Melissanidis: “AEK Sportcity is a new goal – A unique sports center, the city of AEK”!

And the name of it “AEK Sportcity”! In his new big goal after the huge investment with the stadium, the creation of the -perhaps unique, as he described it- sports center in Greece, stood the Dimitris Melissanisis.

The administrative leader of AEK, speaking to reporters at the lunch hosted by him at the OPAP Arena, referred to the development of the training center of the “biceps” in Spata, which extends over 100 acres and will include, among other things, two new pitches for the academies (reaching six), tennis courts, a swimming pool and a five-star hotel, where on Friday weekends when the first team is not in it will be open to the public! While, as he added, he estimates that in two years it will be ready.

“AEK’s training center expands, evolves and becomes ”AEK Sportcity”. The city of AEK. In essence, we will build two new stadiums for the Academies, a swimming pool, tennis courts and a five-star hotel. It will have two floors and has a stone style, like the old guesthouses, if you remember the older ones. On the ground floor there will be all facilities, libraries for children, play rooms, gyms, restaurants. Everything you can imagine. On the first floor there will be 24 rooms and two suites. The entire first floor will be for the academy children and a multi-purpose room. The second floor with 20 rooms and two suites will be for the first group. It’s the new bet. I believe we will win it. This is the only way AEK can grow. We happened to present it at a beautiful time having won two trophies. I really believe in this project and you can be sure that it will also be implementedDimitris Melissanidis noted, among others.

Also, referring to Seraphim he emphasized that AEK is the only club in Greece whose second team has its own stadium with all the specifications, which the first team will also declare as a second home.

In detail, the position of Dimitris Melissanidis for “AEK Sportcity”:



“We are all happy. After so many years this team has won the championship and the cup. Today I want to talk to you about our new plans, about what we intend to do immediately. About what we want to do after we built our stadium. Our new target is ”AEK Sportcity”. We have already prepared the plans for our sports center which will probably be unique in Greece. One hundred acres in an urban green area. After our stadium we will invest in our sports center. So we want to present you our plans. I want to believe that as we succeeded in our stadium, so will our sports center“, initially noted the administrative leader of the “Union”.

Dimitris Melissanidis presented a series of images for how it took over (in 2013) the training center in Spata and how it has evolved with the investments made. “We made investments, got all the permits and took it from the bank property. The 45 acres became 100. We built the “Serafideio” and the two stands and we will build a third one. The stadium is UEFA 2 and we are the only club in Greece whose B team has its own stadium with all the specifications. This field will be declared by both the first team and the second base“, he added.

Then, presenting the relevant slides, he also described his vision for “AEK Sportcity”: “Above the “Serafideio” there is now a privately owned space of PAE and there we will implement our plans. AEK’s training center expands, evolves and becomes ”AEK Sportcity”. The city of AEK. In essence, we will build two new stadiums for the Academies, a swimming pool, tennis courts and a five-star hotel. It will have two floors and has a stone style, like the old guesthouses, if you remember the older ones. On the ground floor there will be all facilities, libraries for children, play rooms, gyms, restaurants. Everything you can imagine. On the first floor there will be 24 rooms and two suites. The entire first floor will be for the academy children and a multi-purpose room. The second floor with 20 rooms and two suites will be for the first group. It’s the new bet. I believe we will win it. This is the only way AEK can grow. We happened to present it at a beautiful time having won two trophies. I really believe in this project and you can be sure that it will also be implemented».

While in all that concerns the cost of the investmentunderlined: “There is no answer to this question. When you want to implement something like this, there is usually a huge difference between theory and practice. And for the stadium other amounts were said. Does not matter. No matter what it costs we will do it and that’s what counts. We have already started to issue the permits. I estimate that in two years it will be completed».

Finally, giving hotel details stated: “Today AEK has already rented a building. There are about 20 academy kids left. That is exactly why we will have the first floor. For children from all over Greece. To live, read, go to school and attend the training program. The second floor will be for the first team and when the team is not there, anyone can come and spend the Friday weekend. To see our facilities, to enjoy our training sessions and our sports center. Thus PAE will have additional income and we will gain fans. It was a goal, a dream of mine and I want to realize it».

See pictures from the presentation of “AEK Sportcity”: