Ground O'Connor Enclosed Chairman John Efkarpadis 2016 1st | Ground Capacity 1,000 Manager Frank Cachia Founded 1955 | |
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Full name Canberra Olympic Football Club Leagues National Premier Leagues Capital Football, Capital Football Federation Cup | ||
Gungahlin fc canberra city fc vs canberra olympic fc
Canberra Olympic FC is an Australian semi-professional Association football club based in the suburb of O'Connor in the north of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The club was founded in 1955, and currently competes in the National Premier Leagues Capital Football.
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Npl capital football rd 2 cooma tigers fc v canberra olympic fc
History
Olympic was founded in the early 1950s by the local Greek community of Canberra. Formally The name Olympic was formally decided in a General Meeting of players and committee member in 1955 with the alternative name AEK losing out in the vote.
Olympic have won the ACT top division league (premiership) on six occasions under the names Canberra Olympic, Olympic and Downer Olympic. The most recent title was the NPL Capital Football premiership in 2016. However, this title did not come without controversy as Cooma FC lodged a protest complaint with Capital Football after Cooma manager, Gaby Wilk, claimed his team should have been awarded three additional points in a match against Tuggeranong United when Tuggers fielded an ineligible player. This protest amounted to nothing as Olympic were eventually named league winners.
In addition to this, Olympic have won six grand finals (championship). The most recent championship title Olympic have claimed was the 2016 NPL Capital Football Grand Final, defeating Canberra FC 3-0 at Deakin Stadium in front of 2,782 people.
In 1980, as Downer Olympic, the club won their closest premiership ahead of Croatia Deakin (now Canberra FC) by one goal. After 21 games both clubs finished on 32 points and had scored 53 goals with Olympic claiming the title on the back of their superior defence with the side conceding only 16 goals compared to Deakin's 17.
Canberra Olympic have succeeded in winning the premiership and championship 'double' twice in the club's history in 1993 and 1994. In 93, Olympic won the premiership by three points ahead of Southern Cross while they beat the same opposition in the grand final on penalties 8-7. In 94, Olympic finished first in the league ahead of Tuggeranong United while they beat Tuggers in the grand final 3-1.
On 18 June 2016, Canberra Olympic qualified for their first FFA Cup with a 3-1 victory over Cooma FC in the 2016 ACT Federation Cup final, played at Deakin Stadium.
2016 FFA Cup Campaign
30 June 2016, Olympic's 2016 FFA Cup campaign started with the round of 32 draw. Olympic drew a home match-up against Gold Coast Premier League team Surfers Paradise Apollo Soccer Club.
3 August 2016, Olympic made its FFA debut at Deakin Stadium in front of 1,253 fans on a freezing Wednesday night against Surfers Paradise Apollo. Columbian striker, Philippe Bernabo-Madrid, made his mark on the national stage with a thirty-sixth-minute goal that led Olympic to a 1-0 victory over their Queensland visitors.
10 August 2016, Olympic progressed to the FFA Cup round of 16 where they again drew a home match against Queensland opposition. This time they drew NPL Queensland club Redlands United FC who, in the Round of 32, knocked out reigning Australian champions Adelaide United.
24 August 2016, 1089 people braced the heavy rain at Deakin as Olympic took to the field against Redlands. Olympic took an early lead with a fifteen-minute penalty converted by former Canberra Cosmos goalkeeper and current Olympic captain Angelo Konstantinou. Olympic held strong throughout the match and doubled their lead in stoppage time, through a second penalty this time taken by Robert Cattanach, just before the final whistle. 2-0 was the final score that saw Canberra Olympic become the first Canberran club to reach the quarter-final stage of the FFA Cup.
31 August 2016, Canberra Olympic missed out on drawing an A-League club in the quarter final draw as Olympic instead drew another home match against Victorian NPL powerhouse Green Gully SC. The match-up gave the club the best chance at advancing to the semi-finals and collected $10,000 for the club coffers.
27 September 2016, Olympic lined up against Green Gully in front of a bumper crowd of 2,039 at Deakin Stadium. In a tight match that went down to the wire, a ten-man Canberra Olympic secured an unlikely and historic 1-0 victory on the back of a ninety-fifth minute stoppage time penalty converted again by club captain and goalkeeper Angelo Konstantinou. The result sent the majority home crowd into delirium with Olympic again becoming the first Canberran club to advance to the FFA Cup semi-finals.
Canberra Olympic went into the semi-final draw as the only remaining NPL team in the cup with A-League clubs Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City making up the rest of the draw pool. Olympic were guaranteed a home semi-final as the lowest ranked team left in the competition and the club drew A-League heavyweights Sydney FC. Olympic sought to identify what venue to host Sydney as Deakin Stadium was deemed too small. Canberra Stadium was initially suggested as a potential semi-final home venue but hosting costs ruled it out as Olympic management chose instead to take the match to Viking Park in Canberra's south in the Tuggeranong Valley. It is the same venue Tuggeranong United played Melbourne Victory in the FFA Cup in 2014.
19 October 2016, Canberra Olympic hosted the first FFA Cup semi-final in Canberra at Viking Park. A ground record 5,581 people turned out to witness the David vs Goliath match between Olympic and Sydney FC. Sydney played all their marquee signings in the match including Filip Hološko, Bobô and returning Socceroo Bernie Ibini. Olympic proved good competition for Sydney, especially in the early stages of the match but soon enough the star-studded Sydney-siders began to take control of the match. Sebastian Ryall, Miloš Dimitrijević and Ibini all scored goals for the visitors as the professionals won the match 3-0 to progress to the FFA Cup Final. Olympic's dream FFA Cup run came to an end after the match but the ACT club achieved national recognition and respect.
Current squad
As of 3 August 2016Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Coaching staff
As of 13 February 2017Honours
Season-by-season results
The below table is updated with the statistics and final results for Canberra Olympic FC following the conclusion of each National Premier League Capital Football season.