1:56am
15th February 2011
ΘΥΡΑ I3 // ΘΥΡΑ 7 // ΘΥΡΑ 2I
Beyond the greyish atmosphere, something is going on with colors in Athens. And it appears particularly nice and extreme to me. Yes, I’ve ever met football fans wearing their team colors, but… in Athens, the “3 bi-colors combinations” invasion seems to be much more incrusted than a basic supporter range.
I started to document the phenomenon, (mainly) focusing on the paintings in the streets.
Here comes as a teaser to a larger serie, a couple of ‘graphiti’ pictures I shot in different areas, and three silkscreened coton flags I collected from the football club they fit with.
The rivalry between the 3 clubs exists since forever, and gave birth to the expression “The Derby of eternal enemies” (cf. below, excerpts from different sources, tells a bit more about the history of it all).
ΠΑΝΑΘΗΝΑΙΚΟΣ - ΘΥΡΑ I3 (PANATHINAÏKOS - GATE I3)
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ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΣ - ΘΥΡΑ 7 (OLYMPIACOS - GATE 7)
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AEK ATHINA FC - ΘΥΡΑ 2I (AEK ATHENS FC - GATE 2I)
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The Derby of the eternal enemies (Ντέρμπι των αιωνίων αντιπάλων), also called Mother of all battles (Μητέρα των μαχών), is a sport local derby in Athens between the most successful clubs of Greece, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos.
The rivalry between the two top Greek clubs can be traced back to some social, cultural and regional differences. Panathinaikos, founded in 1908, comes from the center of Athens and was considered the classic representative of the old high class society of the Greek capital. On the other hand, Olympiacos was founded in 1925 and comes from Piraeus, the Athens’ port, thus attracting supporters from the surrounding working class area. Both cities have played a major role in Greek history since classical antiquity; Athens was regarded as the cradle of the ancient Greek civilization, taking advantage of Piraeus’ strategical potential and forming a unified region with the latter. During the 20th century, Athens experienced a demographic explosion and territorial expansion coming to enclose all its suburbs, including Piraeus, in a large urban area.
These class differences between the people in the homelands of the two clubs offered further reasons for the animosity between their fans. Olympiacos’ early success provided a way for the people of Piraeus to express their contempt for the wealthier classes, by which Panathinaikos was heavily supported. Furthermore, Olympiacos attracted fans from all over Greece who believed themselves to be victims of social and political unfairness. However, this kind of clash was much more pronounced in the past, as the class differences between the fanbases have faded out and the social gap that once separated the two sides has closed over the years. Nowadays, both clubs boast fanbases that represent all the social classes.
Olympiacos, also known as the Kokkini (The Reds) have amassed 37 leagues titles and 24 Greek Cup trophies in total, which compares favourably to Pana’s haul of 19 championships and 16 cup triumphs. The Prassini (The Greens) have the satisfaction, however, of being the only Greek side ever to reach the final of the UEFA European Champion Clubs’ Cup (the forerunner of the Champions League), that achievement coming in 1971.
Olympiacos and Panthinaikos never remained the only football clubs in Athens area.
A third one, Athletic Union of Constantinople (AEK FC) was established in 1924 by Greek refugees from Constantinople in the years following the Greco-Turkish War and subsequent population exchange.
The founders of AEK established the club with the intention of providing athletic and cultural diversions for the thousands of predominantly Constantinopolitan and Anatolian refugees who had settled in the new suburbs of Athens. Their emblem and colours (yellow & black) were chosen as a reminder of lost homelands; they represent the club’s historical ties to Constantinople. AEK FC is still part of the game today.
Rivalries between AEK and the two others club truly exists, however, it seems AEK FC isn’t “officially” mentionned as part of the Mother of all battles.
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text sources: Fifa (“Greece’s eternal thespians”), Wikipedia (“Derby of the eternal enemies”)
Exarcheia, Panathinaikos (13ΠAO) vs. Olympiacos (7)
