Iraklis

G.S. Iraklis Thessalonikis traced its roots back on 1 July 1899 when Omilos Filomouson (Greek: Όμιλος Φιλομούσων, lit. 'Muses Friends Group') was established. The club was established as a cultural union of the Greeks of Thessaloniki (then under Ottoman sovereignty), and it's sports department was founded in 1902. In 1903 the club joined forces with Olympia, another greek Gymnastic Club of Thessaloniki. Football was a new sport at the time, but rapidly increasing in popularity and thus the board of directors decided to line up a football team. The first football match that was held on 23 April 1905 by the Omilos Filomouson football team which won by 3–0 against Union Sportive, team of the Western European diaspora of Thessaloniki.

Later on, Omilos Filomouson faced financial problems. As a result, members of Omilos Filomouson founded on 29 November 1908 a new sporting club, called Makedonikos Gymnastikos Syllogos (Greek: Μακεδονικός Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος, lit. 'Macedonian Gymnastic Club'), that gained a permission to operate by the Ottoman authorities. The new club's first president was a Greek doctor, Alkiviadis Maltos. The name of the club had a direct reference to the ethnic tensions that took place in the area at that time.

Due to the Young Turks revolt of 1908 and their promises for ease of ethnic tensions in the area, the club was forced to change its name. Thus a new name was decided in 1910 for the club, Othomanikos Ellinikos Gymnastikos Syllogos Thessalonikis "Iraklis" (Greek: Οθωμανικός Ελληνικός Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Θεσσαλονίκης «Ηρακλής», lit. 'Thessaloniki Ottoman Greek Gymnastic Club "Heracles"'). Τhe name "Iraklís" (Greek: Ηρακλής, lit. 'Heracles') was added to the club's name as an honour to the ancient Greek demigod. The new name was approved, together with a new statute and a new board of directors, by a general assembly of the club on 13 April 1911.

After the integration of Thessaloniki in the Kingdom of Greece on 26 October 1912, the operation of the club was accepted by the Greek courts in 1914 and became a fully registered sports club on 11 January 1915 as Gymnastikos Syllogos Thessalonikis "Iraklis" (Greek: Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Θεσσαλονίκης «Ηρακλής», lit. 'Thessaloniki Gymnastic Club "Heracles"').

Shortly after the end of the Second Balkan War, Iraklis together with the 3 Jewish football clubs of the city, Progrès Sportive, Alliance and French-German School Alumni Union organised the first Thessaloniki Football Championship in January and February 1914. Iraklis won Alliance 3–1, Progrès Sportive 5–1 and after winning the French-German School Alumni Union, the club was proclaimed Champion of Thessaloniki. On 6 April 1914, Iraklis Thessaloniki played a match against Athinaikos Syllogos Podosferiseos, that ended as a draw. It was the club's first match against a club outside Thessaloniki. In 1914, Iraklis established the club's youth squad, so the students of the Greek Gymnasium of the city could train in football. A year later Iraklis won the second Thessaloniki Football Championship. The next championship was not held due to World War I.

In the years following World War I, several football clubs were established in Thessaloniki and that led to the establishment of the Macedonia Football Clubs Association in 1923. The first championship from the newly founded association was organised shortly afterwards and Iraklis lost in the tournament's final 4–1 from Aris Thessaloniki. In 1924 Iraklis played its first match against a club from outside the borders of Greece. It was a match against Yugoslav club SSK Skopje, a contest that ended 2–1 in favour of Iraklis. It was in that same year that Iraklis played its first match abroad, a 3–0 friendly win against SK Bitola. In 1926 the club appointed Hungarian Joseph Sveg as manager, the first ever foreign manager in Greece. Under Sveg's guidance, Iraklis won the Championship organised by the Macedonia Football Clubs Association in 1926–27. By winning 6–0 against the reigning champion of Western Macedonia Ermis Sorovič and the champion of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Rodopi, Iraklis was proclaimed Champion of Macedonia and Thrace. In the following years, Iraklis did not have any success finishing in runner up and even lower positions in the Macedonia Football Clubs Association Championship.

In the 1933–34 season Iraklis won the North Group of the Panhellenic Championship qualifying for the championship final, where the club had to compete against the champion of the South group Olympiacos. The first leg was played in Iraklis Ground on 10 June 1934. Although Iraklis took a 2–0 lead at half time, Olympiacos managed to make a comeback in the second half, winning the game by a 2–3 scoreline. The second leg was played a week later in Piraeus and Olympiacos was proclaimed National champion by winning this match 2–1.

In the following years Iraklis faced mid table mediocrity, with the exception of the 1936–37 season, when the club was only one point short to Macedonia Football Clubs Association champions P.A.O.K.. The 1938–39 season was a successful one for Iraklis, as it won both the Macedonia Football Clubs Association championship and the North Group of the Panhellenic Championship, the second resulting in the qualification of Iraklis in the National final. In the national final Iraklis lost to A.E.K. both away and at home (1–3 and 2–4 respectively), failing to win the silverware. In the following season Iraklis celebrated its consecutive win in the Macedonia Football Clubs Association Championship but failed to qualify for the National final.

All football competitions were suspended in Greece due to Axis occupation of Greece from 1941 to 1945. After the war period, the club was constantly competing with Aris Thessaloniki for Macedonia F.C.A. Championship, which gave upon its winner the right to participate in Panhellenic Championship. Iraklis participated in the 1947 Greek Cup final, where was defeated 5–0 by the dominant greek club of that era, Olympiacos. In the 1950s, the team solidified its position among the top teams in Greece along with Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, A.E.K., P.A.O.K., A.E.L. and Aris Thessaloniki. Nevertheless, the club struggled with financial difficulties in an ailing Greek economy. Thessaloniki (where many refugees from the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922 had settled) was particularly damaged by the economic downturn. The highlight of the decade was the 1957 Greek Cup final, in which Iraklis was once again defeated 2–0 by Olympiacos.

Iraklis played in the inaugural season of Alpha Ethniki. The club secured the 10th position in the first season of national top tier of Greece. Iraklis football academy was founded during the same season after the suggestion of club manager Panos Markovic. In the 1960–61 season Iraklis finished 8th and achieved a record 4–0 win against Atromitos Piraeus. The club also reached the Greek Cup semi-finals that season, getting eliminated by Panionios. The following two seasons Iraklis played in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, getting eliminated both times, by F.K. Vojvodina and Real Zaragoza respectively. In the league, Iraklis secured the 6th position for the 1961–62 season, a club record at the time. The rest of the 1960s, Iraklis secured mid-table positions repeating the club record in the 1969–70 season. In 1965, Kostas Aidiniou, a player that together with fellow Greek international Zacharias Chaliabalias would lead the club for the following decade, debuted for Iraklis. During the 1968–69 season Iraklis matched its record win as it won AEL Limassol by a 4–0 margin.

In the 1970–71 season Iraklis, under the guidance of Yugoslav manager Ljubiša Spajić, finished 5th in the league, the club's best positioning since the establishment of Alpha Ethniki. In that season, Iraklis sold 45,634 tickets in a 1–0 home win against Panathinaikos, a club record since today and an Alpha Ethniki record at the time. The following for seasons, Iraklis achieved safe mid-table positions. In 1972, Iraklis signed Dimitris Gesios from Kozani, a player that would become the club's all-time league top-scorer. In the 1973–74 season Iraklis broke its biggest win record in Alpha Ethniki, by beating AEL 6–1. On 29 August 1974, Iraklis sold its star player Kostas Aidiniou to Olympiacos for 11,000,000 drachmas. In the next season Iraklis beat Kalamata 5–0 at home to match its record win and finished 8th in the league. The club also reached the semi-final of 1974–75 Greek Cup. Iraklis was eliminated 1–2 by Panathinaikos at home. After the match, three players of Iraklis, Chaliabalias, Rokidis and Nikoloudis revealed that there was an attempt from Panathinaikos officials to bribe them for the semi-final. The two first were driven out of the club while the latter was sent off the club for six months.

On 22 November 1975, the club acquired Vasilis Hatzipanagis, a USSR national of Greek descent, who was late voted a Greece's Golden player for UEFA Jubilee Awards. In the 1975–76 Greek Cup competition Iraklis eliminated Veria, Pierikos, Trikala and Panetolikos to reach the semi-finals. In the semi-finals Iraklis beat Panathinaikos 3–2, at home. Panathinaikos appealed against the result claiming the Iraklis winning goal came from an offside position. Finally the courts turned down Panathinaikos appeal and Iraklis qualified to the final to face Olympiacos. On 9 June 1976 Iraklis won the Cup after a 6–5 penalty shootout. In the final Hatzipanagis scored twice, Kousoulakis and Gesios scored once each, in a match that ended 2–2 in full-time and 4–4 in extra-time. In the league Iraklis finished in the 8th position led by Gesios and Hatzipanagis, that scored 9 and 6 goals respectively.

In the next season Iraklis was eliminated from Cypriot club A.P.O.E.L. in 1976–77 European Cup Winners' Cup and struggled in the league finishing in the 12th position, gathering just one point more from relegated Panetolikos. Iraklis improved slightly in the next season ending up 9th in the league with Gesios achieving a personal best scoring 13 goals. In the 1978–79 season Iraklis mproved greatly under the guidance of Antoni Brzeżańczyk. Iraklis finished 6th in the league, had a positive goal aggregate for the first time since the 1973–74 season and achieved the club's biggest victory in Alpha Ethniki by beating A.S. Rodos by an 8–1 margin.

The 1979–80 season was the first season of fully professional football in Greece. Iraklis finished in the 8th position in the league having his best goal difference since the establishment of Alpha Ethniki with +11. The highlight of the season was a 6–0 against title perennial contenders Panathinaikos, which is Panathinaikos' biggest league defeat to date. In 1979–80 Greek Cup Iraklis eliminated Veria, Niki Volos, Almopos Aridea and Panarkadikos to reach the semi-finals. In the semi-finals Iraklis eliminated P.A.O.K., but the club's chairman, Kostas Pertsinidis, was accused for a bribe attempt by P.A.O.K.'s player Filotas Pellios. Iraklis proceeded to play in the Cup final, but as the players morale was damaged the club was defeated by underdogs Kastoria by a 5–2 margin.

At the end of the season Iraklis was demoted to Beta Ethniki, due to the alleged bribery scandal. Iraklis appealed against that decision, and the club was, later on, declared not guilty, but the club already played in Beta Ethniki. In the 1980–81 season Iraklis had to compete in the Beta Ethniki without his star player Vasilis Hatzipanagis. The club won the championship in the North Group with Ilias Chatzieleftheriou being the top scorer with 24 goals. Iraklis scored a total of 99 goals, conceding 22, and achieved a club league record 12–0 win against Edessaikos. Upon its return to the top tier, Iraklis managed to finish in the 6th position in 1981–82 Alpha Ethniki and achieved the club's best goal difference at the time with +14. In the 1983–84 season, Iraklis finished in third place overall, which remains to date the club's best positioning, since professional football was established in 1959. The club, led by Hatzipanagis that scored 12 goals in the season, also had its best goal difference since the establishment of Alpha Ethniki with +27 goals and its best defence record, conceding only 20 goals.

In the 1984–85 season, Iraklis finished in the 5th position setting the club's offensive record scoring 59 goals. Major contributors to this record were Vasilis Hatzipanagis, Lakis Papaioannou and Sigurður Grétarsson each contributing 10 goals throughout the campaign. In the same season Iraklis won its only international competition, the Balkans Cup. Iraklis had to eliminate Turkish giants Galatasaray by winning 5–2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, and Ankaragücü through a penalty shoot-out in the semi-finals. In the final's second leg Iraklis won Argeș Pitești by 4–1, thus winning the trophy 5–4 on aggregate. In the 1985–86 season, Iraklis finished in the fourth position having the best defensive record in the league conceding 22 goals, led by Lakis Papaioannou who finished the season with 8 goals. Two years later, 17,000 fans travelled to Athens to support Iraklis in the 1987 Greek Cup final, unfortunately to see their team lose 3–1 on penalties (1–1 regular time) to O.F.I.. On 9 November 1990, shortly after the 1990–91 UEFA Cup match against Valencia, Vasilis Hatzipanagis announced his retirement from professional football. Iraklis competed in 1990–91 UEFA Cup against Valencia, being eliminated in overtime at Mestalla Stadium.

The 1990s were a period of reconstruction for the club, as aging players either left the club or retired. Vasilis Hatzipanagis retirement in 1990 had a major negative impact on the team's success. Fans began calling for a change in the club's management, as club president Petros Theodoridis began selling the team's most talented players (Christos Kostis, Georgios Anatolakis, Savvas Kofidis etc.).

The team was sold in 2000 to prominent Greek businessman Evangelos Mytilineos for almost €3,500,000 (1.18 billion drachmas). Despite the acquisition of many promising players during the first summer, the 2000–2001 campaign didn't have the expected results, with the club finishing in 5th position, out of European qualification spots. However, Iraklis managed to progress to the 2nd round of UEFA Cup, where they achieved a memorable (although without any effect) win over 1. FC Kaiserslautern in Fritz-Walter-Stadion. Next summer, Mytilineos's first move was to sell the highly rated striker and fans' favorite Michalis Konstantinou to Panathinaikos, setting a new record for the highest fee received for a domestic transfer. That move worsened the relationship between the new owner and the fans, while it clearly weakened the club, since Konstantinou was not replaced. Manager Giannis Kyrastas, who was widely considered one of Greece's bests, was replaced by previous coach Angelos Anastasiadis who in his second tenure managed to qualified once again for the UEFA Cup on a very small budget.

In 2003, Evangelos Mytilineos announced his desire to leave the team and therefore sell it to Giorgos Spanoudakis (a friend of his from their school years, who used to be first vice-president of the club), for just €1, since the team was heavily in debt. Giorgos Spanoudakis initiated a series of expensive but unsuccessful deals like Polish international Cezary Kucharski and Serie A veteran Giuseppe Signori, driving the team close to bankruptcy. He later tried to get rid of the team by selling it to yet another businessman, named Dimitris Choulis, who had been a president of Akratitos. After a 5-month period during which Dimitris Choulis controlled the team, the Professional Sports Committee finally annulled the transfer, raising questions in the media regarding its handling of the previous one between Evangelos Mytilineos and Giorgos Spanoudakis, too.

In January 2004, Savvas Kofidis, famous as a player of the team in the 1980s, became the team's manager. During the 2005–06, he led Iraklis to an acclaimed 4th-place finish, playing effective and attractive football, creating a club record for 13 consecutive wins at home. However, with considerable debts to players, coaches and the state, Spanoudakis started the 2006–07 season attempting to reconcile Iraklis finances by selling Joël Epalle and Panagiotis Lagos, who were instrumental in the previous year's success. Next year Kofidis resigned as manager of a considerably weakened team after Iraklis lost 7 and drew 2 of his first nine games in Super League and additionally was eliminated from the UEFA Cup in extra time by Wisła Kraków. Eventually the 2006–07 season ended in a hard breaking fashion as the team gained its survival to Greek Super League only in the last matchday, after breaking a 39 matches unbeaten home run of Skoda Xanthi.

On 13 July 2007, Giorgos Spanoudakis eventually resigned and the team passed to the hands of a consortium of local businessmen, with prominent Greek singer Antonis Remos (a lifelong fan of the team) as their leader. The new owners tried to stabilize the team financially having already paid the debts to Giuseppe Signori (almost $1,000,000) and to other players and lenders from the past.

However, on 4 May 2011 Iraklis Thessaloniki was demoted to Football League after failing to obtain a license to participate in 2011–12 Super League. On 19 May 2011, the Disciplinary Committee of the competition found Iraklis Thessaloniki guilty of forgery during the winter transfer window. Therefore, the club was automatically placed in the last position. That is a unique case as Iraklis Thessaloniki has never finished in a relegation spot but has been relegated twice. Moreover, on 26 September the Professional Sports Committee stripped Iraklis Thessaloniki from its professional licence and demoted the club to Delta Ethniki. This situation spurred reactions from Iraklis Thessaloniki fans, with demonstrations in Thessaloniki and Athens.

The team finally competed in the 2011–12 Delta Ethniki, which started late due to Koriopolis, without much success. Meanwhile, the club's board was discussing a possible merger with another club. There were discussions with local teams Agrotikos Asteras Evosmos and Anagennisi Epanomi. On 3 January 2012, a pre-agreement contract was signed between G.S. Iraklis Thessalonikis and M.A.E. Pontion Katerinis regarding the running of the new club, with further negotiations planned after six months. On 20 January 2012, the merger was approved by G.S. Iraklis Thessalonikis, and their football team was disbanded and withdrawn from Delta Ethniki. M.A.E. Pontion Katerinis changed it's name to Athlitiki Enosi Pontion "Iraklis" 1908 (Greek: Αθλητική Ένωση Ποντίων «Ηρακλής» 1908, lit. 'Pontians Sporting Union "Heracles" 1908'), took the logo and the colors of G.S. Iraklis Thessalonikis, and moved to Kaftanzoglio Stadium. The squad consisted of players from both teams and was training in Katerini. The resulting team replaced M.A.E. Pontion Katerinis in 2011–12 Football League 2. On 23 January 2012, the team played their first game at home against Tilikratis Lefkada, while pending approval of the merger by the Greek Professional Sports Committee.

On 24 September 2012, the merged club was accepted in Greek Football League, as an acknowledgement of injustice against the old Iraklis Thessalonikis P.A.E.. In 2012 the new company was named A.E.P. Iraklis 1908 P.A.E.. The new merged club has no legal connection to the original G.S. Iraklis Thessalonikis, but is essentially considered as a direct continuation of it, as it uses the crest of Iraklis Thessaloniki, its colours, and incorporates players and people associated with the former Iraklis Thessaloniki. Therefore, G.S. Iraklis Thessaloniki has no shares of the new company, but instead still holds the 10% of the bankrupt original company of Iraklis Thessalonikis P.A.E., which remains to be dissolved.

After several months of negotiations, Spyros Papathanasakis became the new major shareholder of the club in the summer of 2014. Iraklis was dissolved as a professional club in 2017, due to major financial issues the club had been facing for some years. They failed to participate in Football League and were thus dissolved as a professional football club and begun the season in Gamma Ethniki. The next season they promoted back in Football League. In 2018 the new company was named A.E.P. Iraklis 1908 Nea P.A.E..

Iraklis was relegated in 2019 from the professional second-tier Football League into the amateur fourth-tier Gamma Ethniki, due to the restructuring of the Greek national championships and its performance in conjunction to its financial state. This led the professional club into further insolvency and an inability to form a squad to participate in any championship in the 2019–20 season.

Faced with this situation, a new football club was formed through the volleyball club of Iraklis Volleyball 2015 on 25 September 2019. The new club was named Athlitikos Syllogos "Iraklis" 2015 (Greek: Αθλητικός Σύλλογος «Ηρακλής» 2015, lit. 'Sporting Club "Heracles" 2015'), which participated in the lowest regional championship of the Thessaloniki region, Macedonia F.C.A. Third Division, which is on the fourth-tier regionally and on the eighth-tier nationally. On 20 April 2020, amateur championships were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore Iraklis won the championship winning all 15 games, scoring 88 goals and conceding 6.

In September 2020, an agreement between G.S. Iraklis Thessalonikis and A.S. Iraklis Ampelokipon was announced. In the 2020–21 season Iraklis played in Gamma Ethniki and finished second (2nd) in Group 1 with 33 points. In April 2021, N.G.S. Iraklis Thessalonikis 1908 announced the termination of the agreement with A.S. Iraklis Ampelokipon.

On 2 August 2021, an agreement between N.G.S. Iraklis Thessalonikis 1908 and P.O. Triglias was announced. P.O. Triglias changed their name to Panathlitikos Omilos Triglias "Iraklis" (Greek: Παναθλητικός Όμιλος Τρίγλιας «Ηρακλής», lit. 'Triglia Pan-Sporting Group "Heracles"') and moved to Kaftanzoglio Stadium. In 2021 the new company was named P.O.T. Iraklis P.A.E..

In the 2021–22 season Iraklis played in Super League 2, the second tier of the Greek football league system. They finished 7th in North group with 48 points. In the 2022–23 season, Iraklis played in Super League 2 again. They finished 5th in North group with 47 points. They scored 56 goals (1st in the league).

The season 2023–24, start with legal problems plaguing the club during the summer, 15 players left the team. At the start of Super League 2, 16 new players were added to the team and the team manager of the team, Anastasios Katsabis, left. Iraklis relocated football activities to Chalastra Stadium for the remainder of the 2023–24 season. They finished 7th in North group with 30 points.

On 27 September 2023, the Arbitration Court of the E.P.O. rejected the request to withdraw the P.O.T. Iraklis P.A.E. against Bogdan Mara, consequently the team was at risk of relegation from the 2023–24 Super League 2 championship. On the same day, the owner of P.O.T. Iraklis P.A.E., Stratos Evgeniou, announced that it could not meet the repayment of the former footballer and other old debts of Iraklis Thessaloniki P.A.E.. On 2 October 2023, N.G.S. Iraklis Thessaloniki 1908 called on the members and fans of the sports club to help financially at the last moment so that by 6 October 2023, the required financial amount of €225,000 can be collected and the agreement with the former footballer can be completed. At the same time, the coach Sakis Tsiolis and the football players of the team asked Stratos Evgeniou to be paid with less money to collect the necessary financial amount. On 6 October 2023, the selflessness, determination and solidarity of the members and fans of Iraklis Thessaloniki was highlighted. This date is a milestone in the history of the sports club. Within 3 working days, the required financial amount was collected by the fans of Iraklis Thessaloniki and finally the repayment of the former football player of the team was achieved.

After several months of negotiations, Panagiotis Monemvasiotis became the new major financier of the club in the summer of 2024, while Stratos Evgeniou continues having the ownership of the club. In the 2024–25 season, Iraklis finished 2nd in North group of Super League 2 with 36 points.