Anagennisi Karditsa Football Club (Greek: ΠΑΕ Αναγέννηση Καρδίτσας) is a Greek professional football club based in Karditsa, Greece, which competes in the Super League 2, the second tier of the Greek football league system. The club holds the record of the most participations in the Beta Ethniki, having played there 36 seasons in total.
History
One of the oldest clubs in Greek football, Anagennisi was formed in 1904 in the southwestern Thessalian city of Karditsa as the football team of the multisport clubASA (Greek: Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Αναγέννησης - Athlitikos Syllogos Anagennisis), the Athletic Association Anagennisi. The name of the club comes from the Greek word for Renaissance. The statute of the club was signed personally by Crown Prince Constantine I.
From its inception in 1904, the football team of ASA was not officially recognized as a distinct entity within the organization. As more of the club's athletes began to show interest in the sport, the football team began to train, and play locally organized games, in the area of central Karditsa (which later became the Pavsilipo Park). With the sport's expanding popularity in Greece in the following decades, in 1924 the football team was finally given its own department within ASA. Playing in the independent, regional Thessalian League from 1929 to 1962, it joined the newly established Greek second division in time for Season 1962-63. When the Greek football league became professional in 1979, the football department of ASA was reformed as a Football Public Limited Company, or PAE (Greek: ΠΑΕ - Ποδοσφαιρική Ανώνυμη Εταιρία / Podosferiki Anonymi Eteria) and continued to compete as PAE Anagennisi Karditsas (FC Anagennisi Karditsa).
Anagennisi Karditsa is a well-supported club by regional football standards, and their passion is very well known. They hold the record for the most fans to ever attend an away game for Gamma Ethniki in 2008, with 2.000 supporters in the play-off match against Ilioupoli. In 2008-09 season Anagennisi Karditsa had the fourth best average in attendance despite having only avoided relegation in the last fixture against Veria.
Supporters and rivalries
Anagennisi Karditsa's main rivals are Trikala, from the neighbouring city of Trikala, and Ionikos. For many years, Anagennisi also maintained a bitter local rivalry with AOK. The fans have friendly relations with fans of Doxa Drama, Panetolikos and Agroticos Asteras
Stadium
Municipal Stadium of Karditsa
Since 1949, Anagennisi Karditsa plays its home games at the Municipal Stadium of Karditsa (Δημοτικό Στάδιο Καρδίτσας), located in the eastern part of Karditsa.
In January 2010 the stadium capacity was extended to 9,500 seats. Club training facilities, and football academy, are located in the nearby southern borough of Stavro.
