos teams were finalists in three European finals, while in 2018 they participated in five finals and won two (Champions League in men’s polo, Challenge Cup in women’s volleyball, Challenge Cup in men’s volleyball, LEN Trophy in women’s polo, Super Cup of Europe in men’s polo).