Xanthi F.C.

The first experiences in the Alpha Ethniki were unique, difficult and unforgettable. With enthusiasm, passion and a "hot" atmosphere at the stadium, the basic goal of staying in the early years was achieved with a lot of stress. Mr Kokkala's administration first brought foreign footballers, with the Brazilians Marcelo Veridiano and Sandro making the start and following others. Especially Marcelo, he has a special place in the heart of the fans, as he still continues to be the top scorer of the club. Despite the anxiety and the end result justifying the efforts, Xanthi remained until October 1991 in the Alpha Ethniki and with the same profile.[3]

In the chairmanship of Theodoros Kokkalas, Xanthi had already managed to win two championships in the Gamma and Beta Ethniki, the rise and the renewal of the team stay for two consecutive season in the top division, the Alpha Ethniki. But the top achievement of then Xanthi's administration was to find the ideal choice for the next day of the team, the city and the wider area in the football world. Even randomly, as the original agreement was a sponsorship of Skoda vehicles company in Greece for which the responsible importer in Greece was the company Viamar S.A. by Christos Panopoulos. Everything was done very quickly, but not too quickly, and timing was such a legal one that allowed the clubs to have a "sign" sponsor in their original name. That's how Xanthi was renamed "Skoda Xanthi".[4] The signatures that fell on 10 October 1991 between Kokkalas and Panopoulos at Ledra Marriott hotel in Athens, really took off the shares of the club and kept alive, in time, the names of all those who had been abused for the club.[5]

Pelé officially inaugurated Xanthi's new stadium Xanthi FC Arena in 2005.

The modern history of Xanthi brings broadly the signature of the great shareholder of the club, Christos Panopoulos,[6] who is already the most long-lasting owner in Greek football, keeping the club to the same high standards that he has set since his first days at the leading peak of Xanthi, as he is called since 2016, when the cooperation with Skoda was ended and the club's name returned to its original.

Also, while several companies perceive marketing as a feature of impressions, Xanthi has been successful since Christos Panopoulos took over this business. In 1991, Xanthi giving its solutions in the economic field and at the same time becoming a rising-initially-and constant force afterwards. They were the first club that established for many years in the 1990s the award of its best Player of the Year, with a donation of a sponsor car. It was the first provincial club that in 1994 had organized an international tournament at the Xanthi Ground with the participation of Coventry City, Portsmouth and AEK Athens. That same year he had brought coach Howard Kendall,[7] who a few months earlier was a coach in Everton. In 2005, the world's top football player, Pelé, launched its sports center and its new stadium Xanthi FC Arena, giving the world glamor to the event.[8] In the same year, on 7 July, Xanthi announced one of the biggest transfers in its history, the Brazilian defensive midfielder Emerson.[9]

Bill Papas paid $15 million USD to buy the club. Since 2021 Xanthi has come in the media spotlight in Australia as Bill Papas who ran Forum Group is alleged to have defrauded 400 million Australian dollars.[10] On 7 June 2022, it was reported that Papas’ shares in the club were frozen by Greek authorities.[11] On the 19th September 2022, Xanthi F.C. announced that the club resigned from the Super League Greece 2 due to financial issues. Papas stated that he was unable to sell the club or find atlernate ways of funding the side for over 9 months.[12]

In the early years, the team's emblem consisted exclusively of Democritus. A new emblem with small changes was introduced in 1985. The emblem was retained in this form until 1991 when elements of VIAMAR SA, a new owner of the club, were added. In 1996, Skoda's brand was added. A further change in the emblem took place in 2001, with the addition of the soccer ball, while in 2007 a different version of the particular emblem was presented. In 2012 a new emblem was presented, in which the bust of Democritus was now in the middle.[13][14]

The year 2016 is a new reference point in the history of Xanthi.[15][16] Many and radical changes to issues that were not racing. At the end of the 2015–16 season, and more specifically from 1 June 2016, Skoda Xanthi SA returned to its roots and is now called AO Xanthi Football Club. The cooperation of the "mother" of the football club VIAMAR SA ended with the well-known automotive industry and therefore the association that has linked its name for 25 consecutive years with its sponsor, goes back with its own forces and of course, under the auspices of VIAMAR, the company of the major shareholder Mr. Christos Panopoulos. This has led to many changes. From the name and logo, to the field and the philosophy.[17][18]

The yellow and black kits of Orfeas[19] and the shades of Aspida,[20] have brought the red of AO Xanthi, which has joined and united the city for many years.

Right next to Xanthi FC Arena, there is the club's athletic center, which, in addition to the two courts, has all the necessary spaces for coaches, players and staff to work on their field.[28][29] In a huge area almost adjacent to the stadium, it is located in the sports center of Xanthi, with the "despotic" presence of the hotel Le Chalet.[30] A hotel that after its complete destruction on 7 March 2003 by fire,[31] was not the few who supported, that Christos Panopoulos would leave everything and would be away from the team and generally from football. This has not been done, and to this day, Le Chalet overlooking the 7 football fields, the pool, the pool bar, the basketball court, the tennis court and the changing rooms, has all the specifications for an excellent sporting preparation. For the team of Xanthi and all the departments of its Academy and many other clubs that have preferred the athletic center of Xanthi to preparation before the start of the season. In 2017, it was also characteristic that the coach of Greece, Michael Skibbe, in one of his first statements as a federal coach, referring to the sports center of Xanthi with the best words.

League

• Football League Greece
  • Winners: 1988–89
• Gamma Ethniki
  • Winners: 1985–86

Cups

• Greek Cup
  • Runners-up: 2014–15