AEK was founded on 13 April 1924 in Athens by refugees from Constantinople. On 13 April 2027 the "Enosi" (Union) turns 103. Behind the yellow and black and the double-headed eagle lies the story of people who lost their homeland and built a new one in Nea Filadelfeia.

A sports shop on Veranzerou Street

Two years after the Asia Minor Catastrophe, thousands of Greeks from Constantinople were living in Athens. Among them were athletes who had played for clubs such as Pera Club and Enosis Tataoulon. They wanted a club that would keep the sporting tradition of Constantinople alive.

According to most sources, the idea took shape in the "Lux" sports shop on Veranzerou Street, owned by Emilios Ionas and Konstantinos Dimopoulos. Other sources place the founding meeting in offices of the YMCA of Athens (XAN) on Mitropoleos Street. The first president was the journalist Konstantinos Spanoudis, who later became an MP and a minister.

A name that recalls the City

The full name is Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos, the Athletic Union of Constantinople. It was not just a title but a statement of identity: the new club would be the home of the Constantinopolitans in Athens. That is also where the nickname "Enosi" comes from.

The football team was ready within two months. In its first friendly it beat a Piraeus select side 3-2 at the Neo Faliro velodrome. Until it had its own ground, it trained on an open plot next to the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

Yellow, black and the double-headed eagle

Since its founding AEK has used the double-headed eagle on a golden yellow background as its emblem. According to Naftemporiki, it was proposed by Spanoudis himself. The eagle is linked to the Palaiologos dynasty and Byzantium, and it survived through the centuries in the Orthodox Church.

The colours, yellow and black, share the same Byzantine inspiration. They were chosen to recall the lost homelands and the bond with Constantinople. They also gave the team its other nickname, the "Kitrinomavroi" (Yellow-Blacks).

How the shirt changed

AEK's classic kit is a yellow shirt, sometimes plain and sometimes striped, with black shorts. Away from home the team traditionally wore all black or all white. Third shirts in light blue, grey and dark scarlet have appeared from time to time.

Among the best loved are the Kappa shirts of the 1990s, with the double-headed eagle spread across the fabric. AEK has also been dressed by Adidas, Nike and Diadora, and in 2007 it moved to Puma. The first shirt sponsor appeared in 1982-83 and was Citizen.

From Nea Filadelfeia to Agia Sophia

In 1926 AEK was given a plot of land in Nea Filadelfeia that had originally been set aside for refugee housing. The stadium built there was later named after Nikos Goumas. The first match was played in November 1930, a 2-2 draw with Olympiacos.

The old stadium was demolished in 2004 after earthquake damage. On the same site rose the OPAP Arena "Agia Sophia", which opened on 30 September 2022. In the first league match there, AEK beat Ionikos 4-1.

Great moments and legends

In 1968-69 AEK became the first Greek club to reach the quarter-finals of the European Cup. In 1976-77 it was the first to reach the UEFA Cup semi-finals, where Juventus knocked it out. In 1994-95 it became the first Greek club in the Champions League group stage.

With Dušan Bajević on the bench from 1989 to 1996, four league titles followed. The shirt was worn by Mimis Papaioannou, the club's top scorer and appearance record holder, Kostas Nestoridis and Thomas Mavros. In later years Demis Nikolaidis, Traianos Dellas and Rivaldo stood out. More recently, on 10 May 2026, AEK beat Panathinaikos 2-1 at the OPAP Arena to win the 14th league title in its history.

Celebrate with us

From a sports shop in central Athens to its new home, AEK carries the memory of Constantinople on its chest. Happy 103rd birthday to the Union!

See our AEK Athens jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: AEK fans at the first match at Agia Sophia Stadium – Demian vi, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.