Thesprotos Football Club (Greek: Α.Σ. Θεσπρωτός Ηγουμενίτσας) is a Greek professional football club based in Igoumenitsa, Thesprotia, Greece. The club was founded in 1948. They compete in Gamma Ethniki, the third tier of Greek football.

Thesprotos
Full nameAthlitikos Syllogos Thesprotos
Founded1948; 76 years ago (1948)
GroundMunicipal Stadium of Igoumenitsa
Capacity10.000
ChairmanDimitris Mpletsas
ManagerJuan Ramón Rocha
LeagueGamma Ethniki
2022–23Super League Greece 2, 14th (relegated)
WebsiteClub website

History edit

1979–1988 edit

Thesprotos participated in the Corfu FCA Championships. The team won twice, securing their rise to the national categories. They were immediately downgraded to local. With the creation of a new league, FCA Thesprotia, which Thesropotos joined in 1984, they began to pick up wins. The team won the 1984–1985 championship and was promoted to the Delta Ethniki. Once again they failed to remain in the category. In 1986–1987, they won the local championship again and competed in the 1987 amateur championship without winning promotion. In 1987–1988, Thesprotos again won the local championship and again competed in the Special Amateur Championship 1988. This time they won promotion to the Delta Ethniki.

1988–2003 edit

From 1988–1989 until 1994–1995, Thesprotos participated in the 4th National. They excelled for some years, but failed to advance to the Delta Ethniki. In 1994–1995 the team was downgraded to local. The following year they again won the local championship and returned to the 4th National. After three years they managed to gain promotion to the Gamma Ethniki. The relegation was immediate to the 4th National while the following year the team was relegated to the locals following a second consecutive relegation. In 2001–2002, the team won the local championship and went to the 4th National. The team was unable to stand and was relegated to the local championship.

2003–2012 edit

In the following years, Thesprotos competed in the local championship without winning. In 2007–2008 the team won the championship and again climbed to the 4th National. For the next four years they competed at the 4th National. They competed in the category, but failed to advance to the 3rd National. The 2011–2012 season was once again downgraded to local.

2012–2018 edit

In the 2012–2013 season, Thesprotos won the championship and participated in the 2013 Special Amateur Championship. They again went to the 3rd National Championship where they stayed for the following years. The 2014–2015 season placed fifth while the 2015–2016 season ranked 6th. The 2016–2017 season finished 9th while the 2017–2018 season again ranked 5th.

2018–2019 edit

Thesprotos took the second place in the championship and qualified for the anodic barrels.[clarification needed] They defeated Niki Volos on May 5, 2019, at Panthessal Stadium 0-1 and on May 12 at Igoumenitsa 2-0 and take the historic rise in the professional categories.

2019– edit

In the 2019–2020 season, Thesprotos participated in the Football League Greece (Third tier). The team placed tenth, above the relegation zone when the season ended because of the COVID-19 pandemic, just three fixtures before the end.

In the 2020–2021 season, the team was still in the Football League, this time in the Northern group. They finished sixth and acquired the promotion to Superleague 2 (second tier) for the first time in their history.

Thesprotos with a team mostly consisted with youths, finished 12 out of 17 in the 2022-2022 Northern Group and managed to renew his stay at Superleague 2 for another season, again under coaching from Argentinian Juan Ramón Rocha.

Players edit

Current squad edit

As of 1 February 2023

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF   GRE Konstantinos Trompoukis
3 DF   GRE Antonis Semertzakis
4 DF   GRE Georgios Gogos
5 MF   SUI Matias Martinez
6 MF   GRE Fotis Pantazelos
7 FW   GRE Vasilios Konstantinou (vice-captain)
8 MF   ARG Lucas Cuevas
9 MF   GRE Ronaldo Shani
10 MF   GRE Charilaos Bikas (captain)
11 DF   GRE Giannis Rizos (on loan from PAS Giannina)
13 GK   GRE Giannis Botsaris
14 FW   GEO Giorgi Magradze
15 MF   GRE Anastasios Pappas
16 FW   GRE Giannis Fakkis
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF   GRE Theodoros Mingos
19 MF   GRE Panagiotis Lygas
20 MF   GRE Konstantinos Ikonomikos
22 MF   GRE Spyros Rousis
27 DF   GRE Thanasis Dimitroulas
29 MF   GRE Nikolaos Digozis
30 FW   GRE Ierotheos Dritsas
31 GK   GRE Michalis Ladias
37 GK   GRE Vasilios Tsimopoulos
44 DF   GRE Petros Dodis
46 DF   GRE Spyros Vasilakis
77 FW   GRE Vangelis Pappas
81 MF   GRE Konstantinos Lolos

Honours edit

Domestic edit

Leagues:

  • Delta Ethniki (Fourth Division)
    • Winners (1): 1998–99
  • Corfu–Thesprotia FCA Championship (Local Championship)
    • Winners (2): 1978–79, 1981–82
  • Thesprotia FCA Championship (Local Championship)
    • Winners (7): 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2007–08, 2012–13

Cups:

  • Thesprotia FCA Cup (Local Cup)
    • Winners (15): 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2017–18
  • Thesprotia FCA Super Cup (Local Super Cup)
    • Winners (1): 2017–18

Notable players edit

Former players edit

  • James Okoli
  • Ermal Tahiri
  • Fabio Giovanni Dessi
  • Konstantinos Lolos

External links edit