Football League Greece

The Football League Greece (Greek: Ελληνική Φούτμπολ Λιγκ) is the third highest professional football league in Greece, being a feeder-league to the second tier Super League 2.

Football League Greece
Founded2010–present
1962–2010 (as Beta Ethniki)
CountryGreece
Number of teams20
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toSuper League 2
Relegation toGamma Ethniki
Domestic cup(s)Greek Cup
Current championsTrikala (5th title)
(2019–20)
Most championshipsPanachaiki (6 titles)
Top goalscorerIlias Chatzieleftheriou (152 goals)
TV partnersERT3
Websitesl2fl.gr
Current: 2020–21 Football League

History

As the Second National Division (1962–2019)

As the second tier of the Greek football league system, the Beta Ethniki was formally established in the fall of 1962, replacing the informal Greek FCA Winners' Championship, which at the time had tried various experimental formats towards establishing a second national football Division. All participating clubs had to disengage from their local football clubs associations' championships as a prerequisite for eligibility.

In its early years, the competition format was frequently altered each season. The competition was originally held in four groups of 14 clubs each until 1968–69, when the competition was reformatted to contain two groups. The following six years (1969–70 up to 1974–75), the competition was held with three Groups, whereas from 1975 to 1976 up to 1982–83 the league was again contested in two Groups, North and South. In the autumn of 1983, a single, pan-Hellenic League Table was established, a format that has been applied continuously until the 2012–13 season. When football in Greece became professional, the Hellenic Football Federation handed over the responsibility for the competition's organization to the Greek Professional Football Clubs Association (Greek: ΕΠΑΕ). In 2006, the Professional Football Association of the Second and Third National Divisions (Greek: ΕΕΠ Β΄ & Γ΄ Εθνικής) was set up, which replaced the Greek Professional Football Clubs Association as the governing authority of the Second and Third National Divisions.

In August 2010, the division's governing body decided to change its own, as well as the competition's distinctive title to Football League.[1] The competition was contested as the Second National Division until 2019, when the Greek football league system was restructured and the Super League 2 was established as the new feeder league to the Super League.

As the Third National Division (2019–)

As of 2019, the Football League Greece replaced the Gamma Ethniki as the third tier of the Greek football league system.

Structure of the league

At present, there are 19 clubs that compete in the Football League, playing each other in a home and away series. At the end of the season, the bottom four teams are relegated to the Gamma Ethniki. The top two teams gain automatic promotion. Unlike the Super League, clubs in the Football League do not get relegated if the club fails to obtain a license. All teams in the Football League take part in the Greek Cup.

Current clubs

The following 20 clubs are competing in the Football League during the 2020–21 season.

Club Finishing position last season Location Stadium Capacity
AEP Kozani1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 4)KozaniKozani Municipal Stadium4,000
Almopos Aridea1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 2)AridaeaAridea Municipal Stadium
Apollon Pontus12th in the Super League 2ThessalonikiKalamaria Stadium6,500
Aspropyrgos12thAspropyrgosAspropyrgos Municipal Stadium2,000
Asteras Vlachioti1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 7)VlachiotiVlachioti Municipal Stadium600
Egaleo9thEgaleoStavros Mavrothalassitis Stadium8,217
Episkopi1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 8)EpiskopiGallos Stadium1,500
Ialysos11thIalysosEconomideio Municipal Stadium2,000
Kalamata13thKalamataKalamata Municipal Stadium5,613
Kallithea1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 5)KallitheaGrigoris Lambrakis Stadium4,200
Kavala6thKavalaAnthi Karagianni Stadium10,550
Niki Volos5thVolosPanthessaliko Stadium22,700
Olympiacos Volos8thVolosNeapoli Volos Municipal Stadium2,500
Panserraikos1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 1)SerresSerres Municipal Stadium9,500
Pierikos1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 3)KateriniKaterini Municipal Stadium4,995
Rodos1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 6)RhodesDiagoras Stadium3,693
Santorini 20202nd in Gamma Ethniki (Group 5)SantoriniKamari Stadium1,500
Thesprotos10thIgoumenitsaIgoumenitsa Municipal Stadium3,500
Triglia14thTrigliaTriglia Municipal Stadium5,000
Veria7thVeriaVeria Stadium7,000

Results

From 1962 to 1983

Season Winner
1962–63Edessaikos (1), Doxa Drama (1),
Olympiacos Chalkida (1), Pagkorinthiakos (1)
1963–64Panachaiki (1), Proodeftiki (1), Philippi Kavala (1)
1964–65Panserraikos (1), Edessaikos (2), Egaleo (1), Vyzas Megara (1)
1965–66Veria (1), OFI (1), Vyzas Megara (2)
1966–67Panelefsiniakos (1), Kavala (1), Olympiacos Volos (1)
1967–68Chalkida (1), Trikala (1)
1968–69Panachaiki (2), Kavala (2)
1969–70Apollon Smyrnis (1), Veria (2), Fostiras (1)
1970–71Panachaiki (3), Trikala (2), Olympiacos Volos (2)
1971–72Panserraikos (2), Kalamata (1), Atromitos (1)
1972–73Apollon Smyrnis (2), Apollon Kalamaria (1), AEL (1)
1973–74PAS Giannina (1), Kastoria (1), Kalamata (2)
1974–75Apollon Smyrnis (3), Panetolikos (1), Pierikos (1)
1975–76Kavala (3), OFI (2)
1976–77Egaleo (2), Veria (3)
1977–78Rodos (1), AEL (2)
1978–79Doxa Drama (2), Korinthos (1)
1979–80Panserraikos (3), Atromitos (2)
1980–81Rodos (2), Iraklis (1)
1981–82Panachaiki (4), Makedonikos (1)
1982–83Egaleo (3), Apollon Kalamaria (2)

From 1983 to 2019

Season Winner
1983–84Panachaiki (5)
1984–85PAS Giannina (2)
1985–86Diagoras (1)
1986–87Panachaiki (6)
1987–88Doxa Drama (3)
1988–89Xanthi (1)
1989–90Athinaikos (1)
1990–91Ethnikos Piraeus (1)
1991–92Apollon Kalamaria (3)
1992–93Naoussa (1)
1993–94Ionikos (1)
1994–95Paniliakos (1)
Season Winner
1995–96Kavala (4)
1996–97Panionios (1)
1997–98Aris (1)
1998–99Trikala (4)
1999–00Athinaikos (2)
2000–01Egaleo (4)
2001–02PAS Giannina (3)
2002–03Chalkidona (1)
2003–04Kerkyra (1)
2004–05AEL (3)
2005–06Ergotelis (1)
2006–07Asteras Tripolis (1)
Season Winner
2007–08Panserraikos (4)
2008–09Atromitos (3)
2009–10Olympiacos Volos (3)
2010–11Panetolikos (2)
2011–12Panthrakikos (1)
2012–13Apollon Smyrnis (4)
2013–14Niki Volos (1)
2014–15AEK Athens (1)
2015–16AEL (4)
2016–17Apollon Smyrnis (5)
2017–18OFI (3)
2018–19Volos (1)

From 2019 to Present

Season Winner
2019–20Trikala (5)[2]

See also

References

  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Πρωταθλητής ο ΑΟ Τρίκαλα – Οριστικό τέλος στο πρωτάθλημα της Football League". www.trikalanews.gr (in Greek). 2 June 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
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