Historical Crests Olympiakos FC

Name: ​ Olympiakos FC

Nickname(s): Oi Erythrólefki (The Red and Whites)

Founded: 1925

Stadium: Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium

Capacity: 33,334

Olympiacos FC Crest History

From 1925 to 1959, Olympiacos used its first official crest, a red shield with a gold border. At the top was a red banner displaying the club's name ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΣ, while the centre featured the profile of a young Olympic athlete crowned with a laurel wreath, a symbol inspired by the victors of the Ancient Olympic Games. The choice reflected the club's name, Olympiacos, and embodied ideals of victory, honour, strength, and fair competition. This emblem established the identity that would define the club for the next century.

Between 1959 and 1973, the shield was replaced by a circular badge. The crest featured vertical red-and-white stripes, representing the club's colours, with the club's name ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΣ Σ.Φ.Π. around the upper edge. The Olympic youth was removed from the design, creating a simpler badge that placed greater emphasis on the club's identity and colours during a period of domestic success.

From 1973 to 1980, Olympiacos introduced another shield-shaped crest. The upper section displayed the founding year 1925 above several horizontal red stripes, while the lower part contained a small circular version of the Olympic youth surrounded by the club's full Greek name. This design combined historical references with modern styling and served as a transitional emblem before the club adopted its most iconic symbol.

In 1980, Olympiacos introduced the now-famous circular crest centred entirely around the laurel-crowned Olympic youth. The profile was enclosed by the Greek inscription Γ.Α.Σ. ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΣ Σ.Φ.Π. – ΠΕΙΡΑΙΩΣ, identifying the club and its home city of Piraeus. Rendered in red and white, the badge reflected both classical heritage and modern simplicity, becoming one of the most recognisable emblems in Greek football.

Between 1985 and 1987, the circular badge was refined with a solid red outer ring carrying the club's name and decorative white stars. The Olympic youth remained unchanged in the centre, while the thicker border gave the crest a bolder and more contemporary appearance.

From 1987 to 1992, the crest returned to a white outer ring with ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΣ Σ.Φ.Π. displayed across the top and the founding year 1925 at the bottom. The athlete's profile remained the central element, with cleaner typography and a more balanced composition.

Between 1992 and 1995, the wording around the badge was expanded to display the club's full official name: ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΣ ΣΥΝΔΕΣΜΟΣ ΦΙΛΑΘΛΩΝ ΠΕΙΡΑΙΩΣ ("Olympiacos Association of Fans of Piraeus"). The Olympic youth continued to dominate the centre, reinforcing the club's identity while placing greater emphasis on its full title.

From 1995 to 2001, the crest was modernised with finer lines and improved proportions. The founding year 1925 returned beneath the central figure, while the typography became more elegant and the overall badge more symmetrical, creating the basis for the club's modern visual identity.

Between 2001 and 2003, three gold stars were added above the crest. These stars celebrated Olympiacos' sustained domestic dominance and represented the club's growing collection of Greek league championships, while the rest of the emblem remained unchanged.

From 2003 to 2013, the number of stars increased to four, reflecting Olympiacos surpassing 40 Greek league titles. The stars became an instantly recognisable feature above the circular crest, symbolising the club's unrivalled domestic success.

Between 2013 and 2024, the crest was subtly refined once again. The Olympic youth, typography, and outer ring were given cleaner, sharper lines while the four gold stars remained above the badge, each representing ten Greek league championships. This version accompanied one of the most successful periods in the club's history, including continued domestic dominance and European success.

In 2024, Olympiacos introduced a refreshed version of the crest with only minor graphical refinements. The club retained the iconic laurel-crowned Olympic youth, the circular design, the full Greek name around the edge, the founding year 1925, and the four gold stars above the emblem. The update modernised the artwork while preserving one of the most iconic identities in European football.

To celebrate the club's 100th anniversary, Olympiacos also unveiled a special commemorative crest used during the 2024–25 season. The anniversary emblem retained the classic circular badge but added gold laurel branches surrounding it, together with the inscription 1925–2025 and 100 YEARS beneath the crest. 

Olympiacos FC Club History

Olympiacos Football Club was founded on 10 March 1925 in the port city of Piraeus through the merger of two local clubs, Piraikos Podosfairikos Omilos and Omilos Filathlon Piraeus. The name Olympiacos was proposed by air force officer Notis Kamperos, inspired by the ideals of the Ancient Olympic Games, while industrialist Michalis Manouskos suggested the full name Olympiacos Syndesmos Filathlon Peiraios ("Olympiacos Association of Fans of Piraeus"). From its earliest years, the club became a symbol of the working-class community of Greece's largest port.

Olympiacos quickly established itself as a dominant force in Greek football, winning its first Greek Championship in 1931. During the 1930s, the club built the foundations of its reputation by claiming numerous league titles and earning the nickname "Thrylos" (The Legend) thanks to its exciting style of play and remarkable success.

After the interruption caused by the Second World War, Olympiacos entered another golden era during the 1950s, winning six consecutive Greek championships between 1954 and 1959, a feat unmatched at the time. The club cemented its status as Greece's leading football institution and developed a passionate nationwide following.

Throughout the following decades, Olympiacos remained one of Greece's strongest clubs despite fierce competition from Panathinaikos, AEK Athens, and later PAOK. The club regularly lifted league titles and Greek Cups while becoming a consistent participant in European competitions, helping to establish Greek football on the continental stage.

A new period of unprecedented dominance began after businessman Sokratis Kokkalis acquired the club in 1993. Olympiacos won seven consecutive Greek league titles between 1997 and 2003, with legendary players such as Predrag Đorđević, Giovanni Silva de Oliveira, and Stelios Giannakopoulos leading the team. The club became a regular participant in the UEFA Champions League, producing memorable victories against some of Europe's biggest clubs.

During the 2010s, Olympiacos continued to dominate Greek football, winning league titles almost every season and regularly qualifying for the Champions League group stage. The club produced famous European nights at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, defeating clubs including Manchester United, Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, Juventus, and AC Milan. This sustained success further strengthened Olympiacos' position as Greece's most successful football club.

The club achieved its greatest international success in 2024, when it won the UEFA Europa Conference League, defeating Fiorentina 1–0 after extra time in the final. Olympiacos became the first Greek club to win a major UEFA club competition, marking a historic milestone for both the club and Greek football. Just weeks earlier, the club's youth team had also won the UEFA Youth League, becoming the first Greek academy side to claim a European title.

The success continued during the club's centenary season in 2024–25. Olympiacos celebrated its 100th anniversary by winning the Greek Super League and completing the domestic double with victory in the Greek Cup, adding further silverware to an already unparalleled trophy collection. 

Olympiacos shares one of world football's fiercest rivalries with Panathinaikos in the Derby of the Eternal Enemies, the biggest fixture in Greek football. Other major rivalries include matches against AEK Athens, PAOK, and Aris, while the club continues to enjoy immense support throughout Greece and among Greek communities worldwide. 

Back to Historical Crests Greece