Asteras Tripolis F.C.

Asteras Tripolis
Full name	Αθλητικός Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Αστέρας Τρίπολης; (Athletic Gymnastic Club Asteras Tripolis)
Nickname(s)	The Yellow-Blues ; Arkádes (Arcadians)
Founded	26 March 1931; 90 years ago
Ground	Theodoros Kolokotronis Stadium
Capacity	7,442
Owner(s)	Dimitris Bakos; Giannis Kaimenakis
President	Giannis Kaimenakis
Head coach	Milan Rastavac
League	Super League Greece
2020–21	Super League Greece, 6th
Website	Club website
Home colours	Away colours

Asteras raxoulas Football Club (Greek: ΠΑΕ Αστέρας Τρίπολης), commonly referred to as Asteras Tripolis (meaning "Star of Tripoli"), is a Greek professional football club based in the city of Tripoli in Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. Founded on 26 March 1931, the club has traditionally the star symbol as emblem and a yellow and blue worn as home kit. Its home ground is the Theodoros Kolokotronis Stadium, a 7,442-capacity stadium in Tripoli.

In domestic football, Asteras Tripolis has been in Super League, the Greek top professional league, since the 2007–08 season. They were runners-up of the Greek Cup in 2013 and have reached the semi-finals of the competition overall four times.

Asteras Tripolis has also competed two seasons in the UEFA Europa League group stage and overall five seasons in the competition. The club is in 10th place between the 19 teams with contribution of points in European football for Greece.

History[]

Early years[]

Asteras Tripolis line-up in Beta Ethniki 1962–63

Asteras Tripolis was founded in 1931, in the area near Tripoli's railway station and was formally recognised forthwith. However, the club stayed inactive and during 1932 all football clubs in Tripoli were temporarily dissolved. At the same time, Minas Tsavdaris founded a football club and named it "Keramikos" after his home area.^[1] Despite his efforts, Keramikos was never formally recognised, and in 1938 Tsavdaris decided to transfer all of the club's players to Asteras Tripolis, which was still legally recognised.^[1] This signified the revival of the club and Asteras Tripolis managed to compete in the inaugural season (1939–40) of the regional Arcadian League. However, the subsequent German occupation of Greece ended all league competitions abruptly and the club was dissolved once again.

Post-World War II[]

After World War II, Asteras Tripolis was reformed under the name "Neos Asteras" and was accordingly recognised by Tripoli's courts on 23 June 1947.^[1] Asteras Tripolis won five consecutive titles in the Arcadian League (1957–62). The team won consecutive promotions and managed to play for two seasons in Second National Division (1961–63), thus becoming the first team from Tripoli to ever participate in such a high division.^[1] In the summer of 1963, Asteras Tripolis merged with Aris–Atromitos and the new team was named "Athlitikos Omilos Tripolis" (Athletic Club of Tripoli, AOT). AOT's function was based in Asteras Tripolis' statute and the new club continued its activities until 1968, when it was dissolved once again and was subsequently merged with Arkadikos to form Panarkadikos.

Recent history and era of success (2003–present)[]

Asteras Tripolis was reformed again in 1978.^[1] The club participated in the regional Arcadian League until 2003. At 2001 the club entered a new era and led an outstanding streak of performances under the leadership of Dimitris Bakos and Giannis Kaimenakis. They remained unbeaten at home for over 5 years (from 2001 to November 2006) and they managed to move up four divisions, earning the promotion for the Super League Greece as Second Division champions on 12 May 2007.

Asteras Tripolis made a spectacular start in their first season in Super League, under the technical leadership of Paulo Campos. Their first ever win was against Panathinaikos (1–0^[2] in Tripoli) and their first away win against OFI in Crete (3–0).^[3] The season was marked by some outstanding performances with the most memorable being the 1–0 home victory against champions Olympiacos. They also managed to win 2–1 against AEK Athens and 2–0 against PAOK at home. Asteras Tripolis became the first and only newly promoted Super League team that managed to beat Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, PAOK (home and away) and AEK Athens in its first ever appearance in the top division. It is remarkable that the team of that season made Asteras Tripolis popular in Greek fans as "Greek Boca" because of its Argentinian players (Lucio Filomeno, Horacio Cardozo, Mauro Milano, Israel Damonte etc.) and the mutual colours of the club with the famous Boca Juniors.

Coach Paulo Campos left Asteras Tripolis on 24 February 2008^[4] with assistant manager Panagiotis Tzanavaras taking over for the rest of the 2007–08 season. Asteras Tripolis finally ended 7th, missing the European spot in the last games. In the summer of 2008, Asteras Tripolis announced Carlos Carvalhal as their new manager.^[5] He was sacked in mid-season due to poor results which led the team near the relegation zone.^[6] He was succeeded by former AEK Athens caretaker manager, Nikos Kostenoglou.^[7] Despite the unfortunate results in Super League, the team managed to remain focused on the goal of the Greek Cup, reaching the semi-finals for the first time in its history, where finally eliminated by Olympiacos. In 2009, Asteras Tripolis signed the Argentine former Internazionale assistant Mario Gómez as their new coach.

Rayos (c)

Navarro

De Blasis

Perrone

2013 Greek Cup Final starting lineup vs. Olympiacos (4-5-1)

After a season with moderate results that led Asteras Tripolis to 12th place finish in Super League, the next season was coming to get worse the status of the club. In the 2010–11 season, after some wrong player choices and a disappointing 2nd round, Asteras Tripolis dealt relegation hammer blow. However, on 19 May 2011, the Disciplinary Committee of the competition found Iraklis guilty of forgery during the winter transfer window. Therefore the club was automatically put at the end of the league table and demoted to the Football League. This development resulted in Asteras Tripolis remaining in Super League.

In the 2011–12 season, Asteras Tripolis reached the 6th place and failed to qualify for the Play-offs. However, AEK Athens was not licensed to play in the 2012–13 Europa League and therefore replaced by the 6th placed team in the league table, Asteras Tripolis. That was the first participation of the club in UEFA competitions. The season completed with another participation of the club in Greek Cup semi-finals, in which the team eliminated after an exciting 2nd leg match against Atromitos in Tripoli.

Staikos Vergetis managed the team through the UEFA Europa League of 2014–15 and 2015–16 season.

The 2012–13 season was one of the most memorable in Asteras Tripolis' history. The club competed in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round and won its first qualification to a next round in European level, eliminating the Azerbaijani, Inter Baku.^[8] In Super League, the club took a step ahead, finishing third(and fourth in the play-offs) and secured a place for the 2013–14 Europa League.^[9] However, the highlight of the season was the outstanding road of the team, under the technical leadership of Sakis Tsiolis, to the first Greek Cup final in club's history. The "Arcadians" lost 1–3 against Olympiacos after extra time and as 13,000 supporters of the yellow-blues were at the Olympic Stadium of Athens.^[10]

In the 2014–15 season, Asteras Tripolis took another step ahead in European level, reaching the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League group stage for the first time in club's history, after a streak of qualifications against RoPS, Mainz 05 and Maccabi Tel Aviv. In the Group C, Asteras Tripolis won six points and finished third against Tottenham Hotspur, Beşiktaş and Partizan. In Super league, Asteras Tripolis finished in 3rd place, its highest place in the league table until these days. Also, the main striker of the squad, Jerónimo Barrales, emerged top goalscorer in 2014-15 Super League Greece.

In the next season, 2015–16, Asteras Tripolis secured his direct participation in the Europa League group stage as finished third in the 2014-15 Super League. In the Group K, the club won four points and finished third again, with rivals Schalke 04, Sparta Prague and APOEL. Although during the 2016-17 Super League season, Asteras Tripolis finished 12th, in the next season, the club finished fifth, securing a place in the second qualifying round of 2018–19 Europa League.

Crests and colours[]

Crests[]

The crest of the club is inspired by the statue of Theodoros Kolokotronis

Original
2000s
2006–2020
Current

The original crest of the club is the star symbol in the traditional colors of the team, yellow and blue. Over the following decades, different versions of the crest were introduced with minor changes. In 2006 first appeared the version that was coming to connect with the most recent glorious days of the club, until the summer of 2020. With the motto "The story has no end", the club presented the new crest on July 21, 2020. The star symbol is maintained in the highest position, as the symbol with which the club traveled through time, since 1931. Also, the new crest connects the club with the most special monument of its city, the statue of Theodoros Kolokotronis, the Greek general and pre-eminent leader of the Greek War of Independence. The statue, located in Areos Square since September 1971, was made to present Theodoros Kolokotronis in battle and his bones are kept there. At the same time, with the phrase "ET IN ARCADIA EGO" written on it, the new crest seals the relationship of the club with the whole of Arcadia.

Colours and kit evolution[]

First

2005–06^[11]

2006–08^[12]^[13]

2007–08^[14]

2008–09

2009–12

2012–13

2013–14^[15]

2014–15

2015–16

2016–17

2017–18

2018–19

2019–20

2020–21

Alternative

1978^[16]

2005–06^[17]

2009–10

2010–12^[18]

2012–13^[19]^[20]

2013–14

2014–15^[21]

2016–17

2017–18

2018–19

2019–20

2020–21

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors[]

Kit manufacturer	Period	Shirt sponsor
Umbro	2003–06	—
Lotto	2006–10	Opap
Lotto	2010–12	Lotto
Nike	2012–15	Lotto
Nike	2015–17	Stoiximan.gr
Macron	2017–18	Stoiximan.gr
	2018–19	Volton
	2019–20	Interwetten
	2020–	Volton

Stadium[]

Asteras Tripolis fans during the 2012 Greek Cup semi-finals

Theodoros Kolokotronis Stadium (formally Asteras Tripolis Stadium) is a privately owned football stadium in Tripoli, Greece. Its capacity is 7,600. The stadium was built in 1979. After the team's promotion in the Football League in 2005, the stadium was renovated and its capacity expanded, including the east stand, which also houses the club's offices, a gym and changing rooms, a lounge, etc. In 2007, with the rise of Asteras Tripolis in the Super League, the western theater was built, housing the journalists and VIP posts, and a small square on the south side was also added for use mainly by the fans of the hosted team. In 2008, the northern beam was constructed. In 2010, the southern beam was reconstructed and expanded. In 2015, on the occasion of the Asteras Tripolis team's participation in the Europa League (2015–16) groups, for the second time in its history and the second consecutive parallel but also the fourth consecutive year of the group's presence in general (the first two only in the qualifiers), several remarkable interventions were carried out on the stadium, mainly in its interior, such as changing rooms and the press room, etc.^[22]

On 27 November 2011, in the match between Asteras Tripolis and Olympiacos for the 11th season of the championship (2011–12), the spectators arrived at the stadium with 6,150 tickets.^[23]

The stadium was renamed on 22 November 2012 in honour of the hero of the Greek War of Independence, Theodoros Kolokotronis.^[24]

Also, the club has proposed a new stadium, the .^[25]

Domestic record[]

Divisional history[]

14 seasons in Super League.
3 seasons in Second Division.
1 season in Third Division.
5 seasons in Fourth Division.

Recent seasons[]

Season
Season	Division	Rank	Pld	W	D	L	GS	GA	Pts	Greek Cup
2005–06	3rd	1	32	22	7	3	56	19	73	Round of 32
2006–07	2nd	1	34	20	9	5	56	25	69	Round of 32
2007–08	1st	7	30	11	11	8	28	24	44	Round of 16
2008–09	1st	12	30	7	12	11	33	31	33	Semi-finals
2009–10	1st	12	30	10	6	14	29	36	36	Quarter-finals
2010–11	1st	13	30	7	10	13	21	29	31	Round of 16
2011–12	1st	6	30	13	6	11	30	34	45	Semi-finals
2012–13	1st	4	30	17	5	8	41	25	56	Runner-up
2013–14	1st	5	34	16	10	8	46	35	58	Round of 16
2014–15	1st	3	34	17	8	9	52	37	59	Round of 16
2015–16	1st	7	30	11	8	11	31	30	41	Quarter-finals
2016–17	1st	12	30	6	10	14	34	49	28	Quarter-finals
2017–18	1st	5	30	12	9	9	39	24	45	Round of 16
2018–19	1st	11	30	8	9	13	25	30	33	Semi-finals
2019–20	1st	7	36	11	10	12	44	42	42	Round of 16
2020–21	1st	6	36	12	15	9	36	38	51	First Round

European record[]

UEFA club coefficient ranking[]

As of 8 July 2019

Rank	Team	Points
129	Nacional	9.646
130	Asteras Tripolis	9.500
131	Fehérvár	9.000
132	Dinamo Minsk	9.000
133	HJK	9.000

Source: uefa.com

By season[]

Last update: 3 August 2018

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2012–13	UEFA Europa League	2Q	Inter Baku	1–1	1–1	2–2 (4–2 p)
2012–13	UEFA Europa League	3Q	Marítimo	1–1	0–0	1–1 (a)
2013–14	UEFA Europa League	3Q	Rapid Wien	1–1	1–3	2–4
2014–15	UEFA Europa League	2Q	RoPS	4–2	1–1	5–3
		3Q	Mainz 05	3–1	0–1	3–2
		PO	Maccabi Tel Aviv	2–0	1–3	3–3 (a)
		Group C	Tottenham Hotspur	1–2	1–5	3rd place
			Beşiktaş	2–2	1–1
			Partizan	2–0	0–0
2015–16	UEFA Europa League	Group K	Schalke 04	0–4	0–4	3rd place
			APOEL	2–0	1–2
			Sparta Prague	1–1	0–1
2018–19	UEFA Europa League	2Q	Hibernian	1–1	2–3	3–4

Notes

1R: First round
2Q: Second qualifying round
3Q: Third qualifying round
PO: Play-off round

Notable wins[]

Season	Match	Score
2014–15	Asteras Tripolis – Mainz 05	3–1
2014–15	Asteras Tripolis – Maccabi Tel Aviv	2–0
2014–15	Asteras Tripolis – Partizan	2–0
2015–16	Asteras Tripolis – APOEL	2–0

Honours[]

National[]

Greek Cup
- Runners-up: 2012–13

Beta Ethniki (Second Division)
- Winners: 2006–07

Gamma Ethniki (Third Division)
- Winners: 2005–06

Delta Ethniki (Fourth Division)
- Winners: 2004-05

Regional[]

Arcadian Championship
- Winners (8): 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1987–88, 1989–90, 2002–03
Arcadian Cup
- Winners (4): 1988–89, 1989–90, 2003–04, 2004–05
Arcadian Double
- Winners (1): 1989–90

Players[]

Current squad[]

As of 8 July 2021^[26]

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	Nikos Papadopoulos
2	DF	ESP	Rubén García
3	DF	GRE	Christos Tasoulis
6	MF	ESP	José Luis Valiente (third-captain)
7	MF	BRA	Léo Tilica
8	MF	ARG	Juan Munafo (vice-captain)
9	FW	ARG	Jerónimo Barrales
10	MF	ESP	Eneko Capilla
11	FW	ESP	Xesc Regis
12	DF	ESP	David Carmona
14	MF	ESP	Dani Santafé
17	MF	ARG	Matías Iglesias (captain)
18	DF	ESP	Pichu Atienza
19	DF	ESP	Pepe Castaño
20	FW	ARG	Rodrigo Gómez
21	FW	NGA	Sudais Ali Baba
22	FW	ESP	Asier Benito
23	MF	ESP	Adrián Riera
24	MF	GRE	Giorgos Kanellopoulos


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
27	FW	CMR	Kévin Soni
29	DF	ARG	Federico Álvarez
30	DF	CRO	Dino Grozdanić
33	GK	GRE	Fotis Sgouris
36	DF	GRE	Georgios Papadopoulos
39	DF	GRE	Ilias Christopoulos
40	MF	ESP	Sito
42	DF	GRE	Giorgos Antzoulas
44	DF	GRE	Ajdi Dajko
45	DF	GRE	Giannis Christopoulos
70	GK	GRE	Nikos Grammatikakis
75	MF	NGA	Mubaraq Adeshina
77	FW	GRE	Nikos Zouglis
78	FW	GRE	Marios Dervisi
90	GK	GRE	Stelios Vallindras
92	MF	GRE	Thanasis Michopoulos
95	MF	GRE	Charalampos Kallantzi
99	GK	GRE	Antonis Tsiftsis

Out on loan[]