AEL Larissa

Athletic Union of Larissa, The "Queen of Thessaly", the "Queen of the lowlands". AEL, is the club that represents the Greek prefecture of Larissa. One Championship, two cups, four finals and many important successes at European level compose the temporal profile of the top team of the Greek region.

Creation and first years (1964–79)

AEL was created from a vision of a powerful team that will represent a city like Larissa in the top category. The 17 May 1964, is referred to as the exact date of its establishment, and then—after a barrage of meetings and discussions held at the Municipal Conservatory of Larissa and a catalytic last meeting of the local county clubs—it was decided the merger of:

Iraklis Larissa (1930), "Aris" (1926), "Toxotis" (1943) and "Larissaikos" (1930). The Athletic Union of Larissa was now a reality, designed on the background of the Second Division, in shades of crimson and white, (not black and white, as initially decided). Typically, the conversion of the statute of Iraklis Larissa just a few days later—on 22 May—and its adoption on 8 June, gave AEL status, while teams "Dimitra", "Doxa Emporoipalilon" (based on "Aris Larissas" and "Doxa"), "Pelasgiotida" (by "Larissaikos" and "Pelasgikos") and "Olympos" (based on "Toxotis" and "Panthessalikos") completed this football family. On 7 June, Alcazar Stadium, the team's first homeground, recorded the initial friendly game, against Panionios which, by that time, was a very strong team, winning 2–1. Yugoslavian Alexander Petrovic, was the first foreign coach that was hired to ensure the impartiality of the team lineup. Thus, names of players like Zampas, Karelias, Kyriakos, Lellis, Papazoglou, Kassas, Saltapidas, Delfos, Katsianis and many others, passed into the history of Thessalian football. Everything was ready to start, under the administrative umbrella of a 15-member ecumenical council, composed of representatives of clubs and organizations of the city, in which the property was held by the former president of Iraklis Larissa, K. Tzovaridis.

Examples of other Greek areas where the mergers and establishment of strong teams brought direct impact and a promotion in the 1st Division, has created in advance an optimism which did not materialize. The team ended the 1964–65 season in fifth place. The next year, the team improved by two seats in the final table. The promotion was lost in a game on 8 May 1966 at Megara with the home side Vyzas opponent. During the entry of the team on the field, player Dimitrios Zambas was hit in the head by a ladder thrown from the stands and was taken to the hospital. The team with 10 players due to the elimination of Kyriakidis from the first quarter, and with three of the 10 remaining players injured, had formal presence, and was defeated 6–0. As well-known coaches like Dionysis Minardos, Giannis Helmis and Giourkas Seitaridis the first turned down the opportunity to steer the team, the downturn seemed certain and in 1969 their position fell even further. Relegation would be inevitable if the political conditions of the time—Greek military junta of 1967–1974—and the fact that teams headed by powerful men were in the same predicament, brought changes in the status of Greek football. Therefore, Kostas Aslanidis, Lieutenant Colonel and the Secretary General of Athletics, increased the two groups of the Second Division to three and thus AEL, Chania and Ionikos continued in the B' National. There was a rationalization of the Second Division, by creating three groups of 16 teams, of which 15 would be relegated (five of each group) into the 3rd Division. Relegation did not happen and it was decided the next season that each group have 18 teams. Otherwise, like the previous season, the winners of groups (three this time) went to the final phase, which claimed the promotion in the 1st Division. The team indeed, with the entrance to the 1970s, the emergence of the administrative forefront of Kantonias family (the owner of BIOKARPET Group) and a dramatic changing at liveware, managed to change the status. The coming of some experienced players such as Simantiris, Kyziroglou, Charitidis and Nikiforakis framed the talented Lakis Pagkarliotas and the others.

25–06–1972 : It was the last game of the championship of the Second Division. AEL needed the victory to celebrate the promotion in the First National (the team had 95 points while opponent Panserraikos had 96 and only the first of the group would promote). In the Serres Municipal Stadium that day (which holds the all-time attendance record with 14,200 tickets) except the locals, also existed around 5000 guest fans from Larissa.

Nevertheless, AEL managed to precede with 0–1 but Panserraikos equalized with a disputed penalty.

Soon riots appeared between the players on the court and generalized at the end of the match between the fans (final result 1–1). The next day, thousands citizens of Larissa were gathered and resentful of the injustice marched to the central square of the city. The demonstration took the character of an anti-junta movement. One of the few mass events that were made in Greece before the events of Athens Polytechnic. Two days later AEL submitted an objection for the improper use of the player of Panserraikos Stefanidis. The Regulations Committee EPO upheld the complaint because Panserraikos did not pay the fine of 250 Drachmas for the penalty. On 30 June, the same committee in another meeting and after the intervention of Colonel Aslanidis (himself originating from Serres), dismissed the objection of AEL and promoted Panserraikos to the 1st National.