From 1989 to 2007 Ionikos spent 16 out of 18 seasons in the Super League.[1] During that span Ionikos finished as high as 5th-place in the league (on two occasions),[2][3] was a finalist in the Greek Cup,[4] and participated in the UEFA Europa League.[5]
The club's colours are blue and white.
History
Foundation and early years (1965–1989)
Ionikos was established in 1965, from a merger of local clubs Nikaia Sports Union and Aris Piraeus, with Alex Meraklidis as new club's first president.[6] The club's early years were indifferent in progress but Ionikos became a mainstay of the Greek Second Division through the 1970s before being relegated in 1976. After an immediate promotion, another relegation followed in 1979, with fans funding the club for the new Gamma Ethniki (Third Division). After two failed promotion attempts in the following seasons, Ionikos won the Gamma Ethniki title in 1982. The 1982–83 season saw another relegation before Ionikos were promoted again in 1985, following their 3rd place in 1984. The next 4 years saw Ionikos complete three consecutive mid table finishes, avoiding relegation in 1986 and 1988 on the last matchday, before the club secured promotion in 1989 with a third–place finish.[6]
Ownership change and top flight years (1989–2007)
The club's first promotion to the top flight was accompanied by unexpected problems— Dimitris Melissanidis withdrew as chairman, and the club needed 50 million drachmas to participate in the championship.[6] Businessman Nikolaos Kanellakis stepped forward to provide the needed sum and become the club's new chairman. He would appoint Janusz Kowalik as manager in November 1989 soon after.[6]
Kanellakis' arrival would be the beginning of the club's greatest era—from the 1989 promotion, Ionikos would spend 16 of the next 18 seasons in the Greek top flight, up until 2007, and during that time the team would finish as high as 5th-place in the league (on two occasions), reach a Greek Cup Final, and compete in the UEFA Europa League.[6]
Ionikos' UEFA Cup appearance came in the 1999–00 season—the opposition was French side Nantes, and Ionikos lost both home and away matches, 1–3 and 0–1, respectively.[6] Ionikos reached the Greek Cup Final later that same season under the management of Oleg Blokhin, where they came up against traditional power AEK Athens, losing 3–0.[6]
On 21 April 2004, Nikolaos Kanellakis, the club's chairman for 14 years, died.[6] Hundreds of Ionikos supporters —as well as other sports fans—attended Kanellakis' funeral, where the flag of Ionikos covered the coffin of the late chairman. Nikolaos' son Christos took his father's place as chairman.
Relegation to Second League, lower league football, return to the top flight (2007–2021)
Ionikos' long run in the top flight ended in the 2006–07 season, when the team finished in 16th-place in the Super League and was relegated back to the Football League. Ionikos spent the following two seasons in the Football League, finishing 5th and 4th place, respectively, as the club failed to get promoted to the top flight. After achieving promotion to the Super League Greece at the conclusion of the 2020–21 season,[7] they returned to the top flight after a 14–year absence, after successfully getting licensed to compete in the top league's new season.[7]
Return to the Top League and relegation to amateur leagues
After an impressive first season back at the top flight, in which the club finished 7th, Ionikos finished in the regular season 12th with 18 points the following year, one point above the relegation zone, the club were relegated in the Play-out round after a dramatic encounter with fellow relegation contenders Lamia, in which Ionikos led 2–0 at half time before Lamia equalised to remain in the top flight, while Ionikos returned to the Super League Greece 2 following the result.
In the 2023–24 season, it finished in third place in the Southern Group of Super League 2. However, it was unable to participate in the next season's championship due to financial issues. Thus, after fifty years of continuous presence in the national categories, Ionikos was administratively relegated to the Piraeus Football Clubs Association First Division in the fourth tier of the Greek football pyramid.[8]
Ionikos plays its home matches at Neapolis Public Stadium (Greek: Γήπεδο Νεάπολης), located in Nikaia, a suburb of Piraeus. The stadium was completed in 1965, and had its latest redevelopment in 2000.[9] It currently has a seating capacity of 5,500, but record attendance is 6,565 for a match against Olympiacos in 1990.[9]
Ionikos' organized supporters gather in Gate 3 at Neapoli Stadium.
Supporters and rivals
While Ionikos was competing in the lower divisions there were two main supporters' groups—the Association of Ionikos Supporters and the Fan Club of Agios Georgios.[10]
On Ionikos's promotion to the top division the Association of Ionikos Supporters Rangers Club was formed—or Rangers Club, for short—with headquarters in Elefterias Square in Korydallos.[10] Before Ionikos's first match in the top flight the Rangers Club organised a parade of 2,000 supporters from outside Rangers' headquarters to Stavros Mavrothalassitis Stadium, where Ionikos played its first three home matches of the 1989–90 season.[10] Two years later the supporters' club offices moved to Neapolis, and then in 1996 to Nikaia, before returning to Neapolis in 1999.[10] A second branch was established in Nikaia in 2004.[10]
Ionikos fans have a rivalry with the fans of the other topic club of Nikaia, Proodeftiki.
Ionikos fans have rivalries too with other nearby clubs, Egaleo, and Atromitos.
The Derby of Kokkinia
The football matches between Ionikos and Proodeftiki are called «The Derby of Kokkinia»
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