How Olympiakos defeated Pele’s Santos

 How Olympiakos Defeated Pele’s Santos


By Stephen Kountourou




Yesterday the footballing world lost a legend of the game. One of the most gifted and iconic players

of his time and perhaps of all time, Pele was a star that shone brightly as he embodied not only his nation

Brazil but was the symbol of everything football for a generation and beyond. The three-time World Cup

winner played 792 professional games for club and country, scoring 732 goals in that time. 

With Santos FC, he toured all over the world, playing against clubs on every continent so that the Brazilian club could give others the chance to see their talismanic player on show. In 1961, during their European tour, Santos FC would play numerous European giants, defeating the likes of Juventus, Inter, Roma, Benfica, Lyon, AEK Athens and Panathinaikos. It was fitting then, that a player who was seen as the definition of sporting excellence was defeated by the club that strives for sporting excellence, Olympiakos.  

The match itself was scheduled to be Santos’ last of their European tour and it fell on the 4th of July. In a packed Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium, 26,000 fans were eager to see one of the best club teams in the world at the time, with their star man, Pele in the flesh. After defeating AEK 0-3 and champions Panathinaikos in a close 2-3 victory, it seemed only logical that Olympiakos would suffer the same fate. 

As it transpired, Thrylos would shock the visitors, running out 2-1 winners against a far superior team to their own. While this was only a friendly fixture it has since gone down as one of the biggest victories in Olympiakos history, so much so that the club even added a verse to their main anthem and emortalising the victory over Santos and Pele: “ Τρέμουν στ' άκουσμά σου Ολυμπιακέ κι ακόμα σε θυμούνται η Σάντος κι ο Πελέ.” (everyone trembles at the very sound of your name Pelé and Santos still remember your name.) 

Pele since retiring, visited Greece again where he was gifted an Olympiakos shirt by then-President Sokratis Kokkalis after which he attended the opening of the new stadium for Xanthi FC, then named Skoda Xanthi. 

Pele will be remembered as one of Brazil's greatest-ever players and one of the greatest players to grace the beautiful game. Rest in peace to The King.


@SteveKountourou

Hellas Football

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