January 22, 2013 – Villanova, PA – Pete Kotsiakis, born in Philadelphia and raised in Upper Darby’s historic Greek neighborhood, has spent his life playing soccer and passionately following Panathinaikos, his favorite Greek club. That lifelong devotion was rewarded when he was elected president of the newly formed PanathaUSA Philadelphia fan club.
Friends of Panathinaikos in the Greater Philadelphia area first met in December and agreed to formally establish a local chapter. On January 22, they made it official by adopting a constitution and electing a five-person board of directors. The Philadelphia club is affiliated with PanathaUSA in New York City, which is officially recognized by Panathinaikos Football Club in Greece.
The fan club’s mission is to strengthen ties among Panathinaikos supporters in the Philadelphia area and to promote the team’s values. Founded in Athens in 1908, Panathinaikos is one of Greece’s oldest sports clubs. It has long been associated with fair play both on and off the field, the cultivation of multiple sports, and representing Greece on the European stage through its successes in soccer and basketball.
In recent years, however, the soccer team has faced financial difficulties, reflecting Greece’s broader economic crisis. Traditionally, wealthy investors have stepped in to rescue Greek teams, but with no such benefactor on the horizon, club president Yiannis Alafouzos has called on supporters to join the Panathinaikos Alliance — a group that now owns 58% of the club’s shares — and has reached out to its dedicated fan base. Similar trends are emerging at other Greek clubs, including AEK Athens, while PAOK Thessaloniki has long had strong fan influence in club affairs.
Philadelphia’s Panathinaikos supporters are embracing this new participatory spirit. The local membership represents a cross-section of the Greek community, including a doctor, a college professor, and several members of the food industry. Notably, it also includes Aggeliki Thua, elected as the fan club’s secretary.