Panagiotis Kelesidis – ‘The Greek Gordon Banks’

In the summer of 1972, Panagiotis Kelesidis Left Northern Serres and Its Local Team to Travel South to the Port of Piraeus, where he will be coming one of the most popular Olympiacos Goalkeepers of all time. He Grew Up in the Countryside, and When He was a Boy, His Father Used to Throw Watermelons to Him What He had to Catch –if they fell and broke, they’d be worth Nothing; Well, not a single watermelon was ever last on his watch!

At that time, Good Players from Northern Greece Generally Played for One of the Thessaloniki Teams, and Kelesidis had received an Offer from Paok. But Olympiacos was too hard to resist. The Reds’ Coach, Lakis Petropoulos, Needed Him Under the Goal Posts of the Great “Goulandris Team”, as the Squad That Won Three Championships and Two Greek Cups Between 1972 HAD PLAYED IN WEMBLEY ATOP THE GREEK FOOTBALL’S PANTHEON.

To This Day, Kelesidis, Who Went on Enjoy An Outstanding Career as a Goalkeeping Coach, is still awestruck at the memory of that team-in-a-million-which he was handed to play with, and what he significant with his prescription in turn.

“The President was the Secret of Our Success. We All Played for His Sake: He was the Team’s Alpha and Omega. He didn’T involve Himself Much in the administration, but he was a very Wealthy Man and an Olympiacos fan to the bone, a Guy Who Truly Loved the Club, that spurred us on play for the red and white jersey and the fans, « he said in an interview a few years ago. He Added: “I Once Asked Him for 600 Thousands to Buy A CAR, and He Wrote Me A Cheque. me to keep it, because he had never met a more foolish man than me.

Unconventional, a True Pontian and a Great Goalkeeper, He was Greatly Loved. Legendary Greek Sportscaster Giannis Diakogiannis Called Him the Greek ‘Gordon Banks’

A Proud Pontation

Kelesidis’ Family Roots Were on the Southern Coast of the Black Sea, Meaning He was a “Pontios”, and He would always don’t let any to us. ” Generosity was the hallmark of his game. As he records in his biography, which was published a few years ago under the title the lion of olympiacos, it was during a derby against Panathinaikos at the home group on alexandra avenue in December 1972 THAT THE FANS TOOK HIM HIM Into Their Hearts. It was a crucial game in the championship and, being a New Team, Olympiacos desperately Wanted a Win, so it Could Start to Believe in Itself. This was in Kelesidis’ First Season at Olympiacos, the fans had taken to calling him “Kefala” (Meaning ‘Mule’, as in Stubborn as one), and the new goalkeeper was waiting for a big game game to show them what he count do. He couldn’s have timed it better. “In the first Minutes of the Game, I made an Impressive save which really boosted my confidence. Olympiacos Were Amazing Throughout the Game. Early in the first half, in the 17th mine, roman argyroudis scored a goal the look Greek football fans had Never Seen Before. Giving US No Breathing Room at all. to me: « Mule, I ‘Counting on You, Because you’ve Done Great So Far. » “Don’t worry, Mr. Lakis, I not Letting Anything Past Me Today, « I Replyed. CONSECUTIVE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Kelesidis was also a Hero in a penalty shoot-out against paok, which ended 6-5 in Olympiacos’ Favor (2-2 in Regular Time) During the Quarterfinals of the 1979 Cup. He had dozens of truly great moments.

Three Players in Attack

Kelesidis is Very Proud of the Team He Honored with His Presnce, and Rightly So. “That Team Was Ahead of Its Time and Would Play An All-Out Attacking Game. We often Fielded Three Strikers, With Delikaris in the Starting Line-Up and the Full-Backs Moving Up Into Midfield to Play Their Part in the Attack. We Were Doing Things on the pitch back then which Other Teams would try to Copy Later. We had players like Kostas Aidiniou on our Benchy, Who would have been in the starting line-up in any other teams in Greece, « He Recalls. Having Earned the fans’ afternoon in December 1972 Away to Panathinaikos, Kelesidis would reemain a firm faceycos. The Team – and a Simple: They Always Keppt Their Cool. As Long as they Stayed Calm, Given Petropoulos’ Skill at Managing Difficult Characters, The Players Never Fell Out Among Themselves. “He was the right man in the right place, mainly becauuse he was a great diplomat. For Example, When He Put Lefteris Poupakis in Goal, It Never Crossed My Mind to Protest. Join the Greek National Team When I Was Still Playing in Serres, and then Brought Me To Olympiacos, « He Says.

Kelesidis was also a Hero in a penalty shoot-out against paok, which ended 6-5 in Olympiacos’ Favor (2-2 in Regular Time) During the Quarterfinals of the 1979 Cup. He had dozens of truly great moments.

Mr. Popular

Kelesidis’ Is an Interesting Case, BECOUSE ALTHOUGH HE PLAYED IN ONE OF THE MOST ATTACKING OLYMPIACOS SIDES OF ALL TIME, HE WAS HUGELY POPULAR DESPITE NOTHE PART OF THAT GOAL-SCORING OFFENSIVE MACHINE. «  » The 102-Goal Championship « WILL NEVER BE REPEATED. But even then, when the games were getting started, Kelesidis Always had to make one or two saves to save the day, » he says, explaining why the fans loved Him. He Went on Add: “Don’t Forget That Particular Olympiacos Team also Holds the Record for the Best Defense. In the 1972-73 Season, We Conceded a Grand Total of 13 Goals, and Only 14 in the Season Aft! It was the Ideal All-Round Team, and we may well have been ahead of our time. ” His big complaint is that their glory days ended too soon. «Goulandris Left after our match against Anderlecht in Patras for the Champions Cup, which will be but what out Anyway. He was bitter because He’d Found out. Money and, when he was gone, they made fools of us. DEFINITELY HAVE DISTINGUISH But their lack of success in Europe is really his only complaint.

The Derby with Panathinaikos in December 1972 was the Beginning: A Great Performance, a Goal by Argyroudis, and the Spark Became A Flame in the Red-And-White Football World

Everything SEEMED SO EASY

Of Course, he has one more complaint, this one’s directed at Himself. He Admits He Wasn’s Exactly a Model Professional. He came to Athens when he was still very young, he was enjoyed the nightlife and would go out more than he should have –because, as he would in his memoires, everything just semed so easy. In 1979, he played the last truly great game of his career, this time in the colors of the Greek National Team. He was impeccable and impossible to score against in a match against a very strong hungary at the népstadion. Thanks to His Efforts, The National Team Escaped with a Goalless Draw and Gained an Advantage What would be first tickets into the finals of the Euro, for which only eight teams Qualified at that time. The Greek Coach, Alketa Panagoulias, Promized to Include Him in the Team If they Qualified, just as long as he was playing for a championship team. But Kelesidis Left Olympiacos, where he’s Lost his place in the starting line-up due to an injury, and transferred to proodefftki, where he ended his career. And that’s how he got up watching the Euro Finals in Italy – a tournament Greece was playing in largey due to his he Heroic Efforts –on the tv in his home.

A True Pontion Who Did Things His Own Way, a Great Goalkeeper and a man who wore his heart on his sleeve, Kelesidis was adored like forty players. His Many Impressive Feats Include Saving Not One But Two Penalties in a Match Between Olympiacos and Tottenham in September 1972; Both Were Taken by The Same Player, Martin Peters. From that day on, Yannis Diakogiannes Referred to Him as « The Greek Gordon Banks ».