Olympiacos Men's Volleyball (, ), 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, 19 Cups, 8 League Cups, all national records, and 4 Super Cups. They are the only volleyball team 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 historic dominant force 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.
The men's volleyball department has traditionally received strong home support, reflecting the broader popularity of Olympiacos in Greece.Apart from some Greek players such as Marios Giourdas, Giorgos Ntrakovits, Sakis Moustakidis, Vasilis Kournetas, Antonis Tsakiropoulos, Kostas Christofidelis and Mitar Tzourits, Olympiacos has also attracted over the years 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.http://www.sport24.gr/football/ellada/article344370.ece , Περισσότερους οπαδούς ο Ολυμπιακός. Σε πρόσφατη έρευνα σχετικά με τους περισσότερους οπαδούς, ο ΟΣΦΠ είναι 1ος, 30/06/2009 SPORT24, 15ετής έρευνα του Παντελή Κυπριανού (in Greek), το 36% (2.016.000) δηλώνουν Ολυμπιακοί, το 30% (1.680.000) Παναθηναϊκοί, Έρευνα της Focus, Οκτώβριος 2005 –Φεβρουάριος 2006, SPORT24, επίσημο blog του sport24 και του αθλητικού συντάκτη Στέλιου Μαρκάκη (in Greek) sportdog.gr contra.gr
Honours Continental Competitions CEV Champions League Runners-up (2): 1991−92, 2001−02 3rd 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 3rd 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 (18) (record): 1980−81, 1982−83, 1988−89, 1989−90, 1991−92, 1992−93, 1996−97, 1997−98, 1998−99, 2000−01, 2008−09, 2010−11, 2012−13, 2013−14, 2015−16, 2016−17, 2023−24, 2024−25 Melina Mercouri Cup Winners (1) (record):1993-94* Greek League Cup Winners (8) (record): 2012−13, 2014−15, 2015−16, 2016−17, 2017−18, 2018−19, 2024–25, 2025–26 Greek Super Cup Winners (4) (shared record): 2000, 2010, 2024, 2025
Note: • In 1994, the Greek Cup was cancelled and a final 4 tournament was held in memory of Melina Merkouri. The international players were absent due to the 1994 World Championship. In the final Olympiacos Piraeus defeated Aris Thessaloniki 3–0 to win the title which does count as the cup title for that year according to the Hellenic Volleyball Federation
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
International record Season Achievement Notes CEV Champions League 1981–82 Final Four 4th place in a group with Robe di Kappa Torino, CSKA Moscow and Dinamo București 1991–92 Final won 3–0 against CSKA Moscow in the semi-final, lost 0–3 to il Messaggero Ravenna in the final 1992–93 Final Four 3rd place. Lost 1–3 to Maxicono Parma in the semi-final, won 3–0 against Maes Pils Zellik in the 3rd place game 1993–94 Final Four 4th place. Lost 0–3 to Maxicono Parma in the semi-final, lost 0–3 to Maes Pils Zellik in the 3rd place game 1994–95 Final Four 3rd place. Lost 1–3 to Edilcuoghi Ravenna in the semi-final, won 3–2 against Maes Pils Zellik in the 3rd place game 2000–01 Final Four 4th place. Lost 0–3 to Sisley Treviso in the semi-final, lost 2–3 to Ford B. Gesu Roma in the 3rd place game 2001–02 Final won 3–1 against Mostostal in the semi-final, lost 1–3 to Lube Banca Macerata in the final 2009–10 Playoff 6 5th place. Eliminated by Dynamo Moscow, 1–3 loss in Moscow, 1–3 loss in Piraeus CEV Cup Winners Cup / CEV Top Teams Cup / CEV Cup 1995–96 Winners won 3–1 against Alcom Capelle in the semi-final, won 3–2 against Bayer Wuppertal in the final 1996–97 Final won 3–1 against Berlin in the semi-final, lost 0–3 to Alpitour Traco Cuneo in the final 1997–98 Final won 3–0 against Castêlo da Maia in the semi-final, lost 0–3 to Alpitour Traco Cuneo in the final 2004–05 Winners won 3–0 against Dukla Liberec in the semi-final, won 3–0 against Ortec Nesselande Rotterdam in the final 2018–19 Semi-finals Eliminated by Diatec Trentino, 0–3 loss in Piraeus, 1–3 loss in Trento FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship 1992 Final Four 3rd place. Lost 0–3 to Misura Milano in the semi-final, won 3–0 against il Messaggero Ravenna in the 3rd place game CEV European Super Cup 1996 Final Four 4th place. Lost 1–3 to Dachau in the semi-final, lost 0–3 against Daytona Modena in the 3rd place game CEV Challenge Cup 2017–18 Final defeated by Bunge Ravenna, 1–3 loss in Ravenna, 1–3 loss in Piraeus 2022–23 Winners won 5–4 against Panathinaikos in the semi-finals, won 6–0 against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the finals
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 Liberec1–3 Desimpel Torhout3–0 Lokomotyv Kharkiv0–3 Legia Warsaw3–0 Belogorie Belgorod3–0 Bayer Wuppertal3–0 Eczacıbaşı Istanbul0–3Semifinal Alcom Capelle3–1Final Bayer Wuppertal3–2
2005 CEV Top Teams Cup victory Round Team Home Away Qualification Round(Group 7) Rabotnicki Skopje3–0 Pafiakos Pafos3–0 Brčko Brčko3–0Group Stage(Group A) Šoštanj Topolšica3–00–3 Concordia Näfels3–00–3 Fenerbahçe Istanbul3–01–3Quarterfinal Ziraat Bankası Ankara3–00–3Semifinal VK Dukla Liberec3–0Final Ortec Nesselande Rotterdam3–0
The road to the CEV Challenge Cup victory
2023 CEV Challenge Cup victory Round Team Home Away Round of 32 Spartak Komárno3–01–3Round of 16 Burgas3–03–2Quarterfinals Steaua Bucuresti3–12–3Semifinals Panathinaikos Athens1–31–4 (Golden Set) Finals Maccabi Tel Aviv3–00–3
Supporters
Olympiacos fans are renowned for their passionate support to the team, with the atmosphere at home matches regarded as intense to an extent rarely seen in volleyball matches. In the decade of the 1900s and the early 2000s, Olympiacos was among the top powers in European volleyball. Olympiacos had 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 was considered 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.Olympiacos–CSKA Moscow 3–0 1992 CEV Champions League semi-final full game (sec. 58). ERT1 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 attended and cheered in a fully packed Peace and Friendship 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
CriteriaTo 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.