Super League Greece

Super League Greece is the top professional football division in Greece. It was founded in 1959 as the Alpha Ethniki and rebranded as the Super League in 2006. It is one of the oldest continuously running leagues in Europe.

History and facts

Before the establishment of a unified league, clubs competed in regional competitions such as the Athens, Piraeus, and Thessaloniki championships. In 1959, the nationwide Alpha Ethniki was created, marking the beginning of professional Greek league football.

The league was renamed to Super League Greece in 2006 to modernize its image and league structure. The competition currently features 14 teams, with a regular season followed by playoffs and playouts.

The league has historically been dominated by Olympiacos, followed by Panathinaikos, AEK Athens, and PAOK. Olympiacos is the most successful club in Greek football history.

League system

Super League Greece is the top tier of the Greek football pyramid. Below it sits Super League 2, followed by the semi-professional Gamma Ethniki (third tier), and then regional amateur leagues.

Table 1. Greek football tiers

League	Tier
Super League Greece	1
Super League 2	2
Gamma Ethniki	3
Regional Amateur Leagues	4

Below the regional level, football is organized by local EPS associations.

Stats

Teams with most titles

This table lists all Greek clubs with multiple national championships since 1927.

Table 2. Greek champions (multiple titles)

Club	Titles
Olympiacos	47
Panathinaikos	20
AEK Athens	13
PAOK	3
Aris	3

Additional single-title winners include Larissa and a few early-era regional champions.

Teams with most league participation

The following clubs have played the most seasons in the Greek top division.

Table 3. Clubs and league participation

Club	Seasons
Olympiacos	85+
Panathinaikos	85+
AEK Athens	80+
PAOK	80+
Aris	70+
OFI Crete	60+

Over 60 different teams have appeared in Greece’s top division.

Audience

Stadium capacities

Table 4 shows stadium capacities for some of the biggest Greek clubs.

Table 4. Major stadium capacities (Greece)

Team	Stadium	Capacity
Olympiacos	Karaiskakis Stadium	32,115
Panathinaikos	Leoforos Alexandras Stadium	16,003
AEK Athens	Agia Sophia Stadium	32,500
PAOK	Toumba Stadium	28,703
Aris	Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium	22,800

Players

Top goalscorers & appearances

The all-time leading scorer in Greek First Division history is Thomas Mavros, with 260+ goals. The player with the most appearances is Nikos Anastopoulos, one of the most iconic Greek forwards.

Greek football has produced world-class talents who shined domestically before moving to Europe's major leagues.

Famous players

Giorgos Karagounis
Theodoros Zagorakis
Nikos Anastopoulos
Angelos Charisteas
Kostas Mitroglou
Rivaldo
Ronaldinho (briefly linked)
Clarence Seedorf
Djibril Cissé
Predrag Đorđević
Luis García