OFI football team of Heraklion crete

OFI Football Team History

In the autumn of 1925 on the beautiful island of Crete, in a corner of the capital Heraklion, some musicians start playing their lyres. Someone at the meeting has the idea of starting a society, so that others would come and listen to their music. The founding members were impressed to learn of similar societies across the rest of Greece that combined cultural activities with sporting ones, with a particualar emphasis on football.

The next item on the agenda was a club emblem. On an island with such a glorious and savage history as Crete, it was always bound to be a warlike symbol. A warrior's shield was chosen by the founder of the OFI football club, Vasillis Sfakianakis. Unsurprisingly, the choice was steeped im mythology. The shield on the OFI badge is shaped like that of ancient Ulysses who fought in the Trojan wars. Ulysses is famed for rescuing Helen from the Trojans with the help of a well-known wooden horse.

With the crest complete, the colours remained to be chosen. Black and white were the inevitable choices: white standing for justice and black for courage in local folklore.

The OFI football club was and continues to be an expression of Heraklion's athleticism, culture and taste.