Changes

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Kleanthis Maropoulos

537 bytes added, 18:55, March 23, 2006
no edit summary
Born in [[Tuzla]], [[Asia Minor]], in [[1919]], Kleanthis Maropoulos was arguably the best player of his period (late [[1930s]] - early [[1940s]]) known affectionately as the "Blond Eagle of AEK".
 
Maropoulos came to [[Greece]] with his family at age 3 - after the [[Asia Minor Disaster]] and settled in [[Kalamata]]. At age 12 he joined the local football club Prasina Poulia. When his parents moved to [[Kalogreza]] in the [[Athens]] area, he signed for Ethnikos Kalogreza. In [[1934]], he was spotted by [[AEK FC|AEK]] who placed him in their youth team. In [[1936]], he was promoted to the first team.
Led by Maropoulos, alongside players like [[Tryfon Tzanetis]] and [[Kostas Negrepontis]], [[AEK FC|AEK]] won their first two championships in [[1939]] and [[1940]] including the first domestic double by a Greek club.
Unfortunately, the glory years of [[AEK FC|AEK]] and Maropoulos were interrupted by the [[World War II]]. Maropoulos He continued his career after the war and played until the late [[1940s]]. He is credited with scoring 253 goals, 97 of which he attained priot to the war.
He Maropoulos was capped 10 times by the [[National Football Team]] of Greece. He subsequently managed the Greek National Team in the early [[1960s]] before retiring altogether from football to manage his sporting goods stores. He died in [[1991]].
[[Category:Football Players|Maropoulos, Kleanthis]]
[[Category: 1919 births|Maropoulos, Kleanthis]]
[[Category:1991 deaths|Maropoulos, Kleanthis]]

Navigation menu