Problems and Political Intrigue in Piraeus - 1956/57.

Problems and Political Intrigue in Piraeus - 1956/57

By Maik Lev


Throughout the wild and wonderful world of Greek Football, there have been many a scandal, tragedy, conspiracy theory & plenty of laughs and tears. But I don’t think anything surpasses the sheer skulduggery which surrounded the closing moments of the 1956/57 League season.


Pre the Super League and even the Alpha Ethniki eras, the Pan-Hellenic Football Championship, was the highest level of Greek domestic football.

Far from being your nowadays conventional national home and away League Championship. This era (1927/28 - 1958/59), consisted of various Regional Championships, Athens, Piraeus, Macedonia, as well as leagues involving the best of the rest from outside those 3 Championships.

The top 2 at the conclusion of these regional leagues, as well as the winners of the various playoff matches, qualified for a final round-robin Championship to decide the overall Greek Champion.

10 clubs made it to this final round for the 1956/57 season:
Panathinaikos, Panionos, Apollon Smyrni - Olympiakos, Proodeftiki, Ethnikos - PAOK, Aris - Doxa Drama - Panargiakos. All to play each other twice in an 18 round deciding championship.

Olympiakos, who had been crowned Champions for the previous 3 seasons, 1953/54, 1954/55, 1955/56, were expected to challenge once again. But all eyes this time were on their neighbours Ethnikos, it was very much expected and anticipated that they would finally break their drought and claim a 1st League Championship. 

Ethnikos had finished runners-up previously, in the 1st ever Pan-Hellenic Championship in 1927/28, they finished 1 point behind Aris and again in 1955/56, finishing 1 point behind Olympiakos.

With 4 rounds remaining, it looked like Ethnikos’ time had come, the coronation seemed imminent. They were leading the Championship ahead of Olympiakos, who Ethnikos was scheduled to play next and who they already had beaten, in their meeting earlier in the season. But that match, would never take place.

Days before the match was to take place, Ethnikos were sensationally disqualified from the Championship. The reason is crazy, even for Greek football standards.

It involved 2 of the greatest players of the time, Hungarian legends Ferenc Puskas and Sandor Kocsis. Part of one of the greatest ever International teams the Magical Magyars, who had won the Olympic Football Gold Medal in 1952 in Helsinki and had made the Final of the 1954 FIFA World Cup in Switzerland, a Final they were heavy favourites for, but lost to West Germany.

What 2 of the greatest ever footballers have to do with Greece, Ethnikos Piraeus, or the 1956/57 Pan-Hellenic Championship is as follows. Ethnikos were accused of allegedly making contact with both players, negotiating with them to join the club in the future. The Greek Federation was somehow notified of this and became aware of the talks. This was enough for the hammer to be dropped on Ethnikos.

The crime that Ethnikos were accused of was “professionalism”. Seen to be deliberately targeting players via monetary means, in a bid to sign them for the club, which was an apparent no-no in Greek football at the time, which did not become professional until the 1970’s. 



Ethnikos were livid with the Federation and Olympiakos, who they suspected of playing a significant role in the situation. Ethnikos protested furiously but it was to no avail and the sanctions handed down were brutal.


Ethnikos Piraeus was disqualified from the 1956/57 season, their remaining 4 matches of the Championship were all officially awarded as 2-0 losses to Ethnikos, compounding this, they were also deducted 4 points, dashing Ethnikos’ 1956/57 season and their dreams of claiming a 1st ever Greek Championship. Something to this day it has never achieved. Ethnikos’ sole Greek Cup victory all the way back in 1932/33, remains the clubs sole major honour.


Consequently, 1956/57 saw Olympiakos go on to claim their 4th successive League Championship, beating Panathinaikos 1-0 in a playoff, after both finished on equal points on top of the table.


Hellas Football 


Follow @maikleventis

Comments

  1. ANDERS k9 April 2021 at 01:04

    Has it ever been confirmed that Ethnikos did try to sign the Magyars?

    ReplyDelete

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