The Invincible Panathinaikos Team of 1964

The Invincible Panathinaikos Team of 1964 

By: Antonios Theodosis

In the world of Greek football the name Panathinaikos reigns supreme in history and is synonymous with many firsts. The Greens were the first club to ever reach a European final, the first to hire a foreign coach, and the first to have an invincible season, a record which lasted for fifty-five years.

 

Often times when one examines the history of Panathinaikos one distinct moment sticks out above the rest, that of course being the European Cup run of 1971, but there is another moment that is incredible in its own right and perhaps paved the way for that famous run just seven years later, and that is the invincible 1963-1964 season. In a campaign that consisted of thirty matches, Panathinaikos would record an incredible twenty-four wins and six draws. Some of the most notable wins included a 5-4 win against AEK, a 4-0 win against PAOK, and a 0-1 win away against arch-rivals Olympiakos on the final match day of the season which capped off Panathinaikos’ invincible season and seventh league title.

 

The appointment of Croatian manager Stjepan Bobek became the catalyst for the remarkable run in which the former Partizan forward would revolutionize the way the game was played in Greece. Bobek introduced the famous and popular 4-3-3 formation to Panathinaikos for the 1963-1964 season. This would mark the first time ever that the 4-3-3 was used in Greece and it proved to be effective in the historic undefeated run that Panathinaikos would achieve. In fact, Bobek’s system was so effective, the Greens would go on to lose only one game in the following 1964-1965 campaign, a testament to just how revolutionary this Panathinaikos side was.

 

While the formation and system played a key role in the invincible run, Bobek needed the pieces to bring the system to life. His squad consisted of eleven Greek players of immense talent. Fragiskos Sourpis, a member of the 1963-1964 squad has described his teammates as extremely talented and that if they were playing in today’s game they would be playing at the highest level. Some of the most impressive players that season included the likes of Mimis Domazos, Takis Loukanidis, and Vangelis Panakis. The players were very physically fit and played a style based around possession and beating the opponents quickly off the dribble. Opposing fans described the playstyle of Panathinaikos that season as very frustrating because they were very good at keeping the ball away from their opponents.

 

Along with the playstyle and talent at hand, midfielder Takis Loukanidis noted that another key element to the undefeated run of Panathinaikos in 1964 was the close relationship the players had that year. The players on the team were not just teammates, they were friends and would keep a close bond outside of the football pitch. The friendship between the players allowed them to maintain a competitive spirit and hold each other accountable in order to put in the best possible performance on the pitch.

 

All in all, the 1963-1964 invincible season is one that is historically significant not only to Panathinaikos, but to Greek football in general. The 4-3-3 formation was introduced to the league and the basic foundation of the invincible squad essentially paved the way for Panathinaikos’ European Cup final run in 1971. Members of the invincible team were also present in the run to the final, most notably Mimis Domazos and the 4-3-3 was the formation used throughout the entirety of that European Campaign. We must not forget such rich history as it is what makes this club so unique.

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Image Borrowed From Wikipedia