They were the first Greek club outside both the Athens and Thessaloniki metropolitan areas to represent Greece in a European competition, the 1973–74 UEFA Cup.

[1] The football department was founded in 1899 and played its first friendly game against a team of British sailors the same year, winning 4–2.

The players on the football team were athletes from the club's other departments, Italian immigrants and members of the British community of Patras.

At the same time, in 1922, with the Asia Minor Catastrophe, thousands of refugees arrived in Patras, bringing with them their love of football and establishing several new clubs.

At that time, the Greek championship was a tournament between the champions of Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki, with the Hellenic Football Federation excluding provincial clubs for many years.

Nevertheless, the Athenian clubs held friendly games in the city, culminating on 11 August 1945, when Panachaiki played a Greek XI at home, losing 7–1.

The significant difference in ability was due, among other factors, to the Athens and Piraeus teams' 25 years of experience in tournament events.

Panachaiki participated in the Southern Group and won, thus qualifying for the final round of the Panhellenic Championship, where they finished in 6th and last place.

But Panachaiki's first year in the Alpha Ethniki was disastrous, as they were accused of attempting to fix a match against Aris and docked 13 points.

In 1971, they returned to the Alpha Ethniki and a golden era began with a team of Davourlis, Rigas, Stravopodis, Michalopoulos and others achieving success, culminating in qualification for the UEFA Cup.

[2] Former Manchester United manager Wilf McGuinness took over as head coach for the 1974–75 season, before returning to England eighteen months later.

Kostas Davourlis' record 10 million drachma transfer to Olympiacos was a powerful blow to the red-black fans' dreams of winning a championship.

Fans demonstrated on the main streets of the city, setting up barricades and clashing with the police, leaving 15 injured.

Although they managed to rise to the Beta Etniki in 2011, Panachaiki were relegated and fined EUR 300,000 for bribery in a match against Olympiakos Chersonissos.

Fifteen city entrepreneurs created the "Panachaean Alliance" in order to take over the reins of the group and start efforts to clear debts from previous administrations.

[4] * Finished 2nd in the South Group and 6th in the promotion playoffs Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.