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 name	ΠΑΕ Χανιά PAE Chaniá (PAE Chania)
Founded	23 August 2017 as AO Chania−Kissamikos 31 July 2019 as PAE Chania
Ground	Perivolia Municipal Stadium
Capacity	4,527
Owner	Antonis Rokakis
Chairman	Antonis Rokakis
Manager	Alekos Vosniadis
League	Super League 2
2019–20	Super League 2, 3rd
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

History

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 31 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 GK  GRE Theodoros Lampiris 2 DF  BIH Nemanja Nikolić (on loan from Olympiacos) 3 DF  GUI Fodé Camara (on loan from Olympiacos) 4 DF  ALB Franko Lamge 5 MF  MLI Ousmane Sountoura 6 MF  GRE Kostas Plegas 7 FW  GRE Paschalis Kassos (captain) 8 MF  GRE Vasilis Triantafyllakos 9 FW  GRE Dimitris Diamantopoulos (fourth-captain) 10 FW  GRE Nikos Vrettos 11 MF  GRE Anastasios Dimitriadis 13 GK  GRE Fotis Koutzavasilis (third-captain) 14 FW  BRA Macena 16 MF  GRE Andreas Vasilogiannis 17 MF  BRA Lukas Brambilla 18 DF  GRE Vasilios Rentzas

No. Pos. Nation Player 19 DF  GRE Giannis Sotirakos 20 DF  GRE Angelos Zioulis 21 MF  GRE Markos Berdios 22 FW  GRE Evripidis Giakos 23 MF  GRE Thanasis Kartsabas 26 DF  GRE Vangelis Andreou 27 MF  GRE Vangelis Anastasopoulos 30 GK  GRE Antonis Triantafyllakis 33 DF  GRE Nikos Ziabaris 55 DF  GRE Christos Gromitsaris (vice-captain) 63 DF  GRE Dimitris Oungialidis 68 MF  GRE Kostas Panagiotoudis 77 MF  GRE Giorgos Fekkas (on loan from Olympiacos) 88 MF  ALB Kledi Myftari 95 MF  BRA Carlito

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.

External links

• Official website (in Greek)