# Olympiacos SFP (men's volleyball)

Active departments of Olympiacos :
| Football | Basketball (Men's) | Basketball (Women's) |
| Volleyball (Men's) | Volleyball (Women's) | Water Polo (Men's) |
| Water Polo (Women's) | Handball (Men's) | Table tennis |
| Athletics | Swimming | Boxing |
| Sailing | Canoeing | Rowing |
| Fencing | Kickboxing | Taekwondo |
| Wrestling | Basketball B | |
Olympiacos Men's Volleyball (Greek: Ολυμπιακός,), commonly referred to as Olympiacos, Olympiacos Piraeus or with its full name as Olympiacos SFP, is the men's professional volleyball department of the major Greek multi-sport club, Olympiacos SFP, based in Piraeus, Attica. The department was founded in 1926 and their home ground is the Melina Merkouri Indoor Hall in Agios Ioannis Rentis, Piraeus.
Olympiacos is the most successful club in Greek volleyball history, having won 32 Greek Volley League titles, 18 Cups, 7 League Cups, all national records, and 3 Super Cups. They are the only volleyball club in Greece to have won a European title, having actually won 3 European titles, 2 CEV Cups in 1996 and 2005 and 1 CEV Challenge Cup in 2023. Olympiacos is a traditional powerhouse in European volleyball, having played in 8 European finals in all three main CEV competitions: 2 times runners-up in the CEV Champions League in 1992 and 2002 (with 7 CEV Champions League final four participations), 2 times winners (1996, 2005) and 2 times runners-up (1997, 1998) in the CEV Cup, one time winners (2023) and one time runners-up (2018) in the CEV Challenge Cup.
Domestically, Olympiacos holds the record for the most consecutive championships won, with eight in a row (1987–1994), and for winning seven championships undefeated (1968, 1974, 1979, 1981, 1988, 1991, 2018). Internationally, their most successful period was between 1992 and 2005, when they came to be included amongst the top volleyball powers in Europe. During this period, apart from their two European trophies, they progressed to eleven final fours in total, seven of them consecutive between 1992 and 1998 (the first four in the CEV Champions League and the next three in the CEV Cup Winners' Cup); they also won a fourth place in the CEV Super Cup and a third in the FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship. Olympiacos came to European prominence again by playing in the 2017–18 CEV Challenge Cup final; at the same time, the women's department won their respective 2017–18 CEV Women's Challenge Cup. In this way, Olympiacos became the first volleyball club that had men and women playing simultaneously in European finals, and one of the very few to have won European trophies in both departments. In 2023, they won the CEV Challenge Cup, beating rivals Panathinaikos in the semi-finals and Maccabi Tel Aviv in the final.
Given the fact that Olympiacos is the most popular sports club in Greece, the men's volleyball department also receives great home support. Apart from some top Greek players such as Marios Giourdas, Giorgos Ntrakovits, Sakis Moustakidis, Vasilis Kournetas, Antonis Tsakiropoulos, Kostas Christofidelis, Mitar Tzourits, Olympiacos has also attracted over the years some foreign world-class players including Ivan Miljković, Lorenzo Bernardi, Jeff Stork, Marcos Milinkovic, Bengt Gustafsson, Raimonds Vilde, Vasa Mijić, Tom Hoff, Goran Vujević, Henk-Jan Held, Osvaldo Hernández, Fabian Drzyzga and Dragan Travica.

## Honours
### Continental competitions

* CEV Champions League
** Runners-up (2): 1991−92, 2001−02
** 3th place (2): 1992–93, 1994–95
** 4th place (3): 1981–82, 1993–94, 2000–01
* CEV Cup
** Winners (2): 1995−96, 2004−05
** Runners-up (2): 1996−97, 1997−98
** Semifinals (1): 2018–19
* CEV Challenge Cup
** Winners (1): 2022–23
** Runners-up (1): 2017–18
* CEV Super Cup
** 4th place (1): 1996

### Worldwide competitions

* FIVB Club World Championship
** 3th place (1): 1992

### Domestic competitions

* Greek League
    Winners (32) (record): 1967−68, 1968−69, 1973−74, 1975−76, 1977−78, 1978−79, 1979−80, 1980−81, 1982−83, 1986−87, 1987−88, 1988−89, 1989−90, 1990−91, 1991−92, 1992−93, 1993−94, 1997−98, 1998−99, 1999−00, 2000−01, 2002−03, 2008−09, 2009−10, 2010−11, 2012−13, 2013−14, 2017−18, 2018−19, 2020−21 , 2022−23, 2023−24
* Greek Cup
Winners (17) (record): 1980−81, 1982−83, 1988−89, 1989−90, 1991−92, 1992−93, 1994-94, 1996−97, 1997−98, 1998−99, 2000−01, 2008−09, 2010−11, 2012−13, 2013−14, 2015−16, 2016−17, 2023−24
* Greek League Cup
Winners (7) (record): 2012−13, 2014−15, 2015−16, 2016−17, 2017−18, 2018−19, 2024–25
* Greek Super Cup
Winners (3): 2000, 2010, 2024

### Individual club awards

* Double
** Winners (15) (record): 1980−81, 1982−83, 1988−89, 1989−90, 1991−92, 1992−93, 1993−94, 1997−98, 1998−99, 2000−01, 2008−09, 2010−11, 2012−13, 2013−14, 2023−24

## The road to 3 CEV European titles
### The road to 2 CEV Cups victories
#### 1996 CEV Cup Winners' Cup victory

| Round | Team | Home | Away |
| Group Stage (Group B) | VK Dukla Liberec | | 1–3 |
| Group Stage (Group B) | Desimpel Torhout | 3–0 | |
| Group Stage (Group B) | Lokomotyv Kharkiv | | 0–3 |
| Group Stage (Group B) | Legia Warsaw | 3–0 | |
| Group Stage (Group B) | Belogorie Belgorod | | 3–0 |
| Group Stage (Group B) | Bayer Wuppertal | 3–0 | |
| Group Stage (Group B) | Eczacıbaşı Istanbul | | 0–3 |
| Semifinal | Alcom Capelle | 3–1 | 3–1 |
| Final | Bayer Wuppertal | 3–2 | 3–2 |

#### 2005 CEV Top Teams Cup victory

| Round | Team | Home | Away |
| Qualification Round (Group 7) | Rabotnicki Skopje | 3–0 | 3–0 |
| Qualification Round (Group 7) | Pafiakos Pafos | 3–0 | 3–0 |
| Qualification Round (Group 7) | Brčko Brčko | 3–0 | 3–0 |
| Group Stage (Group A) | Šoštanj Topolšica | 3–0 | 0–3 |
| Group Stage (Group A) | Concordia Näfels | 3–0 | 0–3 |
| Group Stage (Group A) | Fenerbahçe Istanbul | 3–0 | 1–3 |
| Quarterfinal | Ziraat Bankası Ankara | 3–0 | 0–3 |
| Semifinal | VK Dukla Liberec | 3–0 | 3–0 |
| Final | Ortec Nesselande Rotterdam | 3–0 | 3–0 |

### The road to the CEV Challenge Cup victory
#### 2023 CEV Challenge Cup victory

| Round | Team | Home | Away |
| Round of 32 | Spartak Komárno | 3–0 | 1–3 |
| Round of 16 | Burgas | 3–0 | 3–2 |
| Quarterfinals | Steaua Bucuresti | 3–1 | 2–3 |
| Semifinals | Panathinaikos Athens | 1–3 | 1–4 (Golden Set) |
| Finals | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 3–0 | 0–3 |

## Supporters

Olympiacos fans are renowned for their passionate and fervent support to the team, with the atmosphere at home matches regarded as extremely intense and intimidating to such an extent that is rarely seen in volleyball matches. In the decade of the 1900s and the early 2000s, Olympiacos was among the top powers in European volleyball (7 consecutive European Final Four participations, four in the CEV Champions League –1992, 1993, 1994, 1995– and three in the CEV Cup Winners' Cup –1996, 1997, 1998–, winners of the 1996 CEV Cup Winners' Cup, twice Runners-up of the CEV Champions League in 1992 and 2002, twice Runners-up of the CEV Cup Winners' Cup in 1997 and 1998, third place in the world in the FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship in 1992 and fourth place in the 1996 CEV European Super Cup) and one of the best supported volleyball teams in Europe.
In the 1992 CEV Champions League Final Four in Piraeus, an estimated 20,000 Olympiacos fans crowded the Peace and Friendship Stadium for the semi-final against CSKA Moscow and 20,000 more for the final against il Messaggero Ravenna. Volleyball legend Karch Kiraly, Hall of Famer and three times Olympic gold medalist, a key member of il Messaggero Ravenna at the time, talked about the 1992 CEV Champions League Final in a 2018 interview: "That particular CEV Champions League Final Four in Piraeus was really a very special experience. Even now as we speak, the first thing that comes to my mind was the unbelievable atmposhere that we all lived in that volleyball game in Athens 26 years ago. In that day I cherished the Greek supporters and the passion of Olympiacos fans for volleyball. It was something unique."
In the 1996 CEV Cup Winners' Cup Final Four which was held again in Piraeus and the Peace and Friendship Stadium, an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 Olympiacos fans filed into SEF and created the most intense atmosphere, pushing the team to their first ever European title against the German side Bayer Wuppertal, after a hard-fought 3–2 win. After the victory, hundreds of ecstatic Olympiacos fans stormed the court and celebrated the title with the players.
Olympiacos hosted the Final Four of the CEV Top Teams Cup in 2005 and Olympiacos supporters relived some of the 1990s moments. 15,000 fans packed the Peace and Friendship Stadium and provided once again an electric atmosphere, helping Olympiacos to win their second European title, after a 3–0 win against the Dutch side Ortec Nesselande Rotterdam in the final.
In 2018 Peace and Friendship Stadium lived once again some of its timeless glory, as an estimated 12,000 Olympiacos fans created an extraordinary atmosphere in the final of the 2017–18 CEV Challenge Cup against Bunge Ravenna. Ravenna's Austrian star Paul Buchegger talked about the atmosphere in the post-game interview: "The atmosphere, the fans were really great. It was a "red hell", when I entered the court I had goose bumps. I have never played in front of such a big crowd."
On 15 March 2023, 13,000 Olympiacos fans created an amazing atmosphere in a fully packed Peace and Frienship Stadium, as they helped Olympiacos win the 2022–23 CEV Challenge Cup, their third European title, after beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 3–0 in the second leg of the finals.

## Notable players

* Ivan Miljković
* Aleksandar Atanasijević
* Lorenzo Bernardi
* Dragan Travica
* Salvador Hidalgo Oliva
* Tom Hoff
* Fabian Drzyzga
* Goran Vujević
* Criteria
* To appear in this section a player must have either:
* Played at least one season for the club.
* Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club.
* Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time.
* To perform very successfully during period in the club or at later/previous stages of his career.
* Michalis Alexandropoulos
* Kaloudis Alexoudis
* Sotiris Amarianakis
* Andreas Andreadis
* Christos Angelidis
* Apostolos Armenakis
* Theodoros Bozidis
* Akis Chatziantoniou
* Dimitris Chorianos
* Kostas Christofidelis
* Anestis Dalakouras
* Theologos Daridis
* Giorgos Dermatis
* Christos Dimitrakopoulos
* Iraklis Doriadis
* Giorgos Dragovits
* - Mitar Đurić
* Giannis Fakas
* - Dima Filippov
* Andreas Frangos
* Vasilis Galakos
* Marios Giourdas
* Dimitrios Gkaras
* Kostas Goudakos
* - Konrad Guzda
* Makis Kanellos
* Theoklitos Karipidis
* Dimitris Kazazis
* Menelaos Kokkinakis
* Tasos Koublis
* Rafail Koumentakis
* Kostas Kourbetis
* Vasilis Kournetas
* Pavlos Kouzounis
* Chrysanthos Kyriazis
* Giannis Laios
* Dimosthenis Linardos
* Andreas Lorandos
* Giorgos Lykoudis
* Thanos Maroulis
* Thanasis Michalopoulos
* Avgoustinos Michalos
* Dimitris Mitropoulos
* Sakis Moustakidis
* Kyriakos Pantelias
* Achilleas Papadimitriou
* Giorgos Papazoglou
* Panagiotis Pelekoudas
* Giorgos Petreas
* Stefanos Polyzos
* Stelios Prosalikas
* Kostas Prousalis
* Giannis Roumeliotakis
* Nikos Roumeliotis
* Nikos Smaragdis
* Dimitris Soultanopoulos
* Giorgos Stefanou
* Kostas Stivachtis
* Giannis Takouridis
* Kostas Tambouratzis
* Lefteris Terzakis
* Andreas Theodoridis
* Michalis Triantafyllidis
* Antonis Tsakiropoulos
* Paraskevas Tselios
* Sotiris Tsergas
* Dimitris Tziavras
* Manos Xenakis
* Vasilis Xerovasilas
* Nikos Zoupanis
* Jorge Elgueta
* Pablo Meana
* - Marcos Milinkovic
* Gustavo Bonatto
* Leonardo Caldeira
* Athos Ferreira Costa
* Paulino Dirceu
* Luiz Felipe Fonteles
* Todor Aleksiev
* Krasimir Gaydarski
* Ivaylo Gavrilov
* Nikolay Jeliazkov
* Plamen Konstantinov
* Lyudmil Naydenov
* Dimo Tonev
* Hristo Tsvetanov
* Boyan Yordanov
* Andrey Zhekov
* Justin Duff
* - Jason Haldane
* Gavin Schmitt
* Liberman Agámez
* Tomislav Čošković
* Rolando Despaigne
* Osvaldo Hernández
* Salvador Hidalgo Oliva
* Rodolfo Sánchez
* Janne Heikkinen
* Olli Kunnari
* Mikko Oivanen
* Eemi Tervaportti
* Renaud Herpe
* Marcus Böhme
* Christian Fromm
* Christian Pampel
* Simon Tischer
* Lorenzo Bernardi
* Paolo Merlo
* Dragan Travica
* Hermans Egleskalns
* Raimonds Vilde
* Božidar Ćuk
* Henk-Jan Held
* Wytze Kooistra
* Jeroen Rauwerdink
* Fabian Drzyzga
* Leszek Urbanowicz
* José Rivera
* Andrei Spînu
* - Igor Runov
* Dejan Bojović
* Slobodan Boškan
* Dejan Brđović
* Konstantin Čupković
* - Milan Jurišić
* - Milan Marković
* Vasa Mijić
* Ivan Miljković
* Aleksandar Okolic
* Veljko Petković
* - Goran Vujević
* František Ogurčák
* Alen Pajenk
* Tonček Štern
* Tine Urnaut
* Bengt Gustafson
* Andrii Diachkov
* Oleksiy Gatin
* Igor Popov
* Carson Clark
* Scott Fortune
* Tom Hoff
* Jayson Jablonsky
* Reid Priddy
* Riley Salmon
* Jeff Stork
* Donald Suxho
* Ernardo Gómez
* Iván Márquez
* Andy Rojas
* Janne Heikkinen
* Mitar Đurić
* Plamen Konstantinov
* Boyan Yordanov
* Osvaldo Hernández
* Alen Pajenk
* Todor Aleksiev
* Olli Kunnari

## Notable coaches

* Kostas Ampelas
* Kyriakos Pantelias
* Dimitar Zahariev
* Giannis Laios
* Vladimir Kondra
* Gian Paolo Montali
* Zoran Gajić
* Daniele Ricci
* Ljubomir Travica
* Claudio Cuello
* Anders Kristiansson
* Giannis Kalmazidis
* Dimitris Kazazis
* Roberto Piazza
* Slobodan Boškan
* Fernando Muñoz Benitez
* Alberto Giuliani
* Daniel Castellani
* Andrea Gardini

## Season 2024–2025 squad

| Shirt No | Nationality | Player | Birth Date | Height | Position |
| 2 | Slovenia | Alen Pajenk | (1986-04-23) April 23, 1986 (age 38) | 2.02 | Middle blocker |
| 3 | Greece | Dimitris Manikas | (2007-10-27) October 27, 2007 (age 17) | 1.99 | Middle blocker |
| 4 | Greece | Vassilis Costopoulos | (1995-02-16) February 16, 1995 (age 30) | 1.97 | Οutside Hitter |
| 6 | Greece | Mateo Hasbala | (2004-05-22) May 22, 2004 (age 20) | 1.92 | Setter |
| 8 | Canada | John Gordon Perrin | (1989-08-17) August 17, 1989 (age 35) | 2.01 | Οutside Hitter |
| 9 | Greece | Nikolas Papangelopoulos | (1988-11-17) November 17, 1988 (age 36) | 2.04 | Middle blocker |
| 10 | Greece | Rafail Koumentakis | (1993-05-05) May 5, 1993 (age 31) | 2.03 | Οutside Hitter |
| 12 | Greece | Nikos Zoupani | (1989-03-18) March 18, 1989 (age 36) | 2.02 | Opposite |
| 14 | Italy | Dragan Travica (c) | (1986-08-28) August 28, 1986 (age 38) | 2.00 | Setter |
| 15 | Greece | Dimitris Tziavras | (1999-02-16) February 16, 1999 (age 26) | 1.77 | Libero |
| 16 | Serbia | Aleksandar Atanasijević | (1991-09-04) September 4, 1991 (age 33) | 2.02 | Opposite |
| 17 | Greece | Anestis Dalakouras | (1993-06-18) June 18, 1993 (age 31) | 1.99 | Outside hitter |
| 18 | Greece | Dimitris Constantinidis | (1993-08-05) August 5, 1993 (age 31) | 1.88 | Libero |
| 19 | Greece | Apostolos Armenakis $^1$ | (1980-07-19) July 19, 1980 (age 44) | 2.05 | Middle blocker |
| 20 | Serbia | Nemanja Mašulović $^2$ | (1995-10-05) October 5, 1995 (age 29) | 2.05 | Middle blocker |
| 21 | Greece | Mitar Tzourits | (1989-04-25) April 25, 1989 (age 35) | 2.11 | Middle blocker |