# Chania FC

Chania Football Club (Greek: Π.Α.Ε. Χανιά) is a Greek professional football club based in Chania, Crete. They were established in 2017, as a result of a merger between the two regional clubs representing the Chania district in the Greek Second Division, PGS Kissamikos and AO Chania. The club currently plays in the Super League 2, the second tier of the Greek football league system.

## History
### AO Chania – Kissamikos

During the 2016–17 Greek Second Division season, Chania were represented in the Greek Second Division by two clubs, namely AO Chania of the city of Chania, and Kissamikos, based in the neighboring town of Kissamos. Kissamikos had quickly established itself in the Football League, managing to outgrow, and eventually outperform its more prestigious local competitor AO Chania. Facing insurmountable financial issues, AO Chania were forcibly relegated to the Gamma Ethniki at the end of the season after being deducted 33 points, while simultaneously having its licence revoked. In the summer of 2017, Kissamikos owner at the time Antonis Rokakis proposed a merger of the two clubs in an attempt to form a new, strong outfit to represent the region, and more specifically the city of Chania (as the region's competitor in the Greek Super League, Platanias is based in the neighboring town and municipality of Platanias). The initiative was eventually approved on 19 August 2017, however, any club that would result from a potential merger would inherit the financial obligations of AO Chania. As such, Kissamikos changed its name to AO Chania − Kissamikos, retaining its original crest and colors, while the club's home ground was relocated to Perivolia Municipal Stadium in Mournies, Chania. The entire merger was met with fierce opposition by the supporters of Kissamikos. On the other hand, supporters of AO Chania demanded Kissamikos' name and crest be completely erased, basically turning the club into a modern continuation of AO Chania.
The new club became serious competitors in the two years following the merger, finishing 4th during the 2017–18 season, and 6th in 2018–19, thus becoming eligible to play in the 2019-formed Super League 2.

### PAE Chania

In the summer of 2019, the club's board of directors changed the club's name to PAE Chania (Greek: ΠΑΕ Χανιά), indicating their intent to represent the entire Chania regional unit. The 2019–20 season saw Chania FC achieve its best result to date, finishing third in the Super League 2.

## Stadium

After the merger, the club moved to AO Chania's Perivolia Municipal Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium in Mournies, Chania.

## Players
### Current squad

    As of 19 January 2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 2 | DF | GRE | Konstantinos Provydakis |
| 3 | DF | ARG | Nicolás Marotta |
| 4 | DF | BUL | Ivan Goranov |
| 5 | MF | ARG | Juan Munafo |
| 6 | DF | TOG | Simon Gbegnon |
| 7 | FW | GRE | Georgios Manousakis |
| 8 | MF | GRE | Kaloudis Lemonis |
| 11 | FW | GRE | Michalis Pachis |
| 15 | DF | GRE | Christos Batzios |
| 16 | DF | GRE | Georgios Papadopoulos |
| 17 | FW | GRE | Dimitrios Pinakas |
| 18 | FW | GRE | Angelos Kola |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 19 | DF | GRE | Pavlos Kyriakidis |
| 21 | DF | GRE | Arensi Rota |
| 22 | GK | GRE | Venizelos Pentarakis |
| 24 | FW | GRE | Giannis Daskalopoulos |
| 25 | DF | GRE | Manolis Planakis |
| 27 | MF | GRE | Christos Liatsos |
| 29 | FW | GRE | Giannis Bastianos |
| 30 | MF | GRE | Christos Prevezianos |
| 31 | GK | GRE | Manolis Kalogerakis |
| 33 | FW | GRE | Nikolaos Ioannidis |
| 38 | MF | GRE | Ilias Tselios |
| 61 | GK | GRE | Vasilios Chatziemmanouil |
| 77 | FW | GRE | Athanasios Kostanasios |

## Personnel
### Ownership and current board

| Position | Staff |
| Owner | Antonis Rokakis |
| President | Antonis Rokakis |
| 1st Vice-President | Giorgos Xirouchakis |
| 2nd Vice-President | Stathis Ponirakos |
| 3rd Vice-President | Aris Lychnaras |
| CEO | Periklis Touloupakis |
| Communications Director | Lefteris Antonakakis |
| Head Secretary | Argyro Stefanaki |
| Public relations | Lefteris Bouzakis |
| Technical Director | Giorgos Touloupakis |
| Board member | Giannis Kakaounakis |
| Board member | Giorgos Karbadakis |
| Board member | Giorgos Marakakis |
| Board member | Tasos Moisiadis |
| Board member | Antonis Stathopoulos |
| Board member | Ioannis Chaniotakis |

### Coaching staff

| Position | Staff |
| Manager | Sokratis Ofrydopoulos |
| Assistant Manager | Nikos Sourgias |
| Fitness Coach | Panagiotis Topalidis |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Vasilis Laskaris |
| Analyst | Francesco Polverino |

### Medical and other staff

| Position | Staff |
| Physiotherapist | Adam Boutzoukas |
| Caregiver | Apostolis Koundourakis |
| Caregiver | Giorgos Apostolakis |