Theofilos Vernezis

Theofilos Vernezis

Theofilos Vernezis
Personal information
Full name	Theofilos Vernezis
Date of birth	1938
Place of birth	Nea Filadelfeia, Athens, Greece
Date of death	February 1998 (aged 59–60)
Place of death	Athens, Greece
Positions	Defender goalkeeper
Youth career
–1956	AEK Athens
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1956−1965	AEK Athens	80	(0)
Total		80	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Theofilos Vernezis (Greek: Θεόφιλος Βερνέζης; 1938 – February 1998) was a Greek footballer who played as a defender.

Early life

From a young age, Vernezis excelled in the sporting activities he undertook. From the mid-1950s he played basketball at Ionikos Nea Filadelfeia, while he was also involved in athletics and played football at the academy of AEK Athens. He eventually chose football over the other sporting activities due to his affection for AEK.

Club career

Vernezis was promoted to the senior team in 1956 under Kostas Negrepontis. He mainly played as a right or centre-back, but due to his physical attributes, he could also compete successfully as a goalkeeper, replacing the injured Stelios Serafidis. Vernezis is considered the first outfield player in Greek football to play as a goalkeeper for an entire official match. In 1962, he played as goalkeeper in five league matches and one Cup match for AEK, as neither Serafidis nor Fakis were available. In the same position he had a notable performance in an international friendly against Bolton on 2 May 1962. He remained at the club until the summer of 1965, winning a league title in 1963 and a Greek Cup in 1964.

Personal life

Vernezis died in February 1998.

Honours

AEK Athens

• Alpha Ethniki: 1962–63
• Greek Cup: 1963–64