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Iraklis Thessaloniki F.C. (Greek: ΠΑΕ Ηρακλής), or simply Iraklis, is a Greek football club from Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece, branch of Gymnastic Club Iraklis Thessaloniki. It is named after Heracles (Greek: Ηρακλής), the mythical Greek demigod. The club plays in the Greek Super League and is one of the most historic clubs in the Greek football, the oldest in Thessaloniki and one of the oldest in Greece. The club was a founding member of Thessaloniki Football Federation (now defunct) as well as the Hellenic Football Federation. With the exception of one season, the club has spent its entire history in the top flight of Greek football. The club has won one Greek Cup in 1976, and one Balkans Cup in 1985.
Iraklis FC was founded in 1908, as "Ottoman Hellenic Club of Thessaloniki - Iraklis" (at that time, the city of Thessaloniki was under Ottoman rule, so the club was forced to include the adjective Ottoman in its name) though it traces its roots back in 1905 when the "Friends of the Arts" Club (merged with "Olympia" in 1908 to produce Iraklis) gave its first football game. After a lean period in the post-war years they became one of the powers to be reckoned in Greek football especially after securing the services of Vassilis Hatzipanagis in 1975 - an already member of the USSR national team of Greek descent who was later voted the best football player in Greek history and was honored as so in the UEFA Jubilee Awards. After a golden era from mid 70ies to late 80ies the club began downturn partly because of the impact the bosman ruling had in domestic football market and partly because it fell victim of what many have described as mismanagement of the team's fortunes by untrustworthy presidents.
The club's colours have traditionally been blue and white, to resemble the Greek flag and remained the same -although in different variations- through history. Similarly, the club have changed location over time; the team's first stadium was located in what is now Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, central-east Thessaloniki, but in 1960 they moved further east across the city to state owned Kaftanzoglio Stadium after the team's one was purchased by the state in a compulsory deal to expand the city's university. As of 2008 there are plans in development for Iraklis to build their own stadium in Chortatzides, east Thessaloniki where the club owns land.
Iraklis nowadays have a modest fanbase, in terms of numbers, that hold a string of long-standing rivalries with few other clubs; the most notable of these is with neighbours Aris and P.A.O.K., with whom they regularly contest the Thessaloniki derbies.
Iraklis FC was founded in 1908, as "Ottoman Hellenic Club of Thessaloniki - Iraklis" (at that time, the city of Thessaloniki was under Ottoman rule, so the club was forced to include the adjective Ottoman in its name) though it traces its roots back in 1905 when the "Friends of the Arts" Club (merged with "Olympia" in 1908 to produce Iraklis) gave its first football game. After a lean period in the post-war years they became one of the powers to be reckoned in Greek football especially after securing the services of Vassilis Hatzipanagis in 1975 - an already member of the USSR national team of Greek descent who was later voted the best football player in Greek history and was honored as so in the UEFA Jubilee Awards. After a golden era from mid 70ies to late 80ies the club began downturn partly because of the impact the bosman ruling had in domestic football market and partly because it fell victim of what many have described as mismanagement of the team's fortunes by untrustworthy presidents.
The club's colours have traditionally been blue and white, to resemble the Greek flag and remained the same -although in different variations- through history. Similarly, the club have changed location over time; the team's first stadium was located in what is now Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, central-east Thessaloniki, but in 1960 they moved further east across the city to state owned Kaftanzoglio Stadium after the team's one was purchased by the state in a compulsory deal to expand the city's university. As of 2008 there are plans in development for Iraklis to build their own stadium in Chortatzides, east Thessaloniki where the club owns land.
Iraklis nowadays have a modest fanbase, in terms of numbers, that hold a string of long-standing rivalries with few other clubs; the most notable of these is with neighbours Aris and P.A.O.K., with whom they regularly contest the Thessaloniki derbies.
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