P.A.O.K. H.C.

PAOK Handball Club is the handball section of PAOK, the major multi-sports club based in Thessaloniki. PAOK has both men's and women's team. So far, PAOK men's team has won 3 Greek Championships and 3 Greek Cups and PAOK women's team has won 2 Greek Championship and 4 Greek cups. 2017-18 season marked the return of both Men's and Women's team to the European Competitions. Despite its relatively short history it is considered amongst the most successful departments of the Club.[1]

PAOK
Full name	(Greek: Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινοπολιτών) (Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans)
Nickname(s)	Two Headed Eagle of the North
Founded	1926 (Handball Club: 1999)
Arena	Neapoli Indoor Arena
Capacity	2,000
President	Grigorios Petridis
Head coach	Stelios Seirekidis
League	Handball Premier
2018–19	4rd
Website Official site

Active departments of P.A.O.K.
Football (Men's)	Football (Women's)	Basketball (Men's)
Basketball (Women's)	Volleyball (Men's)	Volleyball (Women's)
Water Polo (Men's)	Water Polo (Women's)	Handball (Men's)
Handball (Women's)	Boxing	Taekwondo
Cycling	Athletics	Ice hockey
Chess	Wrestling	Weightlifting
Swimming	Judo	Synchronized swimming

Men's Department

History

PAOK Handball CLub was founded in 1999 after it merged with another club from Thessaloniki, Triton. Stelios Seikeridis, former coach, has connected his name with the whole history of the club.

As the years passed the team became stronger and stronger until it reached two consecutive Greek Handball Championships in 2009 and 2010. In the end of the 2008–09 season they defeated Panellinios in the last game of the play-offs and in 2009–2010 Doukas, also in the last game.

In 2011 even though PAOK had the advantage and needed only a draw in the last game in Mikra, they lost the championship to AEK.

In 2012 they beat AEK 25–24 in Patras and won the Greek Cup.

In 2015 they beat AEK again 27–29 in Thessaloniki P.A.O.K. Sports Arena and won the Greek Cup. PAOK also won the Greek Championship the same year making it a double for the first time.

In 2017 PAOK beat Panellinios 25-23 winning the Greek Cup for the third time.

Recent seasons

Season	Division	Place	Notes
2000–01	A1 Ethniki	9th
2001–02	A1 Ethniki	7th
2002–03	A1 Ethniki	7th
2003–04	A1 Ethniki	11th	Relegated to A2
2004–05	A2 Ethniki	1st	Promoted to A1
2005–06	A1 Ethniki	5th
2006–07	A1 Ethniki	5th
2007–08	A1 Ethniki	4th
2008–09	A1 Ethniki	1st
2009–10	A1 Ethniki	1st
2010–11	A1 Ethniki	2nd
2011–12	A1 Ethniki	3rd	Greek Cup Winners
2012–13	A1 Ethniki	4th	Greek Cup Finalists
2013–14	A1 Ethniki	5th
2014–15	A1 Ethniki	1st	Greek Cup Winners
2015–16	A1 Ethniki	3rd
2016–17	A1 Ethniki	5th	Greek Cup Winners
2017–18	A1 Ethniki	3rd
2018–19	A1 Ethniki	4th

Current squad

Number	Player	Position	date of birth	Height
1	Kostas Kotanidis	Goalkeeper	7/2/1992	1,84
2	Vangelis Arampatzis	Right Εxtreme	4/8/1996	1.85
4	Apostolos Palaskas	Left Inter	30/11/1988	1.87
0	Marko Simović	Right Inter	19/2/1987	1.93
8	Dionisis Karagkiozopoulos	Right Inter	8/2/1996	1,87
9	Kostas Tsesmetzidis	Right Extreme	23/3/1996	1,76
11	Nikos Kokonis	Pivot	4/8/1982	1,83
13	Davor Tasković	Left Inter	16/1/1986	1.97
14	Alexandros Apostolou	Right Inter	25/2/1997	1.91
17	Theodoros Petridis (c)	Play Maker	16/6/1986	1,83
19	Ioannis Giannakidis	Pivot	1/1/2001	1,75
20	Emmanuel Elozieuwa	Left Extreme	9/5/1999	1,80
21	Nikos Nikolaidis	Left Extreme	1/1/1992	1.83
23	Pantelis Kostakidis	Left Extreme	4/7/1997	1.87
24	Nikos Loizos	Goalkeeper	21/9/1990	1.87
25	Georgios Mastorogiannis	Play Maker	30/8/1981	1.84
44	Akis Kypraios	Right Extreme	24/5/1989	1,85
72	Antonis Delias	Goalkeeper	19/7/1999	1,85
77	Sotiris Giosmou	Pivot	9/10/1990	1,78

Administration and technical staff

Staff
President	Athanasios Katsaris
Section Registrar Handball	Grigoris Petridis
Coach	Stelios Seirekidis
Assistant coach	Antonis Tsolakos

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Honours

• Greek Championship:
  • Winners (3): 2009, 2010, 2015
  • Runner-up (1): 2011
• Greek Cup:
  • Winners (3): 2012, 2015, 2017
  • Runner-up (1): 2013
• Double
  • Winners (1): 2015

Greek Cup Finals

Finals	Winner	Finalist	Score
2012	PAOK	AEK	25–24
2013	AEK	PAOK	27–23
2015	PAOK	AEK	29–27
2017	PAOK	Panellinios	25–23
Total	3	1

European record

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate	Advance
2006–07	EHF Challenge Cup	R2	RK Vardar	29-34	29-43	58–77
2007–08	EHF Challenge Cup	R2	RK Kolubara	28-31		3rd place
			Great Dane HC London	32-21
			Burevestnik Lugansk	28-32
2008–09	EHF Challenge Cup	R3	Sungul Snezhinsk	23-23	25-25	48–48
		1/8	Știința Bacău	28-31	29-31	57–62
2009–10	EHF Champions League	QR	SPE Strovolos	32-29		1st place
			ZTR Zaporizhia	30–30
		Group Stage	Chekhovskiye Medvedi	25-37	22-46	6th place
			Montpellier HB	23-34	20-46
			SC Pick Szeged	27-26	24-27
			BM Valladolid	27-37	19-38
			HCM Constanța	26-30	23-34
2010–11	EHF Cup	R2	A1 Bregenz	23-31	24-27	47–58
2011–12	EHF Cup	R2	Tatabánya KC	23-27	25-29	48–56
2012–13	EHF Challenge Cup	1/16	IL Runar	31-32	26-36	57–68
2013–14	EHF Challenge Cup	R3	HC Victory Regia MINSK	26-27	21-28	47–55
2017–18	EHF Challenge Cup	R2	Aloysians Von Taine	39-15	34-17	73–32
		R3	Göztepe SK	29-28	26-35	55–63

European Distinctions

PAOK has been competing since 2006–2007 in European competitions, and has taken part in all EHF competitions up to the 2013-2014 season. PAOK returned to the European competition by taking part in the 2017–18 EHF Challenge Cup. In 2009–2010 season the team reached at the group phase of the EHF Champions League, which is its biggest achievement up to date.[2]

Women's Department

PAOK's women handball club is also competing in the first Greek division.
On season 2012-13 they beat Ormi Patras in playoff finals with 2-1 series and won the Greek Women's Handball Championship. In the 2013-14 season, PAOK won its first cup, beating Anagennisi Arta in the final with score 22-20.[3]

Current squad

Number	Player	Position	date of birth	Height
03	Eleni Tsaousidou	Play Maker	22/10/1997	1,73
04	Nansy Strataki	Left Inter	29/12/1986	1,81
06	Vasia Gatchiou	Pivot	08/10/1997	1,75
09	Anastasia Panagiotidou	Left Inter	14/11/1998	1,73
10	Maria Hadjiparasidou	Play Maker	06/06/1995	1,68
11	Danai Selemidou	Play Maker	09/02/1999	1,60
12	Marija Nikolic	Pivot	06/12/1993	1,85
13	[ Neda Jurisic	Play Maker	16/05/1995	1,73
15	Eugenia Samolada	Right Inter	2000	1,85
16	Vicky Gritzali	Pivot	2000	1,70
17	Cleo Kourkoulaki	Extreme	2000	1,68
18	Evdokia Badi	Pivot	2000	1,70
20	Christina Kavazopoulou	Goalkeeper	18/09/1998	1,68
N/N	Bruna Camboim	Goalkeeper	06/03/1995	1,80
N/N	Athina Kostopoulou	right inter	30/12/1996	1,80

Administration and technical staff

Staff
President	Athanasios Katsaris
Curator	Dimitris Chasekidis
Coach	Grigoria Golia
Assistant coach	Voula Psomiadou

Honours

• Greek championship
  • Winners (3): 2013, 2019, 2020
  • Runner-up (3): 2016, 2017, 2018
• Greek Cup
  • Winners (4): 2014, 2016, 2019 , 2020
  • Runner-up (2): 2015, 2018
• Double
  • Winners (2): 2019, 2020

Finals

Finals	Winner	Finalist	Score
2014	PAOK	Anagennisi Artas	22–20
2015	OF Neas Ionias	PAOK	24–19
2016	PAOK	OF Neas Ionias	32–31
2018	OF Neas Ionias	PAOK	21–20
2019	PAOK	Anagennisi Artas	33–23
2020	PAOK	OF Neas Ionias	27–19
Total	4	2

Women's European record

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate	Advance
2011–12	EHF Challenge Cup	R3	HC Dnepryanka Kherson	22-28	17-27	39–55
2012–13	EHF Challenge Cup	R3	KSS Kielce	18-31	23-25	41–56
2013–14	EHF Cup	R2	HSC Veliko Tarnovo	28-20	22-24	50–44
		R3	U Jolidon Cluj	28-32	25-39	53–71
2017–18	EHF Challenge Cup	R3	OZRK Jedinstvo Tuzla	24-17	30-31	54–48
		1/8	Lokomotiva Zagreb	17-37	20-33	37-70
2019–20	EHF Cup	R1	Muratpaşa BSK	32-25	24-24	56-49
		R2	ŽORK Jagodina	25-23	19-26	44-49

[4]

Arenas

P.A.O.K. Sports Arena

The indoor arenas which plays PAOK at the games of the regular season of the domestic league are Arena Mikra 3 which holds 1,800 seats and Evosmos Sports Hall which holds 3,000 seats. In former years PAOK has used PAOK Sports Arena for European Competitions and the Play-Offs of the domestic league which holds 8,500 seats.

References

1. "Τετράδα και Ευρώπη ο Ποσειδών, εκτός ο ΠΑΟΚ". sentragoal.gr. 3 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
2. "Club Info AC PAOK". www.eurohandball.com. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
3. "Κυπελλούχος Ελλάδος ο ΠΑΟΚ". handball.org.gr. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
4. "Club Info AC PAOK Women". www.eurohandball.com. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.

External links

• Official website
• official website women
• EHF PAOK page
• official facebook page