Andreas Stamatiadis

Andreas Stamatiadis
Stamatiadis with AEK Athens
Personal information
Date of birth (1935-08-16)16 August 1935[1]
Place of birth Petralona, Athens, Greece[1]
Date of death 23 January 2025(2025-01-23) (aged 89)[1]
Place of death Athens, Greece
Height 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)[1]
Position Forward
Youth career
1947–1950 AE Melandria
1950–1952 AEK Athens
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1952–1969 AEK Athens 316 (78)
Total 316 (78)
International career
1954–1963 Greece 8 (0)
1960 Greece Olympic 2 (0)
Managerial career
1969–1970 Rodos
1970–1971 Trikala
1971–1972 Lamia
1973–1974 Anagennisi Karditsa
1974–1975 Chalkida
1975–1976 AEK Athens U20
1976–1979 AEK Athens (assistant)
1977 AEK Athens (interim)
1979 AEK Athens
1979–1980 Atromitos
1980–1981 Egaleo
1981–1982 Diagoras
1982–1983 Egaleo
1983–1985 Atromitos
1985–1986 Acharnaikos
1986–1992 Greece U21
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Andreas Stamatiadis (Greek: Ανδρέας Σταματιάδης; 16 August 1935 – 23 January 2025) was a Greek professional footballer who played as a forward for AEK Athens and later a manager. He was the longest serving captain of the club from 1960 to 1969.

Early life

Stamatiadis was born on 16 August 1935 in the refugee slum of Petralona. Born into a poor family, with an Asia Minor refugee father and mother from Mani, he experienced the German Occupation and its aftermath at a young age. Like many children of his generation, he found a way out of the problems of everyday life by playing football in the abundant playgrounds of his neighborhood.

Club career

Stamatiadis started playing football in 1947 at AE Melandria. In 1950, at the age of 15, he signed a sport's card at Sparta Petralona, but a mistake in the signing of the card by the secretary of the club, essentially canceled his card. Then his father, Dimitris with the manager of Sparta Petralona and former player of AEK Athens, Mimis Seltsikas, took him for a trial to the academy of AEK at Nea Filadelfeia. Stamatiadis who was encouraged by his father and was a supporter of the yellow-blacks, eventually became a member of their academies.

The experienced manager of the men's team, Jack Beby, immediately recognized his potential and with appropriate advice and guidance helped his development and establishment as a left winger. There he flourished and at the peak of his career he earned the nickname "the Arrow" (Greek: "Το Βέλος"). Beby's successor, Mario Magnozzi, gave him the opportunity to play for the first time in 1952 in a derby against Olympiacos. Thus, Stamatiadis had the chance to compete in two matches alongside his childhood idol, Kleanthis Maropoulos, before the latter, retired as a footballer.[2]

Stamatiadis was established as a regular in the offense of the yellow-blacks. He also became a regular in the selections of Athens XI during the 1950s.[3] In 24 June 1956 he won his first title with the club after defeating Olympiacos 2–1 in the Cup final.[4] In 1960 after the retirement of Giannis Kanakis, he took over the captaincy of the team and went eventually became the longest serving captain of AEK. Proof of his leadership skills was the respect he enjoyed from his teammates, as well as the trust shown in his person by the respective administrations and managers for his composure, equanimity and rationality. As a captain, he won 2 championships and the Greek Cup in 1966. On 3 December 1967 in a 4–1 away victory over Olympiacos, he attempted to "admonish" the younger Spyros Pomonis, in order to simplify his way of playing for AEK to reach an even wider dominance, instead of his insistence on repeatedly dribbling his personal opponent, Orestis Pavlidis. Nevertheless, Pomonis eventually insisted on humiliating his opponent and AEK missed the opportunity for a wider score against the red and whites, while Pavlidis took the decision to retire as a footballer and start a new career as a referee.[5] He was one of the main players of the team that won second place in the Balkans Cup in 1967, losing only in the final by Fenerbahçe.[6] In his last season with the club, they reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup.[7] In 1969, in the context of a general renewal of the club's roster by the manager Branko Stanković, due to his intention to not compete for any other club, he decided to retire as a footballer at the age of 34. On 18 May 1969, he played for the last time in the 2–1 victory over Veria, where AEK won a penalty and was awarded to him by his teammates. Stamatiadis charged by the emotions of the moment, missed the chance to score his only penalty kick of his career with AEK, as his shot was saved by the opposing goalkeeper.[8]

International career

Stamatiadis had a total of eight appearances with Greece.[9] He made his debut at the age of 19, on 8 March 1954 in a 2–0 away victory over Israel in the 1954 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[10] His last appearance was on 27 November 1963 against Cyprus in an away friendly match.[11]

Managerial career

The former manager of Stamatiadis at AEK, Jenő Csaknády, having recognized his abilities and high level of perception, encouraged him to get involved in coaching and helped him attend coaching schools and obtain a diploma.[12] In the summer of 1969, shortly after his official retirement as a footballer, he followed the instructions of his former manager and traveled to Cologne, where he attended the local coaching school and became a manager himself.[13] Upon his return to Greece it did not take long for Stamatiadis to begin his new career, as he was appointed manager at Rodos,[14] where he spent one season.[15] The following season, he became the manager of Trikala, where under his instructions they got the promotion to the first division.[16] In the summer of 1971, Stamatiadis took charge at Lamia and he guided them to the semi-finals of the Cup, which is their best campaign in the tournament.[17] In 1973 signed at Anagennisi Karditsa, where he spent a year[18] before joining Chalkida.[19][20]

On 19 June 1975 Stamatiadis returned to AEK Athens and took charge of the club's academies.[21] On 19 July 1976 he was promoted as the assistant of František Fadrhonc.[22][23] In his first season in his new position, AEK reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup.[24] On 23 September 1977, when Fadrhonc was fired, Stamatiadis took charge in his place until a replacement was found,[25] achieving 3 wins in the same number of matches. On 11 October, when Zlatko Čajkovski was appointed, he kept his position as the assistant manager.[26] At the end of the season AEK won the domestic double.[27] In the following season Stamatiadis continued working as assistant manager next to Ferenc Puskás. When the Hungarian manager was removed from the technical leadership of the club on 17 March 1979,[28] he stepped again as the head coach until the end of the season with the task of keeping the team at the top of the standings. Stamatiadis succeeded in his task, winning the second championship in a row, while at the same time missed an opportunity for a repeat of the last season's domestic double, as they reached the Cup final, losing 3–1 to Panionios.[29]

In the summer of 1979, after his tenure at AEK was over, Stamatiadis took over as the manager of Atromitos, where he won the league in the second division. In 1980 he was at the bench of Egaleo in the second division, helping them to avoid relegation. The following season, he claimed the promotion to the first division. Eventually he did not manage to secure in the end, as he was defeated by Rodos of Michalis Bellis in a draw, at the stadium of Heraklion, with 1–0 defeat at the extra time. In 1981 Stamatiadis was the manager of Diagoras for a year and in the summer of 1982 he returned to Egaleo. The club from the western suburbs won the last championship of the South and were promoted to the first division. In 1983 he returned to Atromitos for a season and then coached Acharnaikos.[30]

In 1986, he was the manager of Greece U21 for six years. During his years they reached the final of the 1988 European U21 Championship, against France.[31][32]

From 1992 on, he worked from time to time at the infrastructure departments of AEK, while for several years he was the director of these departments, a position from which he left in 2013, when he was replaced by Akis Zikos.[33]

After football

Stamatiadis continuously participated in the events of the Veterans Association of AEK Athens, where he also served as their president. He bequeathed his adoration for the club to his two sons, Dimitris and Kostas, who are actively involved with the amateur departments of AEK, serving the club in administrative positions.[34] On 28 February 2024 at Agia Sophia Stadium, before the match of AEK against PAS Giannina, he was honoured with the "golden double-headed eagle" by Dimitris Melissanidis for his services to the club.[35]

Personal life and death

Stamatiadis was married and had two sons.[36] He died after a series of health issues in Athens, on 23 January 2025, at the age of 89.[37][38]

Style of play

Stamatiadis was a fast and technically proficient winger, who operated mainly close to the touchline. He was capable of cutting inside and threatening the opposition goal with powerful shots. He was also a key provider of assists for AEK Athens, with many goals scored by the team's main strikers, which came from his passes. Furthermore Stamatiadis was described as a natural leader, was known for his composure and clear thinking in difficult situations. He inspired confidence in his teammates and earned the respect of his opponents. With strong awareness of the game, he was able to quickly identify mistakes and often guided his teammates on the pitch like a manager.[39]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League[a] AFCA League[b] Cup Continental[c] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
AEK Athens 1951–52 Panhellenic Championship 0021100031
1952–53 0052400092
1953–54 951022000217
1954–55 001322100153
1955–56 001635100214
1956–57 0014269002011
1957–58 205141056003921
1958–59 18614541003612
1959–60 Alpha Ethniki 2910—74003614
1960–61 299—89404118
1961–62 2411—00002411
1962–63 224—3100255
1963–64 291—4110342
1964–65 284—3020334
1965–66 286—3000316
1966–67 242—2090352
1967–68 3313—40414114
1968–69 232—0051283
Career total 3167888276333252492140
  1. ↑ Also includes play-off matches.
  2. ↑ Also includes play-off matches.
  3. ↑ Also includes Balkans Cup.

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[40]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Greece 195420
195720
196020
196110
196310
Total80

Honours

Player

AEK Athens

Individual

Manager

Trikala

AEK Athens

Atromitos

Egaleo

Greece U21

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Andreas Stamatiadis". football.aek.com.
  2. ↑ "Το ξεκίνημα στα Πετράλωνα, η 'χρυσή' εποχή του στην ΑΕΚ και το δέσιμο που δεν έσβησε ποτέ: Αυτός ήταν ο Ανδρέας Σταματιάδης". sport24.gr (in Greek).
  3. ↑ "Το ξεχασμένο Κύπελλο Πόλεων: Αθήνα vs Πειραιάς vs Θεσσαλονίκη!" (in Greek). 28 January 2017.
  4. ↑ "Κυπελλούχος με γκολάρα του Κανάκη". oldfootball.gr (in Greek). 28 November 2018.
  5. ↑ "Τέσσερα στον Ολυμπιακό και λίγα ήταν!". aek365.org.
  6. ↑ "Balkans Cup 1966–67 season". RSSSF.
  7. ↑ Καζαντζόγλου, Σταύρος (15 June 2019). "1968/69: Η πρώτη ελληνική ομάδα σε ευρωπαϊκή οκτάδα, η απογοήτευση εντός συνόρων". enwsi.gr.
  8. ↑ "Ο Θωμάς είχε τον τρόπο να νικάει και τους διαιτητές". aek365.org (in Greek).
  9. ↑ "Greece International matches". RSSSF.
  10. ↑ "Greece matches 1951–1955" (PDF). epo.gr.
  11. ↑ "Greece matches 1961–1965" (PDF). epo.gr.
  12. ↑ "Ο Τσάκναντυ συμβουλεύει τον Σταματιάδη πώς να γίνη προπονητής". Athletic Echo (in Greek). 29 April 1969. p. 5.
  13. ↑ "Ο Ανδρέας Σταματιάδης μίλησε εις την ελληνική τηλεόραση". Athletic Echo (in Greek). 7 June 1969. p. 5.
  14. ↑ "Ο Ανδρ. Σταματιάδης αναλαμβάνει προπονητής στην ομάδα «Ρόδος»-Ο Σκιαθίτης εις την ΑΕΚ ή τον ΠΑΟ". Athletic Echo (in Greek). 22 July 1969. p. 5.
  15. ↑ Μίμης Βαζογιάννης (15 June 1978). "Ο Τσαϊκόφσκι αξιοποίησε τη δουλεία του Φάντροκ". Athletic Echo (in Greek). p. 3.
  16. ↑ "Greece - List of Second Level Final Tables". RSSSF.
  17. ↑ Σύνταξης, Αίθουσα (23 January 2025). "Το αντίο της Λαμίας στον Σταματιάδη".
  18. ↑ Ν. Καραΐσκος (7 August 1974). "Ο Σταματιάδης έφυγε από την Αναγέννησι". Athletic Echo (in Greek). p. 3.
  19. ↑ "Ο Σταματιάδης παρητήθη απο τεχνικός της Χαλκίδος". Athletic Echo (in Greek). 5 April 1975. p. 4.
  20. ↑ Μίμης Βαζογιάννης (15 June 1978). "Ο Τσαϊκόφσκι αξιοποίησε τη δουλεία του Φάντροκ". Athletic Echo (in Greek). p. 3.
  21. ↑ Αργύρης Κοκκινάκης (20 June 1975). "Ο Σταματιάδης στην Α.Ε.Κ.". Athletic Echo (in Greek). pp. 1, 6.
  22. ↑ Δημήτρης Παλαμιδάκης (18 July 1976). "Αύριο το ραντεβού Φ. Φάντροκ και παικτών". Athletic Echo (in Greek). p. 6.
  23. ↑ "Η Α.Ε.Κ. ξεκίνησε με ενθουσιασμό". Athletic Echo (in Greek). 20 July 1976. p. 6.
  24. ↑ "Όταν η ΑΕΚ έχανε τον 'Παππού' της". sport24.gr.
  25. ↑ Αργύρης Κοκκινάκης (24 September 1977). "Ο Μίλιανιτς και ο Τσάκνατυ". Athletic Echo (in Greek). pp. 1, 6.
  26. ↑ Αργύρης Κοκκινάκης (12 October 1977). "Ελπίζω πως θα τα καταφέρω με τη Σταντάρ". Athletic Echo (in Greek). pp. 1, 5.
  27. ↑ "Greece 1977/78". RSSSF.
  28. ↑ Τάσος Μπούρας (18 March 1979). "Ο Πούσκας θύμωσε". Athletic Echo (in Greek). pp. 1, 6.
  29. ↑ "Το πρώτο Κύπελλο του Πανιωνίου". oldfootball.gr (in Greek). 9 June 2016. Archived from the original on 15 April 2019.
  30. ↑ "Ανδρέας Σταματιάδης-coach". aekpedia.com.
  31. ↑ "Αφιέρωμα στις Ελπίδες του ελληνικού ποδοσφαίρου". epo.gr (in Greek). 9 September 2013.
  32. ↑ "Ανδρέας Σταματιάδης: Μία εμβληματική μορφή της ποδοσφαιρικής ΑΕΚ". sansimera.gr (in Greek).
  33. ↑ "HISTORY". aekfc.gr.
  34. ↑ "ΠΟΥ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΤΩΡΑ: Ανδρέας Σταματιάδης". balletto.gr (in Greek). Archived from the original on 21 November 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  35. ↑ "ΑΕΚ: Τιμήθηκε με τον "Χρυσό Δικέφαλο Αετό" ο Ανδρέας Σταματιάδης". gazzetta.gr (in Greek). 24 February 2024.
  36. ↑ "Πέθανε ο θρύλος της ΑΕΚ Ανδρέας Σταματιάδης". tovima.gr. 23 January 2025.
  37. ↑ "«Έφυγε» ο μεγάλος Ανδρέας Σταματιάδης". aekfc.gr.
  38. ↑ "ΑΕΚ: Πέθανε ο Ανδρέας Σταματιάδης". gazzetta.gr.
  39. ↑ "Ανδρέας Σταματιάδης". aekpedia.com.
  40. ↑ Andreas Stamatiadis at National-Football-Teams.com
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