Team colors Yellow and Blue Location Limassol, Cyprus Founded 1966 | Home Away Arena Nicos Solomonides | |
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Nickname Vasilissa (The Queen)
(Greek: Βασίλισσα) Leagues Cyprus Basketball Division 2 President Andreas Sofokleous
Kostas Christodoulou Championships Cypriot Championships (13)
Cypriot Cups (9)
Cypriot Super Cups (8)
FIBA Regional Challenge Cup (1) Profiles | ||
Athlitiki Enosi Lemesou (Greek: Αθλητική Ένωση Λεμεσού), often abbreviated as AEL (Greek: ΑΕΛ), is a Cypriot professional basketball club based in Limassol. It is part of the multisport club Athlitiki Enosi Lemesou and competed in the Cyprus Basketball Division 1. AEL competes in the second division since the 2015-16 season.
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AEL is the most successful basketball club in Cyprus and holds the record for the number of national championships and Super Cups won. It is the only basketball club in Cyprus to have ever clinched a European title (FIBA Regional Challenge Cup, 2003).
History
The club was founded in 1966 and it is one of the founding members of the Cyprus Basketball Federation. AEL took part in the first official championship in 1967 with Michalaki Nikolaidi as coach and it managed early on to establish itself as the "Queen" of Cyprus basketball.
AEL became the dominant team in Cyprus in the 1980s, a decade in which it won 13 titles in total (6 national championships, 5 Cups, and 2 Super Cups).
The 1990s did not bring about much success as the club ended up winning only one title (in 1999), which however was to signal the beginning of another golden era.
By winning 14 domestic competitions in the 2000s (5 national championships, 3 Cups, and 6 Super Cups), as well as a European crown (Regional Challenge Cup, South Conference 2003), AEL enjoyed the most successful period in its history and retained its title as the "Queen" of Cyprus basketball.
To this day, no other basketball club from Cyprus can claim to have ever been crowned with a European title or to have won five consecutive national championships in a row.
In October 2014, the club announced the basketball section would be dissolved due to its economical trouble. In August 2015 AEL Limassol announced it would form a basketball team for the following season.
European record
In 2003, the club was crowned with its first European title after winning the newly established Regional Challenge Cup (South Conference). AEL clinched the title with the astonishing record of 10 victories in 10 games. The victory signalled the beginning of the team's European success.
After winning the Regional Challenge Cup, AEL participated as Cypriot champions the following year in the new FIBA EuroCup and qualified from the group phase to the best of 16. In the group phase, AEL eliminated Peristeri and Paris Basket Racing. The club was eliminated in the round of 16 by Hapoel Tel Aviv.
AEL came close to repeat their achievement in the same competition in 2004-05.
In 2005-06 (when the competition changed format) AEL passed the first group round by finishing second, eliminating PAOK BC and Kallev Tallinn and reaching the second round (round of 16). The team finished last in the group.
The effort to reach the quarter finals was achieved in 2006-07 even though during this time AEL faced tougher opponents than the previous years. Being in a group (in the first round) with former European Champions Virtus Bologna, ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne and Astronauts Amsterdam, very few believed that AEL had a chance to qualify. However, the club achieved the unexpected and after the surprise victory against Virtus Bologna with a score 88-83 and the home win against the French giants Villeurbanne 84-58, AEL finished second in Group 2 and qualified to the second round with four wins and two losses.
Unlike the previous year when AEL finished with 0 points in the second round, being in the same group with CB Estudiantes, Liege Basket and BC Šiauliai, they finished second with 5 victories and 1 defeat - tied with the Estudiantes because of the matches between them. AEL beat Estudiantes 63-62 in order to reach the quarter finals. The club reached the quarter finals but the dream to reach the Final Four didn't become true after they were eliminated by the Ukrainian team Azovmash 2-1 in victories. AEL won at home 85-79 but was beaten away 88 - 63 and 97 - 69.
Home arena
AEL plays its home games at the Nicos Solomonides indoor arena which was built in 2005 and which has a capacity of 2,500 seats.
It features the club's offices, official club shop, a cafe-restaurant, workout area and 12 VIP boxes.
The name was given after a former president of the club.
Supporters
The SY.F.AEL (Greek: ΣΥ.Φ.ΑΕΛ – Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων ΑΕΛ), οtherwise known as Gate 3, are the supporters of AEL basketball club.
They also support other clubs within the AEL sports association, particularly the football and volleyball clubs.
Gate 3 are well known for their amazing atmosphere in the Nicos Solomonides arena, particularly against arch-rivals Apollon Limassol.
Current roster
As of 4 November 2012.Women's basketball club
AEL also maintains a women's basketball club. It competes in the Cyprus Women's Basketball Division 1 and is one of the most successful clubs in Cyprus. The club holds the record for the most national championships (14) and most Cypriot Cups won (13).
It participates regularly in European competitions such as the Eurocup Women.