AEK Athens F.C. are a successful and historic association football club in Greece. They have a long and distinctive history. They won their first championship in 1939 and had further success in later years.

Origins

The large Greek population of Constantinople, like that of other Ottoman urban centres, continued its athletic traditions in the form of numerous athletic clubs. Clubs such as Énosis Tataoúlon () and Iraklís () from the Tatavla district, Mégas Aléxandros () and Ermís () of Galata and Olympiás () of Therapia were established to promote the Hellenic athletic and cultural ideals. These were among a dozen Greek-backed clubs that dominated the sporting landscape of the city in the years preceding World War I. After the war, with the influx of mainly French and English soldiers to Constantinople, many of the city clubs participated in regular competition with teams formed by the foreign troops. Taxim, Pera and Tatavla became the scene of weekly competitions not only in football, but also in athletics, cycling, boxing and tennis.

Among the city's clubs, football was dominated by Énosis Tataoúlon and The Greek Football Team. In 1914, The Greek Football Team was formed as the football department of Ermís, a sports club established in 1875 by the Greek community of Pera (Galata). Known as "Pera" since the mid-1880s, they were forced to change their name to "Pera Sports Club" and then "Beyoğluspor Kulübü" in 1923. Many of their athletes and those of most other Greek sporting clubs fled during the Greek genocide and the population exchanges at the end of the Greco-Turkish War and settled in Athens and Thessaloniki.

The early years (1924–1959)

Formation and first steps (1924–1929)

Honours won: —

Runners-up: Athens Championship: 3 (1924–25, 1926–27, 1928–29)

In 1924, the founders of AEK – a group of Constantinopolitan refugees (among them former athletes from the Pera Sports Club and the other Constantinopolitan clubs) – met at the athletic shop "Lux" of Emilios Ionas and Konstantinos Dimopoulos on Veranzerou Street in the center of Athens and founded AEK. Their intention was to create a club that provided athletic and cultural activities for the thousands of predominantly Constantinopolitan and Anatolian refugees who had settled in the new suburbs of Athens (including Nea Filadelfeia, Nea Ionia, Nea Chalkidona, Nea Smyrni).

AEK's first game was a 1–1 friendly draw against Atromitos in October 1924. Their first official match was a 4–2 win against Goudi on 14 December 1924.

AEK's football team grew rapidly in popularity during the 1920s, eclipsing the already-established Athens-based refugee clubs (Panionios, Apollon Smyrnis), thanks mainly to the large pool of immigrants who were drawn to the club and due, in no small part, to the political connections and wealth of several of the club's board members. As they did not possess a football ground, AEK played most of their early matches at various locations around Athens, including the grounds of the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Leoforos Alexandras Stadium.

AEK's first president, Konstantinos Spanoudis (1871–1941), a journalist and associate of the then Greek Prime Minister, Eleftherios Venizelos, petitioned the government to set aside land for the establishment of a sports ground. In 1926, land in Nea Filadelfeia that was originally set aside for refugee housing was donated as a training ground for the refugees. AEK began using the ground for training (albeit unofficially) and by 1930 the property was transferred to the club.

In 1927 Panathinaikos, Olympiacos and AEK decided to break away from the Athens regional league after a dispute with the fledgling Hellenic Football Federation (EPO). They formed an alliance called P.O.K. (acronym for Podosfairikes Omades Kentrou or Panathinaikos Olympiacos Konstantinoupolis) and started organising friendly matches against each other and several continental European clubs. This also marked the start of the so-called Easter Cup. In 1928, though, the dispute ended and AEK, along with the other P.O.K. clubs, returned to the HFF.

In 1928, Venizelos approved the plans to build what was to become the club's home ground for the next 70 years, the AEK Stadium.

Moving to home ground and first successes (1929–1940)

Honours won: Greek Cup: 2 (1931–32, 1938–39), Panhellenic Championship: 2 (1938–39, 1939–40), Athens Championship: 1 (1939–40)

Runners-up: Athens Championship: 5 (1929–30, 1930–31, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1938–39)

In 1930, the AEK Stadium was completed. The area where the stadium was located had previously been used as the training ground of the club. The first home game, played in November 1930, was an exhibition match against Olympiacos that ended in a 2–2 draw.

In 1932, AEK won the inaugural Greek Cup, beating Aris 5–3 in the final. The goals for AEK were scored by Ilias Iliaskos, Nikos Baltas (twice), Oikonomou (O.G.) and Kostas Negrepontis, a veteran of the original Pera Club of Constantinople. This was also the first ever title won by the club.

In 1933, former star Kostas Negrepontis became the manager of AEK. He built a formidable team which was led by Kleanthis Maropoulos and Tryfon Tzanetis, the best pair of forwards at the time and one of the best in Greek football's history. Other important players included Christos Ribas, Michalis Delavinias, Georgios Magiras and Spyros Sklavounos.

The club's success during the late 1930s was highlighted by the Panhellenic Championships in 1939 and 1940. The 2–1 win in the 1939 Cup final, with goals from Alekos Chatzistavridis and Vasilios Manettas, marked the first ever double (domestic Championship and Cup) in the history of Greek football.

World War II (1940–1945)

Honours won: —

Runners-up: —

The 1940–41 Panhellenic Championship was interrupted due to the Greco-Italian War. During the Greco-Italian War, the player of AEK Kostas Valvanis was badly injured by a mortar bomb that exploded in front of him during a battle at Pogradec. Alekos Chatzistavridis also suffered a serious leg injury during a battle in Tepelenë. After the Battle of Greece (1941) and during the Axis occupation of Greece sporting events were scarce.

During the spring of 1942 Panathinaikos and AEK organized a friendly match to raise money for a hospital but were asked to give part of the revenue to the occupation forces. The captains of both clubs, Kritikos and Maropoulos, refused and the 15,000 spectators who had gathered for the match turned it into one of the largest protests of the time. The match became known as the "Resistance Derby".

The 1942–43 Panhellenic Championship was an attempt to restart sporting activity, but it was not completed.

In June 1944 AEK player Spyros Kontoulis was killed by the Nazi forces during his attempt to escape while being transported to Kaisariani in order to be executed for his involvement in the resistance.

The Post-World War II years (1945–1952)

Honours won: Athens Championship: 3 (1945–46, 1946–47, 1949–50), Greek Cup: 2 (1948–49, 1949–50)

Runners-up: Panhellenic Championship: 1 (1945–46), Greek Cup: 1 (1947–48), Athens Championship: 2 (1950―51, 1951–52)

Under the English manager, Jack Beby, veteran players such as Maropoulos, Tzanetis, Delavinias and Magiras, along with a new generation of players such as Kostas Poulis, Goulios and Pavlos Emmanouilidis, AEK won the 1949 and 1950 Cups, beating Panathinaikos by 2–1 and Aris by 4–0.

In 1950 AEK won another Athens Championship, but the Panhellenic Championship was not played, due to the large number of players who were called up for a prolonged training camp with the national team.

A new generation of stars (1952–1959)

Honours won: Greek Cup: 1 (1955–56)

Runners-up: Panhellenic Championship: 2 (1957–58, 1958–59), Greek Cup: 1 (1952–53), Athens Championship: 2 (1953–54, 1957–58)

The early 1950s saw the emergence of a new generation of star footballers, including Giannis Kanakis, Andreas Stamatiadis and Stelios Serafidis, alongside Poulis and Emmanouilidis.

In 1955, AEK signed Kostas Nestoridis, who was regarded as the best player of his era. His former club Panionios did not consent to the transfer, so Nestoridis was banned for two seasons, due to the regulations that were applied at the time. When his ban ended, Nestoridis finished as the league's top scorer, demonstrating his quality. AEK won the Cup in 1956, this time beating Olympiacos by 2–1 in the final.

The early Alpha Ethniki years (1959–1974)

Honours won: Alpha Ethniki: 3 (1962–63, 1967–68, 1970–71), Greek Cup: 2 (1963–64, 1965–66)

Runners-up: Alpha Ethniki: 4 (1959–60, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1969–70), Balkans Cup: 1 (1966–67)

1959–60 season

In the first season of the newly formed Alpha Ethniki, AEK, under Lukas Aurednik, were strengthened with Giannis Marditsis and Alekos Sofianidis, while Kostas Poulis left after 11 years. In the first matchday on 25 October, Giannis Kanakis scored the first goal in the history of Alpha Ethniki in the 3rd minute against Ethnikos Piraeus. However, Kanakis retired in midseason after 12 years of service to the club. The end of the championship found AEK and Panathinaikos tied at the top and thus the champion was to be determined by a play-off match. In the match that took place on 31 July, despite taking the lead, AEK eventually lost, as the "greens" overturned the score and won by 2–1. Kostas Nestoridis won the top scorer award for the second consecutive time.

1960–61 season

AEK began the season under Tryfon Tzanetis, who was officially appointed in January. However, Aurednik remained in the club alongside the former player Christos Ribas. Spyros Pomonis was promoted from the academies. A series of incidents with referees, combined with a number of poor results, prevented AEK from challenging for the title and led to Aurednik stepping down as manager. Tzanetis' third spell in charge did not change the team's fortunes, as AEK finished fourth. The roster was strengthened with the arrival of Stelios Skevofilakas. Kostas Nestoridis successfully defended his title as the top scorer of the league, for a third consecutive season.

1961–62 season

AEK signed Panikos Krystallis, while Pavlos Emmanouilidis left. In January, Nikos Goumas completed construction on the Nea Filadelfeia Stadium, which was modernized with the reconstruction of its stands and with the installation of a grass pitch. Strong competition from other clubs, which proved more consistent, prevented AEK from finishing higher than the fourth place for a second consecutive season. Kostas Nestoridis once again finished as the league's top scorer for a fourth consecutive time.

1962–63 season

Nikos Goumas appointed the Hungarian-German manager, Jenő Csaknady who introduced a disciplined approach, innovative training methods and new tactical systems. Mimis Papaioannou and the Syrian Ibrahim Mughrabi, the first foreign player to ever play for a Greek club, were among the arrivals. AEK finished level with Panathinaikos at the top of the table, leading to a championship play-off. Panathinaikos initially took the lead, the yellow-blacks made it 3–1, but the greens responded making the final 3–3. Thus, under the regulations of the time AEK won the title due to a better goal ratio. With AEK winning their first post-war league title, Nestoridis finished as the league's top scorer for the fifth and final time in his career with 23 goals, setting a record for consecutive wins of the award.

1963–64 season

In 1963, the club dismissed Csaknády and Heinrich Müller was appointed. Ibrahim Mughrabi and Panikos Krystallis left the club and returned to their respective countries. Aleko Yordan and Kostas Papageorgiou were among the additions.

AEK made their debut in UEFA competitions, in the preliminary round of the European Cup, where they were eliminated by Monaco.