A1 Ethniki Water Polo

A1 Ethniki

Current season, competition or edition: 2022–23 A1 Ethniki
File:A1 Ethniki.svg
Sport	Water polo
Founded	1927 (1927)
No. of teams	12
Country	Greece
Confederation	LEN
Most recent champion(s)	Olympiacos Piraeus (2021-22)
Most titles	Ethnikos Piraeus (38 titles)
TV partner(s)	ERT
Relegation to	A2 Ethniki Water Polo
Domestic cup(s)	Greek Cup
International cup(s)	LEN Champions League LEN Euro Cup
Official website	koe.org.gr

The A1 Ethniki (Greek: Α1 Εθνική Κατηγορία), often referred to as the Greek Water Polo League, is the highest professional water polo league in Greece. It is run by the Hellenic Swimming Federation. It is considered one of the top national leagues in European water polo, as its clubs have made significant success in European competitions.

Ethnikos is the team with the most championships, having 38. Ethnikos also has the record for consecutive championships, with 18.

History

• 1923-27: Panhellenic Championship (held by SEGAS)
• 1927–28 to 1965-66: Panhellenic Championship (held by Hellenic Swimming Federation)
• 1966–67 to 1985-86: A Ethniki (held by Hellenic Swimming Federation)
• 1986–87 to present: A1 Ethniki (held by Hellenic Swimming Federation)

Title holders

• 1922–23 Peiraikos
• 1925–26 Ethnikos Piraeus
• 1926–27 Olympiacos Piraeus
• 1927–28 Aris Thessaloniki
• 1928–29 Aris Thessaloniki (2)
• 1929–30 Aris Thessaloniki (3)
• 1930–31 Ethnikos Piraeus (2)
• 1931–32 Aris Thessaloniki (4)
• 1932–33 Olympiacos Piraeus (2)
• 1933–34 Olympiacos Piraeus (3)
• 1934–35 NO Patras
• 1935–36 Olympiacos Piraeus (4)
• 1936–37 NO Patras (2)
• 1937–38 NO Patras (3)
• 1938–39 NO Patras (4)
• 1939–40 NO Patras (5)
• 1941–44 Not held due to WW II
• 1944–45 NO Patras (6)
• 1945–46 NO Patras (7)
• 1946–47 Olympiacos Pireaus (5)
• 1947–48 Ethnikos Piraeus (3)
• 1948–49 Olympiacos Piraeus (6)
• 1949–50 NO Patras (8)
• 1950–51 Olympiacos Piraeus (7)
• 1951–52 Olympiacos Piraeus (8)
• 1952–53 Ethnikos Piraeus (4)
• 1953–54 Ethnikos Piraeus (5)
• 1954–55 Ethnikos Piraeus (6)
• 1955–56 Ethnikos Piraeus (7)
• 1956–57 Ethnikos Piraeus (8)
• 1957–58 Ethnikos Piraeus (9)
• 1958–59 Ethnikos Piraeus (10)
• 1959–60 Ethnikos Piraeus (11)
• 1960–61 Ethnikos Piraeus (12)
• 1961–62 Ethnikos Piraeus (13)
• 1962–63 Ethnikos Piraeus (14)
• 1963–64 Ethnikos Piraeus (15)
• 1964–65 Ethnikos Piraeus (16)
• 1965–66 Ethnikos Piraeus (17)
• 1966–67 Ethnikos Piraeus (18)
• 1967–68 Ethnikos Piraeus (19)
• 1968–69 Ethnikos Piraeus (20) &
  Olympiacos Piraeus (9)
• 1969–70 Ethnikos Piraeus (21)
• 1970–71 Olympiacos Piraeus (10)
• 1971–72 Ethnikos Piraeus (22)
• 1972–73 Ethnikos Piraeus (23)
• 1973–74 Ethnikos Piraeus (24)
• 1974–75 Ethnikos Piraeus (25)
• 1975–76 Ethnikos Piraeus (26)
• 1976–77 Ethnikos Piraeus (27)
• 1977–78 Ethnikos Piraeus (28)
• 1978–79 Ethnikos Piraeus (29)
• 1979–80 Ethnikos Piraeus (30)
• 1980–81 Ethnikos Piraeus (31)
• 1981–82 Ethnikos Piraeus (32)
• 1982–83 Ethnikos Piraeus (33)
• 1983–84 Ethnikos Piraeus (34)
• 1984–85 Ethnikos Piraeus (35)
• 1985–86 ANO Glyfada
• 1986–87 ANO Glyfada (2)
• 1987–88 Ethnikos Piraeus (36)
• 1988–89 ANO Glyfada (3)
• 1989–90 ANO Glyfada (4)
• 1990–91 NO Vouliagmeni
• 1991–92 Olympiacos Piraeus (11)
• 1992–93 Olympiacos Piraeus (12)
• 1993–94 Ethnikos Piraeus (37)
• 1994–95 Olympiacos Piraeus (13)
• 1995–96 Olympiacos Piraeus (14)
• 1996–97 NO Vouliagmeni (2)
• 1997–98 NO Vouliagmeni (3)
• 1998–99 Olympiacos Piraeus (15)
• 1999–00 Olympiacos Piraeus (16)
• 2000–01 Olympiacos Piraeus (17)
• 2001–02 Olympiacos Piraeus (18)
• 2002–03 Olympiacos Piraeus (19)
• 2003–04 Olympiacos Piraeus (20)
• 2004–05 Olympiacos Piraeus (21)
• 2005–06 Ethnikos Piraeus (38)
• 2006–07 Olympiacos Piraeus (22)
• 2007–08 Olympiacos Piraeus (23)
• 2008–09 Olympiacos Piraeus (24)
• 2009–10 Olympiacos Piraeus (25)
• 2010–11 Olympiacos Piraeus (26)
• 2011–12 NO Vouliagmeni (4)
• 2012–13 Olympiacos Piraeus (27)
• 2013–14 Olympiacos Piraeus (28)
• 2014–15 Olympiacos Piraeus (29)
• 2015–16 Olympiacos Piraeus (30)
• 2016–17 Olympiacos Piraeus (31)
• 2017–18 Olympiacos Piraeus (32)
• 2018–19 Olympiacos Piraeus (33)
• 2019–20 Olympiacos Piraeus (34)
• 2020–21 Olympiacos Piraeus (35)
• 2021–22 Olympiacos Piraeus (36)

Titles by club

No.	Club	Winners	Winning years
1.	Ethnikos Piraeus	38	1926, 1931, 1948, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969*, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1994, 2006
2.	Olympiacos Piraeus	36	1927, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1969*, 1971, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
3.	NO Patras	8	1935, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1945, 1946, 1950
4.	Aris Thessaloniki	4	1928, 1929, 1930, 1932
5.	ANO Glyfada	4	1986, 1987, 1989, 1990
6.	NO Vouliagmeni	4	1991,1997, 1998, 2012
7.	Peiraikos	1	1923

* The 1969 Championship was shared between Olympiacos and Ethnikos

Consecutive championships

18 in a row

• Ethnikos Piraeus→1953-1970

14 in a row

• Ethnikos Piraeus→1972-1985

10 in a row

• Olympiacos Piraeus→2013

9 in a row

• Olympiacos Piraeus→1999-2005

6 in a row

• NO Patras→1937-1946

5 in a row

• Olympiacos Piraeus→2007-2011

3 in a row

• Aris Thessaloniki→1928-1930

2 in a row

• Olympiacos→1933-1934, 1951-1952, 1992-1993, 1995-1996

• ANO Glyfada→1986-1987, 1989-1990

• NO Vouliagmeni→1997-1998

Awards

The Most Valuable Player award has been officially inducted since 2012.

Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Greek Championship

• 2011–12 Alexandros Gounas (NO Vouliagmeni)
• 2012–13 Giannis Fountoulis (Olympiacos)
• 2013–14 Alexandros Gounas (Olympiacos)
• 2014–15 Giannis Fountoulis (Olympiacos)
• 2015–16 Angelos Vlachopoulos (Olympiacos)
• 2016–17 Giannis Fountoulis (Olympiacos)
• 2017–18 Alexandros Gounas (Olympiacos)
• 2018–19 Alexandros Gounas (Olympiacos)
• 2019–20 Alexandros Gounas (Olympiacos)
• 2020–21 Kostas Genidounias (Olympiacos)

Appearances in A' Ethniki (1967―2022)

A' Ethniki (National Division) started in 1967, but the Greek championship started in 1923 as a Panhellenic Championship. The Hellenic Swimming Federation declares all championship winning teams as champions from 1928 and onwards. Teams in bold participate in the 2021-22 season.

App	Club
56	Olympiacos S.F. Piraeus
54	Ethnikos OFPF
47	N.O. Chios
44	N.O. Patras
44	Panathinaikos
42	NO Vouliagmeni
42	A.N.O. Glyfada
34	A.O. Palaio Faliro
27	N.O. Chania
27	P.A.O.K. Thessaloniki
22	Panionios G.S.S. (Athens)
16	Iraklis Thessaloniki
16	N.A.O. Kerkyra
14	N.O. Volos
13	N.O. Kalamaki
10	Aris Thessaloniki
8	N.O. Ydraikos
7	N.O. Chalcis
7	O.F. Thalassis Thessaloniki
6	K.O. Poseidon Ilision (Athens)
6	Ilisiakos A.O. Athens
5	N.E. Patras
5	Apollon Smyrnis (Athens)
5	E.N.O. Egyptioton Athens
3	N.O. Argostoli
3	A.O. Nireas Chalandri
3	N.O. Mytilene
3	G.N.O. Aris Nikaias
3	G.S. Peristeri
2	N.O. Larissa
2	G.S. Nireas Lamia
2	GS Ilioupolis (Athens)
2	A.E.K. Athens
2	O.Y.K. Volos
1	O.F.I. (Heraklion)
1	Phoenix Piraeus

Greek clubs in European competitions

Club		Champions League					Euro Cup					Cup Winners' Cup (defunct)					Super Cup
		C	Years	RU	SF		C	Years	RU	SF		C	Years	RU	SF		C	Years	RU
Olympiacos Piraeus		2	2002,2018	3	1		–					0		2			1	2002	1
Ethnikos Piraeus		0		0	1		0		0	1		0		0			–
NO Vouliagmeni		0		0	0		0		1	1		1	1997	0	1		–
Panionios		0		0	0		0		2	1		–					–
NO Patras		–					0		1	0		–					–

External links

• Hellenic Swimming Federation (in Greek)
• Eleftherotypia
• Star Channel
• Novasport Fm