2003 Greek Football Cup final
| Event | 2002–03 Greek Football Cup | ||||||
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| Date | 17 May 2003 | ||||||
| Venue | Toumba Stadium, Thessaloniki | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Giorgos Georgiadis (PAOK) | ||||||
| Referee | Giorgos Douros (Corinthia) | ||||||
| Attendance | 18,703 | ||||||
| Weather | Fair 21 °C (70 °F) 73% humidity | ||||||
The 2003 Greek Cup final was the 59th final of the Greek Cup. The match took place on 17 May 2003, at Toumba Stadium. The contesting teams were PAOK and Aris.[1][2][3][4] It was Aris' sixth Greek Cup final in their 89 years of existence and PAOK's sixteenth Greek Cup final in their 77-year history.
During the postgame press conference, the manager of Aris, Georgios Firos made a complaint that the final should have been a two-legged tie because PAOK had the advantage of playing on home ground. Kaftanzoglio Stadium, a neutral ground and Thessaloniki's largest stadium was under renovation for the 2004 Summer Olympic games. On 6 September 2002, the HFF Board decided that should the final be held in Thessaloniki—mandated if a local club qualified—Toumba Stadium would serve as the venue, being the second largest in the city. Nine days prior to the match, Aris submitted a request to the Federation demanding that the final be held at either the Kalamaria or Makedonikos stadium—both neutral venues with significantly lower capacities—or that a draw be held between Toumba Stadium and Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium.[5] Both proposals were rejected, as the HFF Board unanimously reaffirmed its September decision on the matter.[6] The manager of PAOK, Angelos Anastasiadis, became the first in the club's history to win the Cup both as a player (in 1974) and manager.
Venue
This was the first Greek Cup final held at Toumba Stadium (Toumba also hosted the first leg of the 1992 two-legged final between PAOK and Olympiacos).
Toumba Stadium was built in 1959 and was renovated five times, in 1998, 1962, 1965, 1972 and 2000. The stadium is used as a venue for PAOK and was used for Greece on various occasions. Its current capacity is 28,701.[7]
Background
Aris had reached the Greek Cup final five times, winning one of them. The last time that they had played in a final was in 1970, where they had won against PAOK by 1–0.[8]
PAOK had reached the Greek Cup final fifteen times, winning three of them. The last time that they had played in a final was in 2001, where they had won against Olympiacos by 4–2.[9]
The two teams had met each other in a Cup final one time in the 1970 final.[10]
Route to the final
| Aris | Round | PAOK | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | |
| AO Chania | 6–0 | 4–0 (A) | 2–0 (H) | First round | Leonidio | 1–0 | 1–0 (A) | 0–0 (H) |
| Patraikos | 4–1 | 1–0 (A) | 3–1 (H) | Second round | Olympiacos Volos | 2–0 | 2–0 (H) | 0–0 (A) |
| PAS Giannina | 4–0 | 3–0 (H) | 1–0 (A) | Round of 16 | OFI | 1–1 (a) | 0–0 (H) | 1–1 (A) |
| Ethnikos Asteras | 3–2 | 3–1 (H) | 0–1 (A) | Quarter-finals | Olympiacos | 5–2 | 3–1 (H) | 2–1 (A) |
| Egaleo | 1–1 (a) | 1–1 (A) | 0–0 (H) | Semi-finals | AEK Athens | 2–1 | 1–0 (A) | 1–1 (H) |
Match
Details
| Aris | 0–1 | PAOK |
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Aris
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PAOK
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Man of the Match:
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Match rules
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See also
References
- ^ "Georgiadis goal enough for PAOK". UEFA. 17 May 2003.
- ^ "Ο ΠΑΟΚ Κυπελλούχος Ελλάδας Vodafone 2003, 1–0 τον Αρη στον τελικό" [PAOK wins the Vodafone Greek Cup 2003, defeating Aris 1–0 in the final]. epo.gr (in Greek). 17 May 2003.
- ^ Antonis Repanas (19 May 2003). "Πήρε το Κύπελλο στο σπίτι του..." tanea.gr (in Greek).
- ^ Stavros Sountoulidis (17 May 2017). "ΠΑΟΚ–Άρης 1–0, Τελικός 2003". gazzetta.gr (in Greek).
- ^ "Αλλαγή έδρας ζήτησε ο Άρης" [Aris requested a change of venue]. in.gr (in Greek). 8 May 2003.
- ^ "Οριστικά στην Τούμπα ο τελικός" [The final will be held at Toumba]. HFF (in Greek). 9 May 2003. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "Toumba Stadium". stadia.gr.
- ^ "Είναι πολλά τα χρόνια, Αρη..." HFF (in Greek). 25 April 2003. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "Αφιέρωμα: Ο ΠΑΟΚ των δεκαπέντε τελικών και των τριών Κυπέλλων". HFF (in Greek). 8 May 2003. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "Greece - List of Cup Winners". RSSSF.