Panathinaikos FC owner Giannis Alafouzos will grant free 2026-2027 season tickets in Athens to every living former player who won a Greek league championship or reached a European quarter-final, semi-final, or final with the club.
The initiative marks the team's final planned campaign before relocating to a new stadium under construction in the Votanikos district of the Greek capital.
Under the decision, qualifying former players will receive a pass for the 2026-2027 season. The pass also grants priority rights to purchase a season ticket when the club moves into its new home.
Criteria for former players
The offer applies to squad members who won the Greek championship while wearing the club's shamrock shirt. It also extends to players who featured in historic European campaigns in the European Champions Cup, reaching at least the quarter-finals.
The initiative covers Greek players and foreign stars who live permanently in Greece, including former players Juan Ramón Rocha, Krzysztof Warzycha, and Józef Wandzik. Foreign players who live abroad will also have a reserved seat waiting for them whenever they visit Athens.
Club statement and recognition
In an official statement, PAE Panathinaikos stated that the move expressed deep recognition and gratitude to players who linked their names with the greatest successes in the club's history.
The club added that the final season at its current ground was the ideal moment to honor those who created its past. It described the tickets as a symbolic bridge connecting the club's history with its future, ensuring that key figures retain their place.
The statement noted that stadiums and eras change, but history remains alive through the people who built it. It said Alafouzos intended the initiative as a clear message that the club does not forget the players whose talent, dedication, and passion built its foundation.
Background of Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos FC, founded in 1908, is one of the oldest and most successful football clubs in Greece. Based in Athens, the club traditionally plays its home matches at the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium, commonly known as Leoforos.
Known by their green colors and shamrock emblem, Panathinaikos remains the only Greek team to have reached the final of the European Champions Cup, accomplishing the feat in 1971. The club has also reached the semi-finals of Europe's top club competition on two other occasions.
Transition to Votanikos
The club is preparing for its long-awaited move to a modern stadium complex in Votanikos, a redevelopment project designed to provide a new permanent home for the team.
The 2026-2027 season will be the last at the current venue before Panathinaikos opens its new chapter in Votanikos, with former players guaranteed priority access to the new arena.
