PAOK Handball Club is the handball section of PAOK, the major multi-sports club based in Thessaloniki, Greece. PAOK has both men's and women's team. So far, men's team has won 3 Greek Championships and 3 Greek Cups and women's team has won 6 Greek Championships and 6 Greek Cups. Despite its relatively short history, it is considered amongst the most successful departments of the club.
History
PAOK Handball Club was founded in 1999 after it merged with another club from Thessaloniki, Triton. Stelios Seikeridis, former club's coach, has connected his name with the whole club's history.
PAOK promoted to A1 Ethniki for first time at the season 2000–01. Three years later, they relegated to A2 Ethniki, but they promoted back to the top-tier level the next season.
As the years passed, the team became stronger and stronger and they won two consecutive Greek Handball Championships in 2009 and 2010. At the end of the 2008–09 season PAOK defeated Panellinios in the last game of the play-offs and in 2009–10 PAOK defeated Doukas, also in the last game.
At the season 2009–10, PAOK became the second Greek team after Filippos Veria, who reach the groups of EHF Champions League.
In 2011, even though PAOK had the advantage and needed only a draw in the last game in Thessaloniki, they lost the championship to AEK.
In 2012 PAOK won the Greek Cup by beating AEK with 25–24 score in Patras. The next year, they lost with 27–23 score by AEK at the Cup final in Kerkyra.
In 2015 PAOK beats AEK again with 27–29 score at P.A.O.K. Sports Arena in Thessaloniki and won the Greek Cup. PAOK also won the Greek Championship the same year making it a double for the first time. They faced Diomidis at the play-off finals.
In 2017 PAOK beats Panellinios with 25–23 score in Kozani winning the Greek Cup for the third time.
Kits
Recent seasons
Current squad
Players
Squad for the 2022–23 season
Goalkeepers
1 Viktor Gigov
12 Giorgos Velissariou
16 Milos Mojsilov
Wingers
LW
6 Alexandros Dougias
10 Nikolaos Nikolaidis (c) 36 Miltos Papagiotas RW 20 Nikolaos Marinos 26 Vasilis Kavousanakis 77 Nikolaos Tzortzinis Line players 8 Tasos Tsamouridis 14 Alexandros Apostolou 19 Chrysanthos Tsanaxidis 80 Alexandros Giavasidis
Back players
LB
30 Dimitris Triantafyllidis
44 Antonis Ladakis
CB
7 Giorgos Eleftheriaidis
15 Tasos Triantafyllidis
21 Nikolaos Koukmisis
RB
5 Dionisis Karagiozopoulos
11 Athanasios Papazoglou
25 Antonis Emmanouil
Administration and technical staff
Honours
Greek Championship: Winners (3): 2009, 2010, 2015 Runner-up (2): 2011, 2021 Greek Cup: Winners (3): 2012, 2015, 2017 Runner-up (2): 2013, 2021 Double Winners (1): 2015
Greek Cup Finals
European record
European Distinctions
PAOK has been competing since 2006–2007 in European competitions, and has taken part in all EHF competitions up to the 2013–2014 season. PAOK returned to the European competition by taking part in the 2017–18 EHF Challenge Cup. In 2009–2010 season the team reached at the group phase of the EHF Champions League, which is its biggest achievement up to date.
Arenas
The home ground which PAOK use for the regular season games of the domestic league is Mikra Indoor Arena III, which holds 1,380 seats. In previous years, the team had also used Mikra Indoor Arena II, which holds 650 seats, Neapoli Indoor Hall, which holds 800 seats, and Evosmos Sports Hall, which holds 2,000 seats. Additionally, PAOK often use PAOK Sports Arena, which holds 8,500 seats, for European competitions and for the play-offs of the domestic league.
References
External links
official website women
EHF PAOK page
official facebook page
Handball clubs in Greece
P.A.O.K.