Giorgos Koudas

From Phantis
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Nicknamed Alexander the Great (Μεγαλέξανδρος) of Greek football
Giorgos Koudas with Johan Cruyff in a 1973 friendly game
Giorgos Koudas - 504 game appearances for the team of PAOK
Giorgos Koudas
Giorgos Koudas in 2005

Born November 23, 1946, Giorgos Koudas was the last of the "great" players of Greek soccer, nicknamed the Μεγαλέξανδρος (Alexander the Great) of Greek football. He was certainly one of a very small elite of players as far as skillful soccer talent goes. A virtuoso of the ball, he was established as a potent forward but soon developed also as a player who could organize the whole game for a team.

Koudas played for PAOK from 1964 until 1983, appearing in 504 Alpha Ethniki games - a club record - scoring 134 goals.

After the 1965-66 season, Koudas decided to move to Olympiakos. PAOK, however, would not acquiesce to the transfer so the player was forced to sit out one season as was the rule back then. On August 16, 1966 Koudas made his debut with Olympiakos in a friendly. PAOK reacted immediately urging all clubs to refuse to play against Olympiakos should they field Koudas. Sports general secretary Costas Aslanidis' stepped in, banned movement of players between big clubs and forced Koudas to return to PAOK.

Koudas remained with PAOK for the rest of his career and was the captain of the club when the Thessaloniki outfit won their first Greek Championship in 1976 and their first two Greek Cups in 1972 and 1974.

He had 43 appearances for the National team of Greece (4 goals) in the period of 1967-1982 and a guest appearance on September 20, 1995 against Yugoslavia at the age of 48. He was till September 11, 2018 the oldest international player as George Weah of Liberia beat that record. He still is the oldest European international player, however.

He now is PAOK’s consultant of football and represents the club in official events (as mister PAOK).

Other References

See also