Established in Athens in 1924 by Greek refugees from Constantinople after the 1919–22 Greco-Turkish war and the subsequent population exchange between Greece and Turkey, it is one of three most popular clubs in Greece and of the Greek diaspora. While it fields teams in many sports under the umbrella of its amateur sports arm, Amateur AEK (; Erasitechnikί AEK), it is best known for its professional football team which is the most successful Greek club in European achievements (participating at the Semi-final of Europa League in 1977), having also obtained 12 Greek Championships, 15 Greek Cups, 1 Greek League Cup, 2 Greek Super Cups) and also for the professional basketball team which has won the Greek Basket League eight times, the Greek Basket Cup five times, the FIBA Saporta Cup twice, once the FIBA Basketball Champions League and once the FIBA Intercontinental Cup.