As the football season kicks off around Europe, the Greek Super League may fly under the radar for many fans of the game. We explore the history of Greece’s top teams and interview experts, fans, and writers to determine each side’s chances of success.
If you want passion, flairs, a rocking atmosphere, chanting from before to after a match and the occasional law informant intervention look no further than Greek football. The sport in Greece has suffered over the last decade or so, both financially and in its reputation. But one thing that cannot be denied is that the country holds some of the most vocal, passionate and football-crazy supporters in Europe.
Ultra groups and derbies have garnered a reputation for being some of the fiercest on the continent, for better or for worse, and you’d be hard pressed to find someone in Greece who doesn’t love football, whether they support one of the giants of the Greek game or dedicate every weekend watching their local village club play.
For this piece, I shall be focusing on what is considered to be the big five of Greek football and just what makes their supporters some of the biggest, best and loudest for any away fan who has the misfortune of trying to sing louder than a packed Greek football stadium.