Anagennisi Karditsa F.C.

Anagennisi Karditsa Football Club (Α.Σ. Αναγέννηση Καρδίτσας) is a Greek professional football club based in Karditsa, Greece, which competes in the Gamma Ethniki, the third tier of the Greek football league system.

History
One of the oldest clubs in Greek football, Anagennisi was formed on October 16, 1904 in the southwestern Thessalian city of Karditsa as the football team of the multisport club ASA (Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Αναγέννησης - Athlitikos Syllogos Anagennisis), the Athletic Association Anagennisi. The name of the club comes from the Greek word for "renaissance". The statute of the club was signed personally by Crown Prince Constantine I.

The first Olympic Games in Greece, in '1896, make the conditions for the creation of an athletic club in the city of Karditsa. The "Laikos Athlitikos Syllogos i Athina" (Greek: Λαϊκός Αθλητικός Σύλλογος η Αθηνά) (=popular sports association "Αthena") ripe the conditions for the creation of an athletic football club in Karditsa.

From its inception in 1904, the football team of Anagennisi (Athlitikos Syllogos Anagennisis=>ASA=>Sport Assosiation Anagenisi) was not officially recognized as a distinct entity within the organization. As more of the club's athletes began to show interest in the sport, the football team began to train, and play locally organized games, in the area of central Karditsa at her stadium (which later became the Pavsilipo Park). With the sport's expanding popularity in Greece in the following decades, in 1924 the football team was finally given its department within ASA. Playing in the independent, regional Thessalian League from 1929 to 1962, it joined the newly established Greek second division in time for Season 1962–63. When the Greek football league became professional in 1979, the football department of ASA was reformed as a Football Public Limited Company, or PAE (Greek: ΠΑΕ - Ποδοσφαιρική Ανώνυμη Εταιρία / Podosferiki Anonymi Eteria) and continued to compete as PAE Anagennisi Karditsas (FC Anagennisi Karditsa).

One of the highlights in Anagennisi Karditsa's history is the victory over Olympiacos for the Greek Cup in 1993–94 as well as the win against Paniliakos for the Greek semi-professional Cup final in 1981. In 2008 Anagennisi Karditsa reach the Gamma Ethniki play-off and beat Ilioupoli 2–0 in Athens to win promotion to Beta Ethniki.

Anagennisi Karditsa is a well-supported club by regional football standards, and their passion is very well known. They hold the record for the most fans to ever attend an away game for Gamma Ethniki in 2008, with 2.000 supporters in the play-off match against Ilioupoli. In 2008–09 season Anagennisi Karditsa had the fourth best average in attendance despite having only avoided relegation in the last fixture against Veria.

Name
The team took the name "Anagenisi" (renaissance) because Karditsa city was freed at 1881 from the Ottoman Empire. So 24 years after was created the team.

Seasons in the 21st century
Key: 1R = First Round, 2R = Second Round, 3R = Third Round, 4R = Fourth Round, 5R = Fifth Round, GS = Group Stage, R16 = Round of 16, QF = Quarter-finals, SF = Semi-finals. .

Supporters and rivalries
Anagennisi Karditsa's main rivals are Trikala, from the neighbouring city of Trikala, and Ionikos. For many years, Anagennisi also maintained a bitter local rivalry with AOK. The fans have friendly relations with fans of Doxa Drama, Panetolikos and Agroticos Asteras.

Stadium
Since 1949, Anagennisi Karditsa plays its home games at the Municipal Stadium of Karditsa "Antigoni Ntrismpioti",   located in the eastern part of Karditsa. In January 2010 the stadium capacity was extended to 9,500 seats. Club training facilities, and football academy, are located in the nearby southern borough of Stavros. The training center has taken the name 'Georgios Mpazis'.

Special moments

 * Anagennisi became, unofficially, winter champion of the year 1993-94 because she won Olympiacos Piraeus, in the Greek Cup. But, lost the promotion.
 * In December 2021, was promoted – for the 1st time of her history – in the "8" of Greek Cup (pro-semi final) (Cup quarterfinals).
 * Anagennisi Karditsas – both with other team of Karditsa (AOK) – where very powerful teams. A reason that she was not promoted to the 1st tier of Leagues (Super League 1) is that she did not follow the merging- that made the most teams.
 * The summer of 2020 conquered (invincible) the 3rd tier -as so in promotion matches. It was the only team in Greece that remain invincible of the season 2019–20, also as season 2021-22 (final position 5th).

Leagues

 * Third Division
 * Winners (2): 1992–93, 1996–97
 * Runners-up (3): 1980–81, 2007–08, 2012–13
 * Fourth Division
 * Winners (3): 1991–92, 2011–12, 2020–21
 * Runners-up (2): 2002–03, 2003–04
 * Greek Football Amateur Cup
 * Winner (1): 1980–81
 * Thessaly FCA Championship
 * Winners (2): 1961–62, 1962–63

Cups

 * Karditsa FCA Cup
 * Winners (4): 1980–81, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2011–12
 * Karditsa FCA Super Cup
 * Winners (1): 2011–12

Notable players

 * 🇬🇷 Pavlos Dermitzakis
 * 🇬🇷 Vaios Karagiannis
 * 🇬🇷 Sakis Tsiolis
 * 🇬🇷 Georgios Vakouftsis
 * 🇬🇷 Sokratis Boudouris
 * Julio Mozzo (2010)
 * Dos Santos Goncalves Wellington Daniel (2010)

Notable coaches

 * 🇬🇷 Andreas Stamatiadis (1973–74)
 * 🇬🇷 Georgios Paraschos (1994–95)
 * 🇬🇷 Vaios Karagiannis (2006–08, 2010–11, 2013)
 * 🇬🇷 Giannis Mangos (2016–17)
 * 🇬🇷 Periklis Amanatidis (2009–10)