Greek Football Legends: Antonis Antoniadis

Greek Football Legends: Antonis Antoniadis

By Antonios Theodosis 

Many names have come and gone throughout the history of Greek football. Players that have achieved national glory with the Greek national team, once in a generation talents such as the “Greek Maradona,” and players like Antonis Antoniadis who in his day became one of the most lethal strikers in Europe and played a key role in putting Greek football on the map by helping Panathinaikos reach domestic and European success.  

Nicknamed “the tall one” Antoniadis stood at 1.87 meters tall, or 6’2 and was an aerial threat to opposing defenses. He favored his right foot while shooting and controlling the ball, but was more than capable of scoring from difficult angles with his left foot. On one occasion scoring an impressive volley while playing for Panathinaikos against Everton in the European cup in 1971. His ability to read the game was profound and he possessed the traits of a natural striker by positioning himself in strategic locations in and around the opponent’s goal. His positioning and reading of the game allowed him to take advantage of defensive mistakes and capitalize on them by pouncing on missed clearances or by switching onto smaller defenders on set pieces.

With the physical presence and natural ability to read the game, Antoniadis achieved many personal feats in his career. He was the top scorer of Greece’s top flight the Alpha Ethniki a record total of five times (1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1975), and finished second place in the European golden boot behind Bayern Munchen legend Gerd Muller in 1971. However, he was the top scorer of the European Cup that same year scoring ten goals in the competition, including the vital away goal against Everton in the quarter final and two goals against Cverna Zvezda in the semi-final leading his club to the European Cup final. He still holds the record for most goals in a single season in Greece’s top flight scoring thirty-nine goals. In total, Antoniadis scored two-hundred seventy seven goals in three-hundred seventeen appearances in his career.

It is quite clear that Antonis Antoniadis is a player that all fans of Greek football should know about and appreciate. He helped to elevate Greek recognition in Europe with his key performances in the European Cup and also dominated domestically as well. His scoring record in the Greek league still stands today which is a testament to the talent he possessed. The domestic league has seen a host of talented strikers throughout the years and yet none have been able to break the record he set all those years ago. He competed with Gerd Muller and Johan Cruyff, some of the game's biggest legends. As Greeks we should be proud of Antoniadis’ accomplishments and keep his legacy alive for future generations.

Hellas Football 

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