Mimis Papaioannou
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dimitrios Papaioannou | ||
| Date of birth | 23 August 1942 | ||
| Place of birth | Nea Nikomedeia, Greece | ||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward, attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1957–1960 | Nea Genea | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1960–1962 | Veria | 84 | (40) |
| 1962–1979 | AEK Athens | 480 | (235) |
| 1979–1982 | New York Pancyprian-Freedoms | 17 | (5) |
| Total | 581 | (280) | |
| International career | |||
| 1963–1978 | Greece | 61 | (21) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1982–1986 | New York Pancyprian-Freedoms | ||
| 1988 | Kerkyra | ||
| 1988–1989 | Olympiacos Chalkida | ||
| 1991–1992 | Kefalonia | ||
| 1992–1994 | Greece (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Dimitrios "Mimis" Papaioannou (Greek: Δημήτριος "Μίμης" Παπαϊωάννου; born 23 August 1942) is a Greek former international footballer who played as a forward, mostly for AEK Athens. His nickname was "The Vlach" (Greek: "ο Βλάχος") due to his origin. Papaioannou was a symbol of morality and faith for AEK Athens and the Greek football. He played for the same team for the most of his career and was never shown a single red card while being spotted only three times with a yellow, showing a wonderful prudence and integrity of character. Papaioannou was considered to be the best Greek footballer of his generation and one of the best Greek footballers of all time, being awarded as the best Greek footballer of the 20th Century by IFFHS.[1] In 2021 the IFFHS also chose him in the best XI of all time of Greek football.[2]
Early life
Mimis Papaioannou was born on 23 August 1942 in Nea Nikomedeia of Imathia. His father, Kostas was the curator of the local football team Nea Genea and so little Mimis came in touch with the football fields from an early age. His football talent and his love for the soccer ball were unquestionable. His love of football and the financial difficulties of his family forced him to leave school early and split his time between the stadium and the barber shop in the village where he worked as an assistant.[3]
Club career
Early career
At the age of 15 he joined Nea Genea and played in the team's offense. His name and abilities quickly became known in the capital of the prefecture of Veria and to the agents of the local club, as a result of which he transferred to them with a promising 1959 at the age of 17. His appearances for the "Queen of North" aroused the interest of the big teams of Thessaloniki but also of the then coach of AEK Athens, Tryfon Tzanetis.[4] The offers of the teams of Thessaloniki did not meet the requirements of his club and in fact his transfer to PAOK failed for a difference of 20,000 drachmas. In 1961, Tzanetis suggested and persuaded Nikos Goumas to offer 175,000 drachmas to the team and 25,000 drachmas to the 19-year-old player for his transfer to AEK Athens. The young striker of refugee origin was hesitant, as on the one hand there was his sporting sympathy for the northern Greece, PAOK and the neighboring move to Thessaloniki, while on the other hand there was the greater name of AEK and most of the money that were more than an immediate need for his family, with the almost expatriate in the distant Athens, a prerequisite but eventually Papaioannou chose the Athenian club.[3]
AEK Athens
Thus, in the summer of 1962, the 20-year-old Mimis Papaioannou was dressed in the yellow-black jersey, starting an integral course of 18 years that elevated him to one of the greatest players in the history of AEK Athens. He was the player that to complete Kostas Nestoridis and lead the club in claiming the league. Alongside "Nestoras" they formed an incredible attacking duo, filled with technique, passion, strength and pluralism in execution that was proved deadly for the opposing defences. At the end of the 1962–63 season, AEK was tied for 1st place with Panathaikos and the title was judged in a play-off match. Papaioannou scored twice, Nestoridis also scored from a direct corner kick and after a 3–3 draw according to the regulations of the time, the title was awarded to the team with the best goal ratio in the regular season. The 39 goals scored by the two clubs and the total goal difference of 66–21 lead AEK to win the league after 23 years.[5] As Mimis Papaioannou had stated, after the end of the match, as he saw all the members of the team in the locker room crying for this success, he was grafted as a newcomer with the club's ideals, while he also cried and became a supporter of AEK.[3] In 1964 he became the top scorer of the league ending Nestoridis' 5-year-streak.
The upcoming years for AEK and Papaioannou were almost ideal, as he showed that he would be the one to take the role from Nestoridis as the leader of the team pushing them as high as he could. His appearances and achievements put him quickly in the heart of the people of the club. The fans adored him and he rewarded them with passion for the yellow-black jersey. His high technique and continuous scoring with spectacular goals, while his extraordinary ability to remain in the air more than any opponent defender and shoot with his head the opposition goalkeepers, was admired not from only the Greek fans, but also from foreigners that watched him play. One of these foreigners was the legendary "Galloping Major" himself, Ferenc Puskás who as a Real Madrid player on 12 May 1965 saw Papaioannou scoring a brace against the Spanish "Queen" in the friendly 3-3 on Nea Filadelfeia. "Pancho" immediately suggested to the management of Real the acquisition of the Greek striker. Real's proposal to AEK was unrealistically mythical for the Greek data of the time. The Castigians offered AEK ₯4,000,000 and ₯750,000 to the player his move to Madrid. The fabulous amount and the prospect of a football career far from Greece's standards, Spain ignited Mimis' desire for the transfer, but that desire was never fulfilled due to the fear of the management for the fans' reactions to a possible departure of Papaioannou.[6][3]
Career break and singing
His anger was such, that he was about to abandon football.[4] Afterwards, Papaioannou was approached by a folk composer and bouzouki player Christos Nikolopoulos, who brought him in contact with Stelios Kazantzidis. Mimis and Stelios have unlimited mutual respect and admiration for each other's abilities and Kazantzidis discovered that Papaioannou, in addition to his footballing skills, had also a very good singing voice and suggested that he follow him to concerts in Germany with Marinella.[7] Mimis accepted and went to Germany, singing to the Greek immigrants of the country. After two months and despite Papaioannou's vocal competence, Kazantzidis, realizing the "crime" of the departure of Mimis from football, persuaded him to return to AEK and mediated himself with the administration in order for Papaioannou to sign a very satisfactory contract. Papaioannou's singing career was limited to the recording of seven songs by Stelios Kazantzidis and Christos Nikolopoulos between 1971 and 1972. Among them was the recording on 19 June 1971 of the famous "Hymn of AEK" to music by Stelios Kazantzidis and lyrics by Christos Kolokotronis.[8]
Return to AEK Athens
Papaioannou returned to his two great loves, AEK and football and became the undisputed leader of the team, after the departure of Nestoridis. A leader who proved to be the most effective of all as he managed to lead the club to 4 more Championships, 2 Greek Cups, 1 Double, a European Cup quarter-final and a UEFA Cup semi-final. His leadership skills and the ability to inspire his teammates where was needed on 27 October 1968 in Faliro against Olympiacos, when the "master of psychology", Branko Stanković decided not to make the substitution, even after dismissal of Serafidis for hitting Sideris, sending Papaioannou to defend as a goalkeeper the "yellow–black" posts for the remaining 5 minutes of the match. Papaioannou, after scoring the third goal for AEK in the 78th minute, giving them a 2–3 lead, kept the post untouched, even making two great saves.[9] His unparalleled football intelligence and high technical training led in 1976 the other great "guru" of coaching, František Fadrhonc to relocate him as a "classic number 10" in the great team of Loukas Barlos, and having in front of him players like Mavros, Wagner, Ardizoglou and Konstantinou. Papaioannou responded excellently as a playmaker, but without neglecting his goal scoring habits.[3] He became the club's ever top scorer and when he left AEK he was the league's all-time top scorer, a record broken 11 years later by his teammate, Thomas Mavros. Today, Papaioannou can be found in the 3rd place of the all-time top scorers of the Greek League.[10] He holds the record of most goal scored at the derbies against Panathinaikos with 10 goals[11] and the record of most goal scored at the derbies against Olympiacos with 14.[12] Papaioannou left AEK in the summer of 1979 in order to play for the New York Pancyprian-Freedoms and where after a successful 3-year spell, he ended his great career as a football player, at the age of 40.
The combination of all his virtues and talents, was recognized by the IFFHS in January 1999, where he was named the Top Greek Footballer of the 20th Century.[3][13]
International career
Papaioannou was capped 61 times by the Greek National Team scoring 21 goals being Greece's ever top scorer, at the time, until Anastopoulos surpassed him in 1986 and now he is among the top 5 goalscorers. His debut was on 27 November 1963 in a friendly away 3-1 loss against Cyprus, under Tzanetis. Although it was the first international match of Papaioannou was the captain of Greece.[14]
Managerial career
Papaioannou, after leaving AEK in 1979, went in the USA as a player-coach for New York Pancyprian-Freedoms, where he won a double in the League and Cup. He remained there until 1986 initially as a player, then as a player-coach and eventually only as a coach. Although he was approaching the age of 40, in 1981 he attracted the interest of the top professional league in the US, NASL, but he had already decided to retire.[15]
After his return to Greece, some coaching attempts at clubs such as Kerkyra and others were not crowned with success. The 1991–92 season found Papaioannou in Kefalonia, where he was active professionally and at the local time coached the team of Evgeros, which was promoted from the local championships to the fourth division.[16] He also coached national teams and was at the side of Alketas Panagoulias in the Men's National Cup as an assistant, at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA.[4][3]
Career statistics
| Season | Club | League | Cup | Europe | Balkans Cup | National Team | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| 1962–63 | AEK Athens[10] | 30 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 17 |
| 1963–64 | 28 | 29 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 37 | 37 | |
| 1964–65 | 30 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 39 | 20 | |
| 1965–66 | 25 | 24 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 30 | |
| 1966–67 | 22 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 22 | |
| 1967–68 | 27 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 37 | 22 | |
| 1968–69 | 33 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 49 | 30 | |
| 1969–70 | 32 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 19 | |
| 1970–71 | 34 | 27 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 53 | 39 | |
| 1971–72 | 28 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 38 | 18 | |
| 1972–73 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 33 | 10 | |
| 1973–74 | 24 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 7 | |
| 1974–75 | 33 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 41 | 14 | |
| 1975–76 | 30 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 15 | |
| 1976–77 | 30 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 47 | 10 | |
| 1977–78 | 31 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 9 | |
| 1978–79 | 22 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 | |
| Career total | 480 | 235 | 54 | 45 | 35 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 61 | 21 | 643 | 321 | |
Honours
As a player
- AEK Athens[10]
- New York Pancyprian-Freedoms
- World Military Cup: 1962, 1963
- Individual
As a coach
- New York Pancyprian-Freedoms[10]
Singing career
The 7 songs with the voice of Mimis Papaioannou were recorded on Polyphone during the period 1971–1972 with the collaboration of Christos Nikolopoulos and Stelios Kazantzidis:[8]
- Mes ti fotia mou (Μες τη φωτιά μου) - St. Kazantzidis, G. Vassilopoulos (1971)
- Α.Ε.Κ.-Hymn of AEK (Α.Ε.Κ.-Ύμνος της ΑΕΚ) - St. Kazantzidis, Chr. Kolokotronis (recorded 19 June 1971)
- San pouli kinigimeno (Σαν πουλί κυνηγημένο) - St. Kazantzidis, G. Vassilopoulos (1971)
- Eho elattomata (Έχω ελαττώματα) - Chr. Nikolopoulos, Pythagoras (1971)
- San theatrinos (Σαν θεατρίνος) - St. Kazantzidis, Evag. Atraidis (1972)
- Ftanoun i pikres (Φτάνουν οι πίκρες) - St. Kazantzidis, Evag. Atraidis (1972)
- Martyres i pikres mou (Μάρτυρες οι πίκρες μου) - Chr. Nikolopoulos, G. Vassilopoulos (1972)
References
- ^ a b "ΜΙΜΗΣ ΠΑΠΑΪΩΑΝΝΟΥ Ο κορυφαίος Έλληνας ποδοσφαιριστής του 20ου αιώνα, όπως αναδείχθηκε από τη Διεθνή Υπηρεσία Στατιστικής Ποδοσφαίρο…". gr.pinterest.com.
- ^ "This is the best 11 of all time in Greece". newsbeast.gr. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Μίμης Παπαϊωάννου". kitrinomavro.gr.
- ^ a b c "ΜΙΜΗΣ ΠΑΠΑΪΩΑΝΝΟΥ Θέλησα να φύγω με το κεφάλι ψηλά". 31 July 1999.
- ^ "ΑΕΚ-Παναθηναϊκός 3-3: Το αξέχαστο μπαράζ του 1963". 22 June 2017.
- ^ "Όταν η ΑΕΚ αρνήθηκε μυθική πρόταση της Ρεάλ για τον Παπαϊωάννου". contra.gr.
- ^ "Η ιστορία του Μίμη Παπαϊωάννου (ΦΩΤΟ & ΒΙΝΤΕΟ)". penalty.gr.
- ^ a b "Μίμης Παπαϊωάννου: Από το γήπεδο στο τραγούδι".
- ^ "Τιτάνια μάχη και επικός θρίαμβος στο Καραϊσκάκη με τον Μίμη… στο τέρμα". aek365.org.
- ^ a b c d "Mimis Papaioannou". football.aek.com.
- ^ "[[:Template:NgMeta.title]]". amna.gr.
{{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help) - ^ "Τα μεγάλα 'κανόνια' στα ντέρμπι Ολυμπιακός - ΑΕΚ". sport24.gr.
- ^ "Ευλογημένο Ποδόσφαιρο : Μίμης Παπαιωάννου".
- ^ "Greece matches 1961–1965" (PDF). epo.gr.
- ^ "Μίμης Παπαϊωάννου - Όλα τα Βιβλία - Skroutz.gr". Archived from the original on 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Ο "κορυφαίος" πέρασε από την Κεφαλονιά!". kefalonitis.com.