Iraklis Thessaloniki F.C.

Iraklis Thessaloniki F.C.

Iraklis F.C. (Greek: Ηρακλής), is a Greek football club, based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece, currently playing in Football League, the second tier of Greek football. Their home ground is the Kaftanzoglio Stadium with a capacity of 27,770.

Established in 1908, the club is one of the oldest in Greek football and the oldest in Thessaloniki, hence the nickname Ghireos (meaning the Elder). Iraklis was a founding member of Macedonia Football Clubs Association, as well as the Hellenic Football Federation, as a part of G.S. Iraklis Thessaloniki. The club had featured in all, but one, seasons of the top tier of Greek football up until 2011, when it was relegated to the amateur divisions of the Greek Football Federation, after failing to obtain a licence for Greek Superleague, due to financial problems. During 2011-12 season, Iraklis secured a deal with a Football League 2 club, Pontioi Katerinis F.C., which ceased to exist, giving its place to Iraklis 1908 F.C..

Before the formation of the nationwide league of Alpha Ethniki, Iraklis competed in the league that was run by the Macedonia Football Clubs Association, winning it in no less than five occasions. The club has also played in five Greek Cup finals, lifting the trophy once in the 1976 final, which is the club's only domestic trophy. Iraklis have also an international title, as they won the Balkans Cup in 1985.