Aris Limassol (Greek: Άρης Λεμεσού) is a professional Cypriot football club based in Limassol and one of the founder members of Cyprus Football Association. The club's colours are green, black and white, and their home is the Alphamega Stadium. Founded in 1930, Aris Limassol is one of the most historic football clubs of Limassol.

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Quick Facts Full name, Nickname(s) ...

Aris Limassol

Full name	Άρης Λεμεσού Aris Limassol Football Club
Nickname(s)	Ελαφρά Ταξιαρχία (The Light Brigade)
Founded	3 October 1930; 93 years ago (1930-10-03)
Ground	Alphamega Stadium
Capacity	11,000
Chairman	Vladimir Fedorov
Manager	Aleksey Shpilevsky
League	First Division
2022–23	First Division, 1st (champions)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours

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The club also maintains teams in other sports including basketball, table tennis and chess. The Aris chess team dominated Cypriot chess in the 1980s.

One of the founder members of the Cyprus Football Association, Aris competed in the first five seasons of the Cypriot First Division, with their league placement ranging from 5th to 7th. The club ceased operation in 1939 due to financial difficulties, and returned in 1952, competing in the Second Division. Aris returned to the First Division in 1954, but finished last and was relegated. The following season they won the Second Division and returned to the top-tier league, only to be relegated again. Aris returned to the First Division once in 1958, placing 4th.

Being one of the weaker teams in the First Division during the 1960s, they were finally relegated in the 1969–70 season, placing 12th, and spent two years in the Second Division. The situation improved for Aris, with the team finishing 4th in the First Division, in the 1976–77 and 1978–79 seasons. In 1981, they were relegated again after finishing last but returned as runner-ups the following season. In 1989, the team qualified to the final of the Cypriot Cup, where they lost to AEL Limassol. The following season, Aris signed Oleh Blokhin, the 1975 European Footballer of the Year. At the end of the season, Blokhin ended his career playing for Aris Limassol.

Following relegation in 1993, Aris won the Second Division for the third time in the club's history. From 1997 until 2006, the team would alternate between the First and Second Division. This situation ended in the 2006–07 season, when the team managed to remain in the First Division, placing 8th. However, the following season Aris was relegated once more, and the trend returned. After 9 years of drought, Aris managed to remain in the First Division in the 2015–16 season, finishing in 10th place. This season, Aris was the only team which played more than 6 Cypriot players in every match. After three seasons in the First Division, Aris was relegated and spent another three seasons in the Second Division, before being promoted once more in the 2020–21 season.

In Summer 2021, a new era began for Aris, with the Russian investor Vladimir Fedorov, who intends to transform Aris into one of the elite clubs of Cyprus. The following season, Aris finished fourth in the league, meaning the club had qualified for the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League, the first time the club had ever qualified for European football. They made their European debut in the second qualifying round against Neftçi Baku, and despite a 2–0 win at home, Aris lost 3–0 in the second tie, and was eliminated.

Aris' greatest success to date came in the 2022–23 season, as the team won the Cypriot First Division for the first time in their history, earning a place in the 2023–24 Champions League qualifying rounds.^[1] Four of the club's players made the Team of the Season at the PASP awards, including goalkeeper Vana Alves, and the team's top goalscorer Aleksandr Kokorin, who was also voted as the most valuable player of the season. Aris' head coach Aleksey Shpilevsky was voted as the best coach of the season.^[2]

Aris has a smaller number of fans compared to other Limassol clubs, but these are very committed to their club.

As of 25 January 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

More information No., Pos. ...

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  BRA Vaná 3 DF  BRA Cajú 4 DF  CMR Ismael Yandal 5 DF  GAB Alex Moucketou-Moussounda 6 DF  GHA Eric Boakye 7 MF  SWE Leo Bengtsson 8 MF  ENG Morgan Brown 9 FW  RUS Aleksandr Kokorin (on loan from Fiorentina) 10 MF  CYP Matija Špoljarić 12 DF  CYP Andréas Dimitríou 14 FW  SEN Yannick Gomis 17 DF  POL Miłosz Matysik 19 DF  SEN Mamadou Sané 20 DF  BFA Steeve Yago 21 FW  RSA Mihlali Mayambela

No. Pos. Nation Player 22 MF  SRB Veljko Nikolić 23 MF  POL Karol Struski 27 FW  SWE Zakaria Sawo 31 DF  SWE Franz Brorsson 37 MF  SVK Július Szöke 38 GK  CYP Michális Sofroníou 66 FW  SUR Jaden Montnor 70 FW  POR Edi Semedo 72 DF  SRB Slobodan Urošević 78 GK  CYP Konstantínos Chrysostómou 86 MF  BUL Ivan Asparuhov 88 FW  BLR Artyom Shumansky 90 GK  CYP Éllinas Sofroníou 91 GK  CRO Mislav Zadro

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Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

More information No., Pos. ...

No. Pos. Nation Player 24 MF  CIV Jean Marc Loukou Konan (on loan to Peyia 2014 until 30 June 2024) 77 FW  SLE Osman Koroma (on loan to Nea Salamis Famagusta until 30 June 2024) — MF  CYP Ivan Pankov (on loan to Krasava ENY Ypsonas until 30 June 2024) — DF  NGA Odera Peter Ofornadu (on loan to Krasava ENY Ypsonas until 30 June 2024)

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  CRC John Ruiz (on loan to AEZ Zakakiou until 30 June 2024) — MF  GHA Alex Opoku Sarfo (on loan to AEZ Zakakiou until 30 June 2024) — FW  NGA Rasheed Yusuf (on loan to AEZ Zakakiou until 30 June 2024)

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Technical and medical staff

More information Position, Staff ...

Position	Staff
Team manager	Kostas Tsironis
Head coach	Aleksey Shpilevsky
Assistant coach	Vitālijs Astafjevs
Assistant coach B	Tommy Jähnigen
Fitness coach	Christos Papadopoulos
Assistant fitness coach / Analyst	Ömer Erbay
Goalkeeper coach	Takis Taki
Physiotherapists	Constantinos Soutzis
	Alexis Marcou
	Andreas Sylvestros
Nutritionist	Evagoras Christofides

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• Tadeáš Kraus (1976–80), (1983–85)
• Andreas Michaelides (1986–91)
• Jerzy Engel (1997)
• Milenko Špoljarić (2004–05)
• Andreas Michaelides (2006–07)
• Henk Houwaart (1 September 2007 – 30 November 2007)
• Mihai Stoichiţă (2007–08)
• Akis Agiomamitis (2008–09)
• Marios Constantinou (17 May 2009 – 18 January 2010)
• Stéphane Demol (21 Feb 2010 – 30 June 2010)
• Dušan Mitošević (18 July 2011 – 30 June 2012)
• Demetris Ioannou (1 July 2012 – 22 June 2013)
• Tasos Kyriacou (1 July 2012 – 22 October 2013)
• Ton Caanen (23 Oct 2013 – 11 May 2014)
• Giorgos Polyviou (16 Jun 2014 – 14 October 2014)
• Akis Agiomamitis (14 Oct 2014 – 14 September 2015)
• Eugen Neagoe (15 September 2015 – 7 February 2016)
• Kostas Kaiafas (8 Feb 2016 – 15 May 2016)
• Thalis Theodoridis (24 Jun 2016 – 24 October 2016)
• Frederik Vanderbiest (1 Nov 2016 – 3 January 2017)
• Nicolas Martides (Jan 2017 – 3 October 2017)
• Giannis Christopoulos (4 Oct 2017 – 22 January 2018)
• Nicos Panayiotou (22 Jan 2018 – 13 March 2018)
• Chrysis Michael (26 Apr 2018 – 13 January 2019)
• Nicolas Martides (13 Jan 2019 – 31 May 2019)
• Liasos Louka (11 Jul 2019 – 26 February 2022)
• Aleksey Shpilevsky (26 Feb 2022 – )

Aris Limassol won the 2022–23 Cypriot First Division with Aleksey Shpilevsky for the first time in the history of the team.

• Cypriot First Division
  • Winners (1): 2022–23
• Cypriot Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1988–89
• Cypriot Super Cup
  • Winners (1): 2023
• Cypriot Second Division
  • Winners (5): 1953–54, 1955–56, 1993–94, 2010–11, 2012–13