PAOK Handball Club is the handball section of PAOK, the major multi-sports club based in Thessaloniki, Greece. PAOK has both men's and women's team. So far, men's team has won 3 Greek Championships and 4 Greek Cups and women's team has won 6 Greek Championships and 7 Greek Cups. Despite its relatively short history, it is considered amongst the most successful departments of the club.

History

PAOK Handball Club was founded in 1999 after it merged with another club from Thessaloniki, Triton. Stelios Seirekidis, former club's coach, has connected his name with the whole club's history. PAOK was promoted to A1 Ethniki for first time in 2000–01 season. Three years later, they relegated to A2 Ethniki, but they were promoted back to the top-tier level the following season. As the years passed, the team became stronger and they won two consecutive Greek Handball Championships in 2009 and 2010. PAOK defeated Panellinios at the last game of the 2009 play-offs and Doukas at the last game of the 2010 play-offs. In 2009–10 season, PAOK became the second Greek team after Filippos Veria, who reached the EHF Champions League group stage. In 2011, even though PAOK needed only a draw in the last home game in Thessaloniki to secure their third consecutive title, they lost the championship to AEK. In 2012, PAOK won the Greek Cup by beating AEK 25–24 in Patras. In 2015, PAOK claimed the double for the first time overcoming Diomidis Argous in the Greek Championship play-off finals and beating AEK 29–27 in the Greek Cup final held at the P.A.O.K. Sports Arena in Thessaloniki. In 2017, PAOK prevailed over Panellinios with 25–23 in Kozani, winning the Greek Cup for the third time. In 2024, PAOK won 21–20 against Drama and earned their fourth Greek Cup title.

Crest, colours, supporters

Kits

HOME

AWAY

Team

Current squad

Squad for the 2025–26 season

P.A.O.K. H.C.Goalkeepers 15 Athanasios Boumpoulentras 16 Andreas Orfanoudakis 32 Igor Arsić Left Wingers 8 Giorgos Papavasilis 10 Nikolaos Nikolaidis (c) Right Wingers 9 Evgenij Temelkoski 11 Grigorios Ioannou Line Players 14 Mohammed Essam Mourad Abdelsadek 22 Ioannis Batzios 73 Mohamed Mamdouh Shebib

Left Backs 4 Emmanouil Ladakis 30 Dimitrios Triantafyllidis Central Backs 5 Spyros Katsaounis 23 Charalampos Dompris 44 Moustafa Hassan Ragab Feras Marwan 99 Omar Salem Right Backs 18 Nikolaos Marinos

Technical staff Head coach: Charalampos Ananiadis Assistant coach: Apostolos Palaskas Physiotherapist: Panagiotis Papadopoulos

Transfers Transfers for the 2025–26 season

Joining Igor Arsić (GK) from GRK Tikveš Mohammed Essam Mourad Abdelsadek (LP) from CB Cangas

Leaving

Transfer History

Transfers for the 2023–24 seasonJoining Danil Bochkarev (CB) from Aeropos Edessa Ioannis Kalomoiros (LB) from AEK Athens Ioannis Batzios (LP) from AESH Pylaia Konstantinos Koukmisis (LW) from AESH Pylaia Dimitrios Papageorgiou (RW) from AESH Pylaia

Leaving Milos Mojsilov (GK) to Fejér B.Á.L. Veszprém

Honours Greek Championship: Winners (3): 2009, 2010, 2015 Runners-up (2): 2011, 2021 Greek Cup: Winners (4): 2012, 2015, 2017, 2024 Runners-up (2): 2013, 2021 Double Winners (1): 2015

Recent seasons SeasonDivisionPlaceNotes2000–01 A1 Ethniki 9th 2001–02 A1 Ethniki 7th 2002–03 A1 Ethniki 7th 2003–04 A1 Ethniki 11th Relegated to A22004–05 A2 Ethniki 2nd Promoted to A12005–06 A1 Ethniki 5th 2006–07 A1 Ethniki 5th 2007–08 A1 Ethniki 4th 2008–09 A1 Ethniki 1st 2009–10 A1 Ethniki 1st 2010–11 A1 Ethniki 2nd 2011–12 A1 Ethniki 3rd Greek Cup Winner2012–13 A1 Ethniki 4th Greek Cup Finalist2013–14 A1 Ethniki 5th 2014–15 A1 Ethniki 1st Greek Cup Winner2015–16 Handball Premier 3rd 2016–17 Handball Premier 5th Greek Cup Winner2017–18 Handball Premier 3rd 2018–19 Handball Premier 4th 2019–20 Handball Premier 5th 2020–21 Handball Premier 2nd Greek Cup Finalist2021–22 Handball Premier 3rd 2022–23 Handball Premier 3rd 2023–24 Handball Premier 3rd Greek Cup Winner2024–25 Handball Premier 5th 2025–26 Handball Premier 3rd

European competition

SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAggregateAdvance 2006–07 EHF Challenge CupR2 RK Vardar 29–34 29–43 58–77 2007–08 EHF Challenge CupR2 RK Kolubara 28–31 3rd place Great Dane HC London 32–21 Burevestnik Lugansk 28–32 2008–09 EHF Challenge CupR3 Sungul Snezhinsk 23–23 25–25 48–48 1/8 Știința Bacău 28–31 29–31 57–62 2009–10 EHF Champions LeagueQR SPE Strovolos 32–29 1st place ZTR Zaporizhia 30–30Group Stage Chekhovskiye Medvedi 25–37 22–46 6th place Montpellier HB 23–34 20–46 SC Pick Szeged 27–26 24–27 BM Valladolid 27–37 19–38 HCM Constanța 26–30 23–34 2010–11 EHF CupR2 A1 Bregenz 23–31 24–27 47–58 2011–12 EHF CupR2 Tatabánya KC 23–27 25–29 48–56 2012–13 EHF Challenge Cup1/16 IL Runar 31–32 26–36 57–68 2013–14 EHF Challenge CupR3 HC Victoria Regia MINSK 26–27 21–28 47–55 2017–18 EHF Challenge CupR2 Aloysians Von Taine 39–15 34–17 73–32 R3 Göztepe SK 29–28 26–35 55–63 2021–22 EHF European CupR3 TENAX Dobele 29–24 28–25 57–49 1/8 CS Minaur Baia Mare 28–27 21–32 49–59 2022–23 EHF European CupR2 Sesvete 21–27 24–29 45–56 2023–24 EHF European CupR2 Linz AG 25–25 26–27 51–52 2024–25 EHF European CupR2 Anorthosis 33–37 24–30 57–67 2025–26 EHF European CupR1 ESN Vrilissia 33–24 27–20 60–44 R2 Holon Yuvalim 31–31 29–25 60–56 R3 Beşiktaş JK 25–30 25–29 54–55

EHF ranking

Rank Team Points126 Granitas Kaunas37127 HV Hurry-Up37128 P.A.O.K. H.C.36129 HC Tallinn36130 BSV Bern36131 GC Amicitia Zürich36132 Belenenses36

Former club members

Notable former players

Alexandros Alvanos (2014–2016) Petros Boukovinas (2014–2016) Vyron Papadopoulos (2003–2009) Grigorios Sanikis (2016–2017) Jan Komínek (2009–2011) István Székely (2006–2007) Marko Pejovic (2017–2018) Milan Grubanov (2009–2010)

References

External links