Omilos Filathlon Irakleiou was established in Heraklion on the island of Crete back in 1925. Officially known as OFI, the team is sometimes incorrectly known as OFI Crete in countries outside of Greece. The club has experienced some significant success over the years, despite its relatively small stature.
Prior to the Second World War, OFI were largely limited to playing matches on the island of Crete, as the struggles Greece was facing made it impossible for the side to regularly travel over to the mainland and compete in the national competitions. The team first ventured into major national competition during the late 1950s, when they were placed in the Greek National Championship. However, their initial stay in the First Division was short, lasting only one season, as the team was relegated.
OFI returned to the top flight in the 1960s but would have to wait several more years for their first taste of major success. Over the years, league championships have been beyond their reach, so cup competitions have provided the extent of their success. In 1986-87, they defeated Iraklis in the final of the Greek Cup to claim their first piece of silverware. The victory came via a penalty shootout. Two years later, in 1988-89, they won the Balkans Cup. In 1990 they reached the final of the Greek Cup once again, but on this occasion, they finished as runners up.
Former Greek international midfielder Nikos Nioplias is perhaps the team's best-known former player. He also holds the record for most appearances for the club, taking part in 416 official matches during his stay.
The Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium has served as OFI's home since its opening in 1951. The ground is sometimes referred to as Yedi Kule and currently has a capacity of 8,500 supporters. However, the record attendance was set at 12,391 back in 1988, for a match against Olympiakos.
