Kalamata F.C.

Creation and early years

Kalamata FC was formed in 1967 when local teams Apollon Kalamata FC and Kalamata Sports Club were forced to merge by the Greek Junta. The Phoenix, which was the emblem of the dictatorship, was chosen as the team's crest and was removed after the Greek restoration of democracy in 1974.

History

The team has competed in the Greek first division seven times, in 1972–73, 1974–75, from 1995–96 to 1997–98, and from 1999–2000 to 2000–01.

Kalamata F.C. achieved its first two promotions to the first division, in 1972 and 1974, under President Lykourgos Gaitanaros. Its first two promotions in the early 1970s are considered the team's first golden era. The team could not stick in the top flight though, and would not have a resurgence until the 1990s.

Businessman Stavros Papadopoulos bought the team in 1992, while the club was stuck in Gamma Ethniki, the third division. Upon his arrival, Papadopoulos began pouring a substantial amount of money into the club, and by 1995 the team had achieved promotion to the first division. The team dropped back to the second division for one season in 1998, but again achieved promotion to the first division the very next year, and remained in the top flight until Papadopoulos sold the team in 2000. After Papadopoulos' departure Kalamata fell to the second division and has since stayed in the lower divisions.

The Papadopoulos era of Kalamata F.C. saw the signing of many international players from Ghana, such as Samuel Johnson, Afo Dodoo, Ebenezer Hagan, Peter Ofori-Quaye and Derek Boateng. Johnson later transferred from Kalamata to Anderlecht and later played for Fenerbahçe, Hagan transferred to Iraklis and then to PAOK, Ofori-Quaye was sold for a club record US$3.5 million to Olympiacos, and Derek Boateng left for Panathinaikos. Kalamata FC is credited with starting the trend among Greek clubs of signing African talent since the late 1990s. The Papadopoulos era also saw the uncovering of a wealth of young Greek talent, including Greek international player Nikos Liberopoulos, who made his name at Kalamata before moving to Panathinaikos, and from there to AEK and Eintracht Frankfurt.

After being demoted to the second division in 1997, they eventually started to bring in young Brazilian talent, as well as some veterans of the biggest teams in Brazil. The Brazilians helped the team gain promotion to the first division right away in 1998. According to Brazilian media and insiders, Papadopoulos' son Daniil, a former high level amateur athlete in America, was supposedly instrumental in spotting some of the Brazilian talent and sending them to Kalamata FC. One of them, Hilton Assis (1999-2000), turned out to be the first cousin of Brazil and Barcelona FC super star Ronaldinho. Hilton was once a promising player in Brazil who starred for Internacional of Porto Alegre, but serious knee operations curtailed his career. When he was healthy he was Kalamata's top goal scorer, but he returned to the Brazilian first division after Papadopoulos sold the team.

Kalamata's long-standing rivals are Paniliakos and Egaleo.

Crest and colours

Kalamata F.C.'s official colours are black and white, and the team is known in Greece as the "Black Storm" (Μαύρη Θύελλα).

Stadium

Kalamata plays its home matches at Kalamata Metropolitan Stadium in Kalamata. The stadium was completed in 1976, and currently has a seating capacity of 4.496.

Supporters

Kalamata F.C.'s most famous supporters' club is the "Bulldogs Fan Club".

Rivals

Kalamata's long-standing rivals are Paniliakos, located in Pyrgos in the western Peloponnese, and Egaleo, in Athens suburb of Egaleo. Messiniakos is Kalamata's cross-town rival, but Messiniakos generally competed in lower leagues.

Sponsors

As for the 2025–26 the main sponsor of the team is the online gambling website Novibet.gr and the kit provider is Macron.

Players

Current squad

Honours

Domestic

League titles

• Second Division
  • Winners (2): 1971–72 (Group 1), 1973–74 (Group 2)
• Third Division
  • Winners (1): 2020–21 (South Group)
• Fourth Division
  • Winners (2): 1984–85, 2010–11

Regional

League titles

• Messinia FCA Championship
  • Winners (2): 1980−81, 2016−17

Cups

• Messinia FCA Cup
  • Winners (4): 1953−54, 1982−83, 2016−17, 2017−18

League Participation

• First Division (7): 1972–1973, 1974–1975, 1995–1998, 1999–2001
• Second Division (20): 1967–1972, 1973–1974, 1975–1977, 1993–1995, 1998–1999, 2001–2010, 2021–present
• Third Division (21): 1977–1980, 1981–1982, 1985–1993, 2011–2016, 2017–2021
• Fourth Division (4): 1982–1985, 2010–2011
• Messinia FCA Championship (2): 1980–1981, 2016–2017

European matches

Notable Former Managers

• SWE Bo Petersson (1995–97)
• BRA Eduardo Amorim (1997–98)
• GRE Andreas Michalopoulos (2003–04)

Notable former players

;Greece

• GRE Panagiotis Drougas
• GRE Nikos Georgeas
• GRE Nikos Liberopoulos
• GRE Sotiris Liberopoulos
• GRE Thomas Troupkos
• GRE Kostas Frantzeskos
• GRE Fanouris Goundoulakis
• GRE Aristeidis Galanopoulos
• GRE Christos Kalantzis
• GRE Thanasis Kostoulas
• GRE Sokratis Kopsachilis
• GRE Ilias Anastasakos
• GRE Vangelis Kaounos
• GRE Alekos Dedes
• GRE Thanasis Sentementes
• GRE Panagiotis Bachramis
• GRE Giorgos Bistikeas
• GRE Vaggelis Koutsoures
• GRE Christos Kelpekis
• GRE Kyriakos Stamatopoulos
• GRE Dimitrios Konstantopoulos
• GRE Nikos Zapropoulos
• GRE Christos Mikes
• GRE Vasilios Georgopoulos
• GRE Makis Belevonis
• GRE Dimitris Markos
• GRE Lysandros Georgamlis
• GRE Antonis Mavreas
• GRE Dimitris Spetzopoulos

;Ghana

• GHA Samuel Johnson
• GHA Peter Ofori-Quaye
• GHA Ebenezer Hagan
• GHA Derek Boateng
• GHA Afo Dodoo

;Argentina

• ARG Elvio Mana
• ARG Sergio Espinoza
• ARG Raul Valian
• ARG Luis Kadijevic
• ARG Armando Gigliotti

;Brazil

• BRA Alessandro Soares
• BRA Jeronimo Hilton
• BRA Sandro Luiz Scapin

;Albania

• ALB Arjan Xhumba
• ALB Arjan Bellaj

;Uruguay

• URU Carlos Marcora

;Serbia

• SER Ivan Tasic

;Sweden

• SWE Peter Larsson

References

References

1. (2004-08-18). "History of Kalamata FC". fckalamata.gr.
2. (2003-08-03). "Greece - Final Tables 1959-1999".
3. "Kalamata Stadium". Stadia.gr.
4. "Bulldogs Fan Club". Bulldogs Fan Club.
5. (2004-06-03). "Greece - List of Second Division Champions".