The Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium is the home of Olympiacos, the most successful club in Greek football and named after Georgios Karaiskakis, a national hero who was killed close to the stadium during the 1821 Greek Revolution.
The original Karaiskakis Stadium was opened in 1896 and used at the first Summer Olympics that year as the Neo Phaliron Velodrome, hosting the cycling events. It was in the 1920s that football was first played in the stadium with Ethnikos Piraeus playing there since their formation in 1923 and Olympiacos playing there from their foundation in 1925. The stadium was renovated in the 1960s, with the cycling track replaced by an athletics track. The 1969 European Athletics Championship and 1971 Cup Winners’ Cup Final were subsequently held there, with Chelsea defeating Real Madrid 2-1 in a replay.
Tenants: Olympiacos (Super League Greece)
Opened: 2004
Capacity: 32,115
Address: Καραολή και Δημητρίου και Σοφιανοπούλου, Pireas 185 47, Greece
Olympiacos did move to the newly built Athens Olympic Stadium from 1984 to 1989, returning to the Karaiskakis Stadium briefly until 1997 before heading back to the Olympic stadium. Ethnikos Piraeus continued to use the stadium until 2000, however the ground fell into disrepair before being demolished in 2003 and rebuilt by Olympiacos, reopening within just 14 months ahead of the 2004 Summer Olympics – where a number of matches were played, including the Women’s Gold Medal match.
The Greek national team played the majority of their internationals at the Karaiskakis Stadium between 2004 and 2017, before returning to the Athens Olympic Stadium. Ethnikos Piraeus have an open invitation from Olympiacos to return to the stadium but as yet, have not opted to do so.
Tickets at Karaiskakis Stadium
Except for the high profile matches against Panathinaikos, AEK or European fixtures, tickets to watch Olympiacos should be readily available. Tickets are available to purchase in advance online or at the stadium on the day of the match.
Location & Travel to Karaiskakis Stadium
The Karaiskakis Stadium is located in the port city of Piraeus, approximately 5 miles southwest of Athens city centre.
Airport: Athens International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in Greece, with flights on offer across Europe, with some available further afield to North America and Asia.
From the airport you can reach Athens via the Metro Line 3 (Blue), if heading to the stadium in Piraeus you can change to Line 1 (Green) and getting off at Faliro (see below). Alternatively bus X95 runs from the airport to near the stadium.
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Bus: Bus route 040 (Syntagma), 101 (Elliniko), 130 (Nea Smirni) and X95 (Airport) all run close to the stadium.
Car Parking: There are 1,000 car parking spaces available at the stadium.
Metro: Metro station Faliro is located next to the stadium, which is on Line 1 (Green) and runs from Athens city centre in about 15 minutes. Depending where you are travelling from, you can connect to the Green line at Monastiraki (Blue Line) or Omonia (Red Line).
Train: Athens railway station (known as Larissa Station) is the largest in Greece, with services all over Greece. To reach the stadium from here, you can either catch the Metro and change at Omonia (as above).
Tram: From Syntagma or Voula in Athens, you can catch Tram Line 3 or 4 to the SEF tram stop next to the Peace and Friendship Stadium, a few minutes walk away from Karaiskakis Stadium.
Where to stay in Piraeus
Use TripAdvisor to find some great places to stay in Piraeus by clicking here.
Karaiskakis Stadium Tour/Olympiacos Museum
There is no stadium tour of the Karaiskakis Stadium, however the stadium is home to the Olympiacos Museum – opened in 2006 and details the history of the club. Further information is available on the Olympiacos website.
Further Information & Events
Last Updated on February 24, 2021 by Sports Tourist