PAOK Academy

PAOK Academy is the football academy system of Greek professional football club PAOK consisting of eleven official youth teams (Under-6/7, Under-8, Under-9, Under-10, Under-11, Under-12, Under-13, Under-14, Under-15, Under-17 and Under-20), based on the young athletes' age.[1] PAOK's U15, U17 and U20 teams all play in Greek Superleague's [2] (Superleague U15, U17 and U20 respectively). Ιn 2016-17 season, U20 team participated in UEFA Youth League as a champion on official superleague U17 2015-16. This academy holds more than 280 young players,[3] and also more than 50 people work there (coaches, trainers, doctors etc.). The PAOK Academy maintains 16 training centers outside of Thessaloniki. These are in Athens, Didimoticho, Alexandroupoli, Komotini - Xanthi, Kilkis, Kavala, Drama, Kozani, Katerini, Lamia, Corfu, Rethymnon, Chios, Chalkidiki, Cyclades and Rhodes.[4]

PAOK Academy

Full name	PAOK Academy
Founded	1952
Ground	PAOK FC Sport Center, Nea Mesimvria
Capacity	300
Owner	PAOK FC
Chairman	Ivan Savvidis
League	Superleague U20,U17,U15
2018–19	1st,2nd,1st
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours

History

The first youth academy was created in 1952. The visionary was Austrian coach Wilhelm (Willi) Sefzik. His dream was to be able to bring out new talents that could evolve from an early age into the PAOK team.[5] In 2007-2009, The former president Theodoros Zagorakis began the rebirth of the academies. Vangelis Pourliotopoulos undertook the reorganization, and for the first time in PAOK history started an organized effort of the club to exploit, to bring out new talents, and promote young footballers systematically from the infrastructure departments of PAOK's to the first team. In 2009, the cost reached €1 million per year.[6] At that time the "Football Prints" program was created. Today more than 90 academies participate in this program. In 2008, the first hostels in the Toumba Stadium were inaugurated. In the first three years, the hostels accommodated 14 children, who came from outside Thessaloniki

The evolution of academies continues to date, with Ivan Savvidis investing in a new home that will host young footballers. On September 2015, the PAOK Academy acquired a seven-storey building in the center of Thessaloniki,[7] where 55 young football players live there.[8] The cost of academies has now reached €2 million per year, making it the most expensive academy in Greece.[9] According to the International Center for Sports Studies (CIES), the club has the best academies in Greece.[10]

Organization

PAOK invest in setting up its own football schools to bring out talented children. To this day the club maintains 13 training centers in every corner of the country. PAOK FC youth sections, with the assistance of their network of collaborating academies (football prints), select the most talented players of each region, in order to have them train often and gradually follow the schedules and aims of the PAOK academy players.

The objective of the club is encounter young talented athletes aged no more than 12, and hand them at least 7 years of proper the footballing education, so that they can dive into the mentality and philosophy of their club. The scouting team visits each training centre once each month, in order to supervise the children’s progress. Some distinguished children are invited to Thessaloniki to join the PAOK Academy, which will be staying at PAOK's house.[4]

Since 2013, PAOK maintains a cooperation with Juventus on the academies sector.[11]

Football Prints

PAOK football prints, is a network of academies working with the PAOK academy. Football Prints network functions through a communication system that is based on the eagerness of local academies to work and push talented children. The coordination of all academies has the Vangelis Pourliotopoulos and Kyriakos Alexandridis. In 2014, PAOK FC also organized their first "PAOK Football Prints Network Tournament". Since 2009, the club hold the annual youth tournament “Panagiotis Katsouris” in his memory, a renowned tournament and among the best in the Balkans.[12]

List of academies

The 90 academies of "Football Prints" in Greece, according to geographic criteria.

Kavala

Thessaloniki

Pella

Αthens Cosmos Club
Mikrasiatikos Kaisarianis

Pontiakos Alexandroupolis

Pyrichios

PAOK Koutsopodiou

Dias Kostakion Arta

Elpides Marmara

PAOK Stavrou

Olympiada Karousadon

Arena fc PAOK
Calcetto FC Chania

PAOK Iasmos
PAOK Isaakiou

PAOK M. Alexandros
F. Dramas

Alistrati

Prosotsani

Pas Florina

Lido Soccer
Atsalenios academy

PAS Asteras Ioaninon

Kronos

Katerini academy

Alexandros Kilkis
PAOK Kristonis

Fair Play
PAOK Komitini

PAOK Konitsa
Pindos Konitsa

Tilikratis
Panlefkadios

Apollon Vounarakiou

PAOK Kos

Koilon
Siatista

Paxoi academy

Makrygialos

Giotsa
Play Zone

R.T. Preveza
RIA Sport

Hercules Ptolemaidas

Astera Rethymnou

Keravnos A.V.

Meliki

AO Skiathos academy

PAOK Kanithou

PAOK Karpenisiou

Filoktitis Kontia

Asteras Pastida

Oinoi Orestiadas

Euklhs Soronis

Niki Christou

Theagenis Thasos

Elpides Acheronta

Doxa Gardikiou

PAOK Xanthi

Doxa Makr.

Thessaloniki Academies
Proteas
Achilleas Pereas
Elpides Sikeon
Bebides Ionias
Kypseli Neapolis
Liti academy
Academy MAS Atromitos Triadiou
GS Ilioupoli
Lykoi
AE falirou
PAOK Kymina-Malgara
Malakopi Pylaias
Aetoi fc
Doxa Drymou
Ioannis Papafis academy
Magnisiakos
M. Alexandros Kaloxoriou
Champions Pefkon
Keravnos Agiou Pavlou
Ethnikos Sohou
Diaplasi Oreokastro
Achilleas Triandrias
Doxa Elpidas Evosmou
Toumba FC

Kavala Academies
Orfeas Eleftheroupolis
Mundialito
PAOK Kavalas
Aetos Orfanou

Location of "Football Prints" in Greece

Pella Academies

Athletic Academy Skydras
PAOK Patriarxio
Apollon Kruas Vrisis

Greece

• Alexandroupoli: Pontiakos Alexandroupolis,[13]
• Argos: PAOK Koutsopodiou.[13]
• Arta: Dias Kostakion Arta.[14]
• Aspropyrgos: Pyrichios PAOK FC Aspropyrgou.[15]
• Athens: Αthens Cosmos Club,[13] Mikrasiatikos Kaisarianis.[16]
• Chalkida: PAOK Kanithou Chalkidas.[17]
• Chalkidiki: Elpides Marmara, PAOK Stavrou.[13]
• Chania: Arena fc PAOK,[13] Calcetto FC Chania.[17]
• Corfu: Olympiada Karousadon.[18]
• Didymoteicho: PAOK Iasmos, PAOK Isaakiou.[14]
• Drama: PAOK Megas Alexandros,[19] Prosotsani,[13] Fillipos Dramas.[13]
• Florina: Pas Florina.[19]
• Heraklion: Lido Soccer,[20] Atsalenios academy.
• Imathia: Meliki Academy
• Ioannina: PAS Asteras Ioaninon.[13]
• Karpenisi: PAOK Karpenisiou.[21]
• Kastoria: Kronos Kastorias.[19]
• Katerini: Katerini academy 2006.[19]
• Kavala: Orfeas Eleftheroupolis,[13] Mundialito,[19] PAOK Kavalas,[19] Aetos Orfanou.[19]
• Kilkis: Alexandros Kilkis,[19] PAOK Kristonis.
• Komotini: Fair Play,[22] PAOK Komitini.[19]
• Konitsa: PAOK Konitsa, Pindos Konitsa.[14]
• Kos: PAOK Kos.[13]
• Kozani: Koilon academy,[19] Siatista academy.[13]
• Lefkada: Tilikratis Lefkada, Panlefkadios.[23]
• Lemnos: Filoktitis Kontia.
• Lesbos: Apollon Vounarakiou.
• Orestiada: Oinoi Orestiadas.[24]
• Patra: Keravnos Agiou Vasiliou.[15]
• Paxoi: Paxoi academy.[13]
• Pella: Athletic Academy Skydras,[19] PAOK Patriarxio,[19] Apollon Kruas Vrisis.[25]
• Pieria: Giotsa academy, Makrygialos, Play Zone 2006.[13]
• Preveza: Real Team Preveza, RIA Sport academy.[15]
• Ptolemaida: Hercules Ptolemaidas.[19]
• Rethymno: Astera Rethymnou.[13]
• Rhodes: Euklhs Soronis.,[13] Asteras Pastida.[26]
• Skiathos: AO Skiathos academy.
• Serres: Niki Christou,[19] Ethnikos Sidirokastrou,[13] Alistrati.[13]
• Thasos: Theagenis Thasos.[13]
• Thesprotia: Elpides Acheronta,[27] Doxa Gardikiou.[13]
• Thessaloniki: Proteas,[13] Achilleas Pereas,[13] Elpides Sikeon,[13] Bebides Ionias,[13] Kypseli Neapolis,[13] Liti academy,[13] Academy MAS Atromitos Triadiou,[13] GS Ilioupoli,[13] Lykoi, AE falirou, PAOK Kymina-Malgara, Malakopi Pylaias,[28] Aetoi fc,[28] Doxa Drymou,[28] Ioannis Papafis academy,[18] Magnisiakos,[18] M. Alexandros Kaloxoriou, Champions Pefkon,[29] Keravnos Agiou Pavlou,[27] Ethnikos Sohou, Diaplasi Oreokastro,[17] Achilleas Triandrias,[15] Doxa Elpidas Evosmou,[30] Toumba FC.[31]
• Veria: Doxa Makroxoriou.[13]
• Xanthi: Elpides PAOK Xanthi.[22]

Cyprus [32]

• Larnaca: Nuovo Calcio .
• Pano Polemidia: Karmiotissa Anorthosi Polemidion.
• Paphos: Olympico academy.

Germany [33][34]

• Krefeld: Hellas Krefeld.
• Troisdorf: Hellas Troisdorf.
• Munich: PAOK FC Pontos.
• Offenbach: PAOK Offenbach.
• Essen: Thessaloniki Essen
• Wiesbaden: Hellas Wiesbaden.

Israel

• Nazareth: PAOK Millya Academy.[35][36]

Sweden

• Stockholm: Akropolis IF.[37]

Australia

• Adelaide: Adelaide Olympic FC.[38]

Academy Personnel

As of 12 June 2017[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49]

General Manager of PAOK Youth and Development Sections	Vangelis Pourliotopoulos
Technical Director	Giorgos Georgiadis
U20 & U17 Team Manager	Stavros Sarafis
U20, U17, U16 & U15 Technical Advisor	Grigoris Karavelis
U15 Team Manager	Kostas Iosifidis
Technical Supervisor of teams U6 up to U14	Vasilis Mittas
Scout	Giannis Avramidis
Football Prints Network Supervisors	Vangelis Pourliotopoulos, Kyriakos Alexandridis
Strength Enhancement Training	Vasilis Kanaras
Ergophysiologist	Giorgos Ziogas
Nutrionist	Ioanna Paspala
Psychologist	Irini Rera
Head of Education	Ioanna Charalampous
Dorms Supervisors	Kostas Iosifidis, Ilias Iliadis
U20 Coaches	Pablo Garcia, Mirosław Sznaucner[50]
U17 Coaches	Angelos Zazopoulos, Konstantinos Kazanas[50]
U15 Coaches	Vasilios Mhttas, Petros Tsiapakidis[50]
U14 Coaches	Apostolos Papavasiliou, Evaggelos Alexopoulos[50]
U13 Coaches	Theofilos Chatzistathis, Savvas Konstantinidis[50]
U12 Coaches	Giorgos Gourtsas, Andreas Balabanis[50]
U11 Coaches	Alexandros Tasoulis, Spyridon Koulouris[50]
U10 Coaches	Alexandros Foropoulos, Stylianos Bikas[50]
U9 Coaches	Nikos Nikolaidis[50]
U8 Coaches	Antonios Krinitsas[50]
U7-6 Coaches	Maria Exadaktylou, Anthoula Arvanitaki[50]

PAOK U20 Squad

PAOK U20 against Ajax U20 in youth league on November 2016.

As of 16 August 2018[51]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  GRE Evangelos Syllektis — GK  GRE Symeon Papadopoulos — DF  GRE Marios Tsaousis — DF  GRE Dimitris Voutsas — DF  GRE Giorgos Papathanasiou — DF  GRE Giannis Michailidis — DF  GRE Apostolos Diamantis — MF  GRE Meletios Miskovic — MF  GRE Charis Tsingaras — MF  GRE Sokratis Aidonidis — MF  GRE Zisis Chatzistravos

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  GRE Giorgos Noukaris — MF  GRE Serafim Maniotis — MF  GRE Tasos Meletidis — MF  UKR Artem Kozak — FW  GRE Antonis Gaitanidis — FW  GRE Giorgos Doumtsis — FW  BRA Gilberto Carlos de Assis Silva Júnior — FW  GRE Alexandros Gargalatzidis

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  GRE Christos Giannakidis (at Panserraikos until 30 June 2019) — GK  ALB Jorgo Muca (at Karaiskakis until 30 June 2019) — MF  CYP Nikolas Mattheou (at Karaiskakis until 30 June 2019)

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW  GRE Christos Papadopoulos (at Karaiskakis until 30 June 2019) — FW  UKR Illya Markovskyy (at Aiginiakos until 30 June 2019)

Other players under contract who play at first team and also U20

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

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  GRE Marios Siampanis — DF  GRE Lefteris Lyratzis

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  GRE Konstantinos Balogiannis

Honours

Titles won and honours by the PAOK academy's teams.

Official youth championship's - International tournaments

PAOK U20

• Greek Superleague U20
  • Winners (6): 2002-03, 2006–07, 2013–14, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20
  • Runners-up (2): 2011–12, 2015–16
• Broersen International Youth Tournament
• Culemborg Cup
  • Winners (1): 2019
  • Runners-up (1): 2013

PAOK U17

• Greek Superleague U17
  • Winners (3): 2012–13, 2015–16, 2020
  • Runners-up (2): 2014–15, 2018-19

PAOK U15

• Greek Superleague U15
  • Winners (3): 2014-15, 2016–17, 2018-19
  • Runners-up (2): 2013-14, 2015–16
• International Viktor Ponedelnik`s Cup
  • Winners (1): 2015
• Rimini Cup
  • Winners (1): 2014
• «We Love Football» tournament
  • Runners-up (1): 2016 [52]

Domestic - International tournaments

PAOK U14

• "International Children’s Football Festival": 2016

PAOK U13

• "Lennart Johansson Academy Trophy": 2013, 2017
  • Runners-up: 2015
• "Panagiotis Katsouris" Football tournament: 2014, 2015
• "CVV Zwervers":
  • Runners-up: 2014
• "Lukoil Cup": 2014, 2017 [53]
• "Rodos Knights Cup": 2015
• "Pfingst Cup":
  • Runners-up: 2017

PAOK U12

• "Marc Overmars" : 2016

PAOK U11

• "Lokoball": 2013, 2014
  • Runners-up: 2015, 2016
• "Panagiotis Katsouris" Football tournament: 2014
• «SANDANSKI CUP»: 2014
• "Invitational Cup Stockholm": 2015
• "Catnic Cup": 2016
• "«Paris World Cup»": 2016
• "Max Sport Youth Cup": 2015

PAOK U10

• "International tournaments Serbia": 2014 [54]
• "IV International Football Tournament «Mini Football Magic»": 2015
• "Ιnternational Orthopaedikos U10 Juniors Cup 2016":
  • Runners-up: 2016

PAOK U9

• "Pfingst Cup": 2014
• "International tournaments Krnjevo": 2014 [55]
• "Dragan Mance Cup 2017": 2017

PAOK U8

• "Olympico Paphos Tournament": 2017

Notable players

Dimitris Pelkas

Notable players coming from the club's youth departments include:

• Leandros Symeonidis
• Giorgos Koudas
• Koulis Apostolidis
• Filotas Pellios
• Kostas Orfanos
• Nikos Alavantas
• Charis Baniotis
• Stefanos Borbokis
• Giorgos Toursounidis
• Dimitris Salpingidis
• Georgios Fotakis
• Lazaros Christodoulopoulos
• Stefanos Athanasiadis
• Kostas Stafylidis
• Stelios Kitsiou
• Dimitris Pelkas
• Efthymis Koulouris

References

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