Athens Kallithea FC promoted to Super League 1

After consecutive second-place finishes in each of the last two seasons, Athens Kallithea FC are 2023/24 Super League 2 South Group champions and will return to Super League 1 next season, clinching promotion with a 1-1 draw against second-place Chania at Grigoris Lamprakis Stadium in the penultimate match of the season.

It marks the second top-flight promotion in the club’s history, with the first coming in April 2002 and leading to a four-year run in Greece’s first division from 2002/03 through 2005/06.

Needing just a point from the match, AKFC made a cautious start but nevertheless conceded an early goal, as Chania struck on a counterattack through Nili Perdomo in the 15th minute.

AKFC nearly had an equalizer when Giorgos Manthatis shot wide of the post in the 26th minute, but the goal would come just six minutes later.

In the 32nd minute, Javier Matilla served one of his trademark free-kicks into the box, and defender Nicolás Marotta won the aerial battle to head past the ‘keeper and level the match.

On the other side of half-time, ‘keeper Konstantinos Kotsaris made an important save on Chania’s Ilias Tselios in the 67th minute, and AKFC would keep the edge in possession and defend well the rest of the way to secure the historic result.

AKFC will play their season finale against Kalamata at Grigoris Lamprakis Stadium on Saturday 25 May or Sunday 26 May, with the championship ceremony to be held after the match.

Athens Kallithea (4-2-3-1): Kotsaris, Bouloulis, Mejías, Marotta, Manthatis (90’ Vlachos), Matilla (71’ Tsintonis), Silva, Kynigopoulos (46’ Vasilogiannis), Moutinho (46’ Moustakopoulos), Demethryus (84’ Weiss), Loukinas