Chania FC

Chania Football Club (Greek: ΠΑΕ Χανιά, romanized: PAE Chaniá) is a Greek professional football club based in Chania, Crete, Greece. They were established in 2017, as a result of a merger between the two regional clubs representing the Chania district in the Greek Second Division, PGS Kissamikos and AO Chania. The club currently plays in the Super League 2, the second tier of the Greek football league system.

Chania
Full nameΠΑΕ Χανιά
PAE Chaniá
(PAE Chania)
Founded23 August 2017 (2017-08-23)
as AO Chania−Kissamikos
31 July 2019 (2019-07-31)
as PAE Chania
GroundPerivolia Municipal Stadium
Capacity4,527
OwnerAntonis Rokakis
ChairmanAntonis Rokakis
ManagerAlekos Vosniadis
LeagueSuper League 2
2019–20Super League 2, 3rd
WebsiteClub website

History
See also: AO Chania and PGS Kissamikos

AO Chania – Kissamikos
Club crest during 2017–19.

During the 2016–17 Greek Second Division season, Chania were represented in the Greek Second Division by two clubs, namely AO Chania of the city of Chania, and Kissamikos, based in the neighboring town of Kissamos. Kissamikos had quickly established itself in the Football League, managing to outgrow, and eventually outperform its more prestigious local competitor AO Chania. Facing insurmountable financial issues, AO Chania were forcibly relegated to the Gamma Ethniki at the end of the season after being deducted 33 points, while simultaneously having its licence revoked. In the summer of 2017, Kissamikos owner at the time Antonis Rokakis proposed a merger of the two clubs in an attempt to form a new, strong outfit to represent the region, and more specifically the city of Chania (as the region's competitor in the Greek Super League, Platanias is based in the neighboring town and municipality of Platanias). The initiative was eventually approved in 19 August 2017,[1] however, any club that would result from a potential merger would inherit the financial obligations of AO Chania. As such, Kissamikos changed its name to AO Chania − Kissamikos, retaining its original crest and colors,[2][3] while the club's home ground was relocated to Perivolia Municipal Stadium in Mournies, Chania.[4] The entire merger was met with fierce opposition by the supporters of Kissamikos.[5] On the other hand, supporters of AO Chania demanded Kissamikos' name and crest be completely erased, basically turning the club into a modern continuation of AO Chania.[6]

The new club became serious competitors in the two years following the merger, finishing 4th during the 2017–18 season, and 6th in 2018–19, thus becoming eligible to play in the 2019-formed Super League 2.

Chania FC

In the summer of 2019, the club's board of directors changed the club's name to Chania FC (Greek: ΠΑΕ Χανιά), indicating their intent to represent the entire Chania regional unit.[7][8] The 2019–20 season saw Chania FC achieve its best result to date, finishing third in the Super League 2.

Stadium

After the merger, the club moved to AO Chania's Perivolia Municipal Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium in Mournies, Chania.

Players

Current squad
As of 9 August 2020

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 FW  GRE Evripidis Giakos
5 MF  GRE Vasilis Triantafyllakos
6 MF  GRE Alexis Seliniotakis (captain)
8 FW  MLI Ousmane Sountoura
10 FW  GRE Nikos Vrettos
11 MF  GRE Anastasios Dimitriadis
13 GK  GRE Fotis Koutzavasilis
19 DF  GRE Giannis Sotirakos
20 FW  GRE Thomas Vasiliou
23 MF  GRE Thanasis Kartsabas
26 DF  GRE Vangelis Andreou
No. Pos. Nation Player
27 DF  GRE Nikos Kechagias
30 GK  GRE Giorgos Lazaridis (vice-captain)
31 FW  GRE Paschalis Kassos
33 DF  GRE Nikos Ziabaris
55 DF  GRE Christos Gromitsaris
63 DF  GRE Dimitris Oungialidis
66 FW  GRE Christos Tzioras
68 MF  GRE Kostas Panagiotoudis
71 GK  GRE Theodoros Lampiris
93 DF  GRE Tasos Papachristos
95 MF  BRA Carlito
— MF  ALB Kevi Hysi

Personnel

Ownership and current board
Position Staff
Owner Antonis Rokakis
President Antonis Rokakis
1st Vice-President Giorgos Xirouchakis
2nd Vice-President Stathis Ponirakos
3rd Vice-President Aris Lychnaras
CEO Periklis Touloupakis
Communications Director Lefteris Antonakakis
Head Secretary Argyro Stefanaki
Public relations Lefteris Bouzakis
Technical Director Giorgos Touloupakis
Board member Giannis Kakaounakis
Board member Giorgos Karbadakis
Board member Giorgos Marakakis
Board member Tasos Moisiadis
Board member Antonis Stathopoulos
Board member Ioannis Chaniotakis

Coaching staff
Position Staff
Manager Alekos Vosniadis
Assistant manager Nikos Sourgias
Fitness coach Lazaros Vardakis
Goalkeeping coach Apostolos Lekidis
Individual improvement Vasilis Koutas

Medical and other staff
Position Staff
Physiotherapist Emilios Douli
Caregiver Apostolis Koundourakis
Caregiver Giorgos Apostolakis

References
  1. "Επίσημο: Συγχωνεύθηκαν Κισσαμικός και ΑΟ Χανιά (Greek)". sport-fm.gr.
  2. "Και εγένετο…. ΠΑΕ ΑΟ Χανιά-Κισσαμικός!". Onsports.gr (in Greek). 2017-08-24. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  3. "Ανακοίνωση και δημοσίευση στο ΓΕΜΗ της τροποποίησης του καταστατικού της ΠΑΕ (Κωδικός Αριθμός Καταχώρησης 1245827)". businessregistry.gr. ΓΕΜΗ. 2017-11-09.
  4. "Καλεί τον κόσμο ο Κισσαμικός στο.. νέο του σπίτι - Γ Εθνική". Athletic Radio 104,2 (in Greek). 2013-10-30. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  5. "Ανακοίνωση από το fan club kissamikos για την ένωση με ΑΟΧ". www.athlitiko.gr (in Greek). 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  6. "ΑΟΧ, ή Χανιά, ή τίποτε". www.footballleaguenews.gr (in Greek). 2018-06-10. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  7. "Ιστορική απόφαση για το μέλλον της ομάδας". Kriti24.gr (in Greek). 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  8. "Ροκάκης: ΠΑΕ Χανιά σε λίγες μέρες". Flashnews.gr (in Greek). 2019-07-18. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
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