Retro PAOK Shirt – The Double-Headed Eagle of the North

PAOK's story begins in heartbreak. When the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne mandated the compulsory exchange of Muslim and Christian populations between Greece and Turkey, over a million Greeks were uprooted from their ancestral homes in Asia Minor. Many settled in Thessaloniki, and among them were the founders of PAOK, who established the club in 1926 as a way of preserving community, identity, and pride. From modest beginnings, PAOK steadily grew into one of Greek football's great powers, developing a fierce local identity rooted in the working-class eastern districts of Thessaloniki.

The club's first golden era arrived in the 1970s. PAOK claimed the Greek First Division title in the 1976–77 season, ending a long wait and igniting scenes of euphoria in Thessaloniki. That same season saw them reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, one of the club's finest European performances, announcing PAOK on the continental stage. A second league title followed in 1984–85, cementing a decade of dominance in northern Greek football.

For much of the 1990s and 2000s, the league title eluded PAOK despite deep cup runs and loyal European appearances. Their Greek Cup victories – including wins in 2001, 2003, and 2017 – kept silverware coming to Thessaloniki, but the fans hungered for a return to league glory. That hunger became almost an obsession, as Athens clubs Olympiacos and Panathinaikos repeatedly dominated the Super League.

The breakthrough finally came in extraordinary fashion. Under Romanian coach Răzvan Lucescu, PAOK clinched the Super League title in 2018–19, their first championship in 34 years, sparking celebrations that paralysed Thessaloniki for days. They followed it with another title in 2021–22, confirming a new era of dominance. The Thessaloniki derby against Aris remains one of the most intense local rivalries in Greek football, while clashes with Olympiacos carry a north-versus-south, working class-versus-establishment narrative that crackles with tension every season. PAOK's European nights – particularly in the UEFA Europa League – have produced memorable moments against sides from across the continent, and the Toumba faithful have made the stadium a fortress that even elite European clubs have feared visiting.

PAOK has been home to some genuinely iconic footballers whose names are etched into the club's folklore. In the club's earlier golden decades, Yugoslav goalkeeper Branko Oblak was a colossal presence between the posts, his performances helping establish PAOK as a force in both domestic and European competition during the 1970s and 1980s.

As the club evolved, it attracted quality from across the Balkans and beyond. Serbian striker Aleksandar Prijović was a phenomenon during the 2017–18 and 2018–19 campaigns, his predatory finishing helping fire PAOK to their long-awaited league title. Brazilian right-back Léo Matos became a genuine cult hero at Toumba through years of committed, cultured performances down the flank, earning legendary status with the supporter base. Serbian winger Andrija Živković brought flair and unpredictability, while English striker Chuba Akpom enjoyed a prolific spell that surprised many watching from afar.

Perhaps the most exciting modern PAOK graduate is Christos Tzolis, the explosive Greek winger whose electric displays earned him a move to Norwich City and a regular international call-up, proof that PAOK's academy and recruitment can produce players of the highest calibre. Giannis Mystakidis, famous for a stunning Champions League qualifying goal, captured the imagination of fans worldwide.

In the dugout, Răzvan Lucescu deserves enormous credit for transforming PAOK into champions after 34 barren years, instilling a tactical discipline and winning mentality that redefined the club's ambitions. His tenure stands as one of the most successful managerial spells in Greek football history.

The PAOK shirt has always made a statement. Those bold black-and-white vertical stripes, inspired by the colours the club's Constantinople-born founders chose to represent mourning and purity, have been refined across a century of football but never fundamentally altered. The double-headed eagle badge, steeped in Byzantine symbolism, elevates even the simplest design into something historically charged.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, PAOK wore classically simple cotton shirts – thick vertical stripes with minimal branding, the kind of pure football aesthetic that collectors treasure today. These early kits feel almost timeless, stripped of commercial clutter and utterly authentic to the era.

Through the late 1980s and 1990s, the shirts gained more adventurous cuts and subtle design flourishes, with manufacturers experimenting with pinstripe variations and collar styles that capture the design language of that era perfectly. Sponsor names began appearing across the chest, adding a layer of period-specific character that makes vintage PAOK kits immediately dateable.

The 2000s brought more fitted silhouettes and technical fabrics, while the 2010s saw the stripes rendered with sharper definition and bolder badge placement. The retro PAOK shirt from the title-winning 2018–19 season holds special meaning for supporters, representing the end of a 34-year championship drought. Across all eras, the black and white remain sacred – a colour combination that instantly communicates PAOK to any football fan who sees it.