The most used stadiums in the Greek top flight (part 4 of 4)

AGONAsport’s Greg Gavalas looks at the ten Greek football stadiums that have hosted the most games in the Greek top flight since 1960 in the final part of a four-part series.

Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage with Go Greek TV! 

View parts one, two, and three.

Number 2: Toumba Stadium

Location: Thessaloniki

Home Club: PAOK

Capacity: 28,703

First Division games hosted: 1028

The Toumba Stadium is the home of PAOK, rounding out the big-three clubs of Thessaloniki (Aris and Iraklis’ stadiums were mentioned in parts two and three).

Construction of the stadium started in 1958 and was completed in 1959 as the club grew in popularity and needed a bigger home. The official opening was in September 1959 in a friendly match against AEK, only for the Athenians to win 1-0.

The first version of the stadium counted for a capacity of 20,000, but that grew to 45,000 as work finalised. Outside of PAOK games, the stadium has hosted some games for the national team in addition to three Greek Cup finals.

In 1998, like many other Greek stadiums, the stadium became an all-seater, and that dropped the capacity to 32,000. The introduction of security zones in 2000 further reduced its capacity to 28,700.

The record attendance at Toumba is 45,252, set in December of 1976 in a match between PAOK and AEK.

The stadium was used as a training facility for the 2004 Olympic Games, and like other stadiums, it underwent upgrades, giving the ground a more beautiful, modern look. The most important modification was the construction of a four-story building behind the main grandstand. This houses 15 VIP boxes and a VIP Lounge while a new roof was installed to the main grandstand.

The stadium has seen steady upgrades in recent years under the leadership of Ivan Savvidis. The club plans to demolish the old stadium to make room for a new, modern stadium; when exactly this will happen remains to be seen. Early reports indicate that construction could begin as early as 2021.

Toumba is known for its amazing atmosphere as PAOK fans time and time again have created fantastic showpieces that constantly go viral in the sporting world. Sadly, in recent years, the Toumba has also been the scene of some more negative incidents (most notably against Olympiacos and AEK). While security at the ground still needs improving, derbies this season have taken place without any issues. 

Number 1: Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium (The Karaiskakis)

Location: Piraeus

Home Club: Olympiacos

Capacity: 32,115

First Division games hosted: 1512

The Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus is home to Olympiacos, Greece’s most successful club with 44 league titles. The stadium’s roots go way back to 1896 when it was first built as a velodrome for the first modern Olympic Games. It is named after the military commander of the Greek War of Independence, Georgios Karaiskakis, who is regarded as a national hero. 

By the 1920s, the velodrome was used primarily for football games and, in the 1960s, was reconstructed. It took the form of an Olympic stadium with an athletics track around the football pitch.

The stadium is also synonymous with Ethnikos Piraeus, who now play in the local leagues of Greece. While it was once intended for them to play at this stadium, Ethnikos played their last game at the old Karaiskakis in 2002.

The Greek national team played many games at the stadium. It also hosted the 1971 Cup Winners’ Cup matches between Chelsea and Real Madrid. The first match finished in a 1-1 draw, and in the game two replay, Chelsea won 2-1 to claim the title.

Unfortunately, the worst tragedy ever to hit Greek sports and football, in particular, took place at the Karaiskakis Stadium on February 8th, 1981. At the final whistle of Olympiacos’ emphatic 6-0 win over AEK, thousands of fans rushed to the stadium’s main entrance to celebrate with the players. The stairs of Gate 7 became a death trap as the doors were almost closed, and the turnstiles were locked in place, making an exit almost impossible. People continued coming down the stands, not knowing what had happened below. This fatal accident left many injured and 21 young dead, mostly by suffocation.

On February 8th, respects are marked for these victims each year to this day, and the stadium has special pieces marked in the victims’ honour.

The old stadium was demolished in the spring of 2003, and at the cost of €60 million, the new stadium was built in time for the Olympic Games. With a capacity of 32,115, it is the largest football-only stadium in Greece and second-largest overall after the OAKA Olympic Stadium.

The stadium is very modern, and a roof covers the whole bowl of seats. It features two video scoreboards and 72 CCTV cameras. It is an impressive venue with stands for disabled fans as well. Behind the west stand lies the VIP building, which hosts a bar and restaurant, both with pitch views, 40 VIP boxes, and a presidential box. The total VIP capacity is 474 people.

The stadium has held many concerts as well, including Rihanna, Aerosmith, 50 Cent, Scorpions, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, and the Sex Pistols, to name a few. 

Like the OAKA, it’s listed as a UEFA Category 4 stadium. The attendance record was set in April 1965, as 42,415 fans watched Olympiakos play AEK.

Thank you for visiting AGONAsport.com, the only English based website for Greek sports fans across the world! Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter for all the latest news in Greek Sports!