Mimis Papaioannou
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Dimitrios "Mimis" Papaioannou ( el, Δημήτριος "Μίμης" Παπαϊωάννου; born 23 August 1942) is a
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
former professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player, who played as a
forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...
, mostly for
AEK Athens A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadel ...
and a former manager. His nickname was "The Vlach" ''(
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
: "ο Βλάχος")'', due to his origin. Throughout his entire career, Papaioannou was never shown a single red card, showing the prudence and integrity of his character. Papaioannou was considered to be the best Greek footballer of his generation and one of the best Greek footballers of all time, being awarded the best Greek footballer of the 20th Century by
IFFHS The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) is an organisation that chronicles the history and records of association football. It was founded in 1984 by Alfredo Pöge in Leipzig. The IFFHS was based in Abu Dhabi for so ...
. In 2021, the IFFHS also chose him in Greece's best XI of all time.


Early life

Papaioannou was born on 23 August 1942 in
Nea Nikomedeia Nea Nikomedeia ( el, Νέα Νικομήδεια) is a village approximately to the northeast of Veria in Imathia, in the region of Central Macedonia in northern Greece. It is best known for the nearby Early Neolithic settlement, one of the oldes ...
of
Imathia Imathia ( el, Ημαθία ) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Macedonia, within the geographic region of Macedonia. The capital of Imathia is the city of Veroia. Administration The regional unit Imath ...
. His father, Kostas was the curator of the local football team Nea Genea, thus the young Papaioannou came in touch with football from an early age. His football talent began to shine from early on, while his love for football was unquestionable. His love of football and the financial difficulties of his family forced him to leave school early and split his time between the stadium and the barber shop in the village, where he worked as an assistant.


Club career


Early career

At the age of 15 he joined Nea Genea and played in the team's offense. His name and abilities quickly became known in the capital of the prefecture,
Veria Veria ( el, Βέροια or Βέρροια), officially transliterated Veroia, historically also spelled Berea or Berœa, is a city in Central Macedonia, in the geographic region of Macedonia, northern Greece, capital of the regional unit of I ...
and to the agents of the local club, as a result of which he transferred to them with in 1959, at the age of 17. His appearances for the "Queen of North" aroused the interest of the big teams of
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
, but also of the then coach of
AEK Athens A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadel ...
,
Tryfon Tzanetis Tryfon Tzanetis () was a Greek international football player and a later manager. He was best known as a great figure for AEK Athens during the 30's and 40's, partnering Kleanthis Maropoulos in AEK's front line. Tzanetis also contributed to AE ...
. The offers of the clubs of
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
did not meet the requirements of Veria and in fact his transfer to PAOK failed for a difference of 20,000
drachmas The drachma ( el, δραχμή , ; pl. ''drachmae'' or ''drachmas'') was the currency used in Greece during several periods in its history: # An ancient Greek currency unit issued by many Greek city states during a period of ten centuries, fro ...
. In 1961, Tzanetis suggested and persuaded the owner of AEK,
Nikos Goumas Nikos Goumas ( el, Νίκος Γκούμας; 1908 – 17 August 2001) was a Greek businessman who served as the twelfth president of AEK Athens F.C. from 1956 until 1963. He was considered one of the "patriarchs" of the club. Early life Goumas ...
to offer 175,000 drachmas to the team and 25,000 drachmas to the 19-year-old player for his transfer to their club. The young striker of refugee origin was hesitant, as on the one hand there was his sporting sympathy for the northern Greece, PAOK and the neighboring move to
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
, while on the other hand there was the greater name of AEK Athens and the money he was offered were more than an immediate need for his family, with prerequisite his move to the distant
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, but eventually after the advise of the president of Veria, Kostas Vorgiatzidis, Papaioannou chose the club of Athens.


AEK Athens


1962–1963

In the summer of 1962, the 20-year-old Papaioannou was dressed in the yellow-black jersey, starting an integral course of 17 years that elevated him to one of the greatest players in the history of AEK Athens. He was the player that AEK was looking to pair up with
Kostas Nestoridis Kostas Nestoridis ( el, Κώστας Νεστορίδης, born 15 March 1930) is a Greek former professional footballer, who played as a forward and a former manager. He is amongst the best players in the history of AEK Athens and one of the g ...
and lead the club in claiming leagues. Alongside "Nestoras" they formed an incredible attacking duo that was proved deadly for the opposing defences. On 27 September 1962 he scored his first goal on his debut in a 7–2 thriumph against Egaleo. He scored in the derby against
Olympiacos Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...
at
Karaiskakis Stadium The Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium ( el, Στάδιο Γεώργιος Καραϊσκάκης), commonly referred to as the Karaiskakis Stadium ( el, Στάδιο Καραϊσκάκη, ), is a football stadium in Piraeus, Attica, Greece, and the ...
, in the 1–3 victory on 23 December 1962, while also he also scored in the same match of the second round. At the end of the season, AEK was tied on the 1st place with Panathaikos and the title was judged in a play-off match on 23 June 1963. Papaioannou scored twice, Nestoridis also scored from a direct corner kick and after a 3–3 draw according to the regulations of the time, the title was awarded to the team with the best goal ratio in the regular season. The 39 goals scored by the two clubs and the total goal difference of 66–21, lead AEK to win the league after 23 years. As Mimis Papaioannou had stated, after the end of the match, as he saw all the members of the team in the locker room crying for this success, he was grafted as a newcomer with the club's ideals, while he also cried and became a supporter of AEK.


1963–1965

The upcoming years for AEK and Papaioannou were almost ideal, as he showed that he was the one to take the leader role from Nestoridis in the team, pushing them as high as he could to led them to success. His appearances and achievements put him quickly in the heart of the crowd. The fans adored him and he rewarded them with passion for the yellow-black jersey. On 29 September 1963 he scored a brace in the away defeat with 5–4 against Panathinaikos. He scored his first hat-trick on 16 October 1963 scoring all three goals against
Aris Aris or ARIS may refer to: People * Aris (surname) Given name * Aris Alexandrou, Greek writer * Aris Brimanis, ice hockey player * Aris Christofellis, Greek male soprano * Aris Gavelas, Greek sprinter * Aris Howard, Former President of the Jama ...
at home. He did not take him long enough to score another one, as he did 2 months later against
Ethnikos Piraeus Ethnikos Piraeus (Greek: Εθνικός Πειραιώς) is a Greek multisport club based in Piraeus. It was founded in 1923. The full name of the club is Ethnikos Omilos Filathlon Pireos/Phalirou or Ethnikos OFPF (Greek: Εθνικός Όμιλ ...
in a 4–0 win. Papaioannou scored a goal in the imposing 6–1 against Olympiacos on 6 January 1964. He also scored 4 of the total of 7 goals of his team against Anagennisi Arta for the
Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, ...
, on 26 April 1964. At the end of the season he won his first Cup with AEK, even though the final was scratched due to the suspension of the semi-finalists, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos from the competition. In 1964 he ended the season as the league's top scorer with 29 goals, ending Nestoridis' 5-year streak of winning the award. On 31 January Papaioannou scored a hat-trick against
Panachaiki Panachaiki G.E. (Greek: Παναχαϊκή Γυμναστική Ένωση, ''Panachaiki Gymnastiki Enosi'', "Pan- Achaean Gymnastic Union") is a Greek multi-sport club based in the city of Patras, Greece. The history of Panachaiki began in 1891, ...
in a 6–0 home win for the league. He also scored the winner in an episodic derby against Olympiacos away from home, that ended 1–2 for AEK. He scored again with the same opponent, opening the score in a 3–3 draw at home, on the final matchday.


Career break and singing

Οn 12 May 1965, the legendary
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
player,
Ferenc Puskás Ferenc Puskás (, ; born Ferenc Purczeld; 1 April 1927 – 17 November 2006) was a Hungarian football player and manager, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and the sport's first international superstar. A forward, ...
, who saw Papaioannou scoring a brace against the Spanish "Queen" in the friendly 3–3 at
Nea Filadelfeia Nea Filadelfeia ( el, Νέα Φιλαδέλφεια, meaning ''New Philadelphia'') is a suburb of Athens, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Filadelfeia-Chalkidona, of which it is the seat and a municip ...
, suggested to the management of Real the acquisition of the Greek forward. The proposal of Real Madrid to AEK was unrealistic for the Greek standards of the time. The Castigians offered AEK 4,000,000 drachmas and 750,000 drachmas to the player his move to
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
. The huge salary and the prospect of a football career far from Greece's standards in
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
ignited Mimis' desire for the transfer, but that desire was never fulfilled, due to the fear of the management for the reaction of the fans to a possible departure of Papaioannou. Nevertheless, Papaioannou was willing to leave AEK under the given punishment of a one-year ban and then sing free agent at Real, but the Spaniards refused, as they didn't want to disrupt their relations with the Greek club. His anger was such, that he was about to abandon football. Afterwards, Papaioannou was approached by a folk composer and
bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...
player Christos Nikolopoulos, who brought him in contact with
Stelios Kazantzidis Stelios Kazantzidis (Greek: Στέλιος Καζαντζίδης; 29 August 1931 – 14 September 2001) was one of the most prominent Greek singers. A leading singer of Greek popular music, or Laïkó, he collaborated with many of Greece's fore ...
. Mimis and Stelios have unlimited mutual respect and admiration for each other's abilities and Kazantzidis discovered that Papaioannou, in addition to his footballing skills, had also a very good singing voice and suggested that he follow him to concerts in
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
alongside
Marinella Marinella ( el, Μαρινέλλα) (born 20 May 1938, Thessaloniki) is one of the most popular Greek singers whose career has spanned several decades. She has sung professionally since 1957. Since the beginning of her career, she has release ...
. Mimis accepted and went to Germany, singing to the Greek immigrants of the country. After two months and despite vocal competence of Papaioannou, Kazantzidis, realizing the "crime" of the departure of Mimis from football, persuaded him to return to AEK and mediated himself with the administration in order for Papaioannou to sign a very satisfactory contract of 500,000 drachmas per season at the start of the December 1965. His singing career was limited to the recording of seven songs by Stelios Kazantzidis and Christos Nikolopoulos between 1971 and 1972. Among them was the recording on 19 June 1971 of the famous "Hymn of AEK" to music by Stelios Kazantzidis and lyrics by Christos Kolokotronis.


Return to AEK Athens


1965–1966

Papaioannou returned to his two great loves, AEK and football and became the undisputed leader of the team, after the departure of Nestoridis. In his first match after his return, on 19 December 1965, he scored in the 3–2 of the yellow-blacks against Panathinakos at
Leoforos Alexandras Stadium Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium ( el, Γήπεδο Απόστολος Νικολαΐδης), commonly known as Leoforos Alexandras Stadium or Leoforos Stadium, is a football stadium and multi-sport center in Athens, Greece. It was inaugurated in 19 ...
. Papaioannou scored five hat-tricks in this season: one in a 6–0 victory against
Niki Volos Niki Volou Football Club ( el, ΠΑΕ Νίκη Βόλου) is a Greek professional football club based in the city of Volos, in the region of Magnesia, Greece. The club currently competes in the Super League 2, the second tier of Greek football ...
on 6 March 1966, the other against PAOK in a 5–1 win, against
Panionios Panionios G.S.S. Football Club (Greek: ΠΑΕ Πανιώνιος Γ.Σ.Σ.), the ''Pan- Ionian Gymnastics Club of Smyrna'' (Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης, ''Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis'') ...
with the same score against Egaleo with the score reaching 4–1 and against Edessaikos for the Cup. He also scored in the derby against Panathinaikos on 3 April 1966, but his goal didn't count as the game was suspended and eventually awarded to the greens. At the end of the season, he emerged again as the league's top scorer with 23 goals.


1966–1967

The next season Papaioannou led the double-headed eagle in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
of the
Balkans Cup The Balkans Cup was an international football competition for clubs from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. It was introduced in 1961 and was very popular in the 1960s (the 1967 final attracted 42,000 spectators), being t ...
scoring 2 goals against
Lokomotiv Sofia Lokomotiv 1929 ( bg, Локомотив 1929) is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia, which currently plays in the First League, the top tier of Bulgarian football. Founded as Railway Sports Club in 1929, and refou ...
, 2 goals against Farul Constanța and 1 goal against
Vardar The Vardar (; mk, , , ) or Axios () is the longest river in North Macedonia and the second longest river in Greece, in which it reaches the Aegean Sea at Thessaloniki. It is long, out of which are in Greece, and drains an area of around . Th ...
. In the first leg of the final in October 1967 against Fenerbahçe, his goal in their 2–1 victory, was not enough in claiming the title, as the Turkish tied the score in the second leg and sent the tie to a decider match in 1968 which they also won by 3–1, where Papaioannou was the scorer for his team. Papaioannou also scored once in the away defeat against
Braga Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants (in ...
, for the
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...
, on 5 October 1966. On 29 January 1967 he scored the decider against Olympiacos in the dying minutes, while in the same match of the second round, he opened the score in the final 1–1 away draw.


1967–1968

On 22 October 1967 he equalized the goal by Domazos and shaped the final 1–1 against Panathinaikos. On 12 November he scored a hat-trick against
Panserraikos Panserraikos Football Club ( el, Πανσερραϊκός 1964), the ''All-Serres Football Club'', is a Greece, Greek Association football, football club based in Serres in Central Macedonia, Greece. Panserraikos is one of the most important and ...
in a 4–0 win at home. Papaioannou scored a brace at the away 4–1 victory against Olympiacos. He scored his second hat-trick of the season, on 21 January 1968, against Vyzas Megara in a 6–1 home win. He also scored the winner in a 2–1 win over Panathinaikos. For the 1967–68 Balkans Cup, he scored in a 3–3 draw against Olimpija Ljubljana. Papaioannou celebrated his second championship with AEK at the end of the season, while also qualifying for the first time in their history to the
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
.


1968–1969

On 18 September 1968, Papaioannou scored in AEK's first win in the European Cup, opening the score in the 3–0 over
Jeunesse Esch Jeunesse Esch (full name ''Association Sportive la Jeunesse d'Esch/Alzette'') is a football club, based in Esch-sur-Alzette, in south-western Luxembourg. The side play in the National Division, the highest league in the country, and have won th ...
. On 27 October 1968 in
Faliro Phalerum or Phaleron ( ''()'', ; ''()'', ) was a port of Ancient Athens, 5 km southwest of the Acropolis of Athens, on a bay of the Saronic Gulf. The bay is also referred to as "Bay of Phalerum" ( el, Όρμος Φαλήρου '').'' The ...
against Olympiacos, while they were leading 3–2 with Papaioannou scoring once, after dismissal of the
goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
, Serafidis for kicking
Sideris Sideris is the surname of the following people Surname *Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris (born 1958), Greek-American academic *Giorgos Sideris (born 1938), Greek footballer *Nikolas Sideris (born 1977), Greek musician *Nikos Sideris (born 1952), Greek p ...
, the coach of AEK at the time,
Branko Stanković Branko "Stane" Stanković ( sr-Cyrl, Бранко "Стане" Станковић, ; 31 October 1921 – 20 February 2002) was a Bosnian Serb footballer and manager, from Sarajevo. Playing career Club He started his career in SK Slavija Sarajevo ...
decided not to make a substitution, sending Papaioannou to play as the goalkeeper for the remaining 5 minutes of the match. Papaioannou kept the post in tact, even making two great saves. On 3 November 1968 he scored the fastest hat-trick ever achieved by an AEK player within 12 minutes, in the 5–2 win against Chalkida. As AEK advanced in the
second round The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds e ...
of the European Cup, he scored with an impressive header, at their first away win in the institution by 2–0, for the 2nd leg against AB, securing the club's qualification to
quarter-finals A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
. After successfully leading the yellow-blacks to the European Cup quarter-finals, he scored equalizing the score in the second leg against
Spartak Trnava FC Spartak Trnava () is a Slovak professional football club based in Trnava. Historically, it is one of the most successful clubs in the country, having won the Czechoslovak First League five times and the Czechoslovak Cup on four occasions, an ...
, but the goal that would send them to the extra time after 2–1 loss at home, never came and AEK were eliminated. That was the greatest season of a Greek club at the time, in a European competition. On 14 May 1968 he scored another hat-trick at a Cup game against
Lamia LaMia Corporation S.R.L., operating as LaMia (short for ''Línea Aérea Mérida Internacional de Aviación''), was a Bolivian charter airline headquartered in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, as an EcoJet subsidiary. It had its origins from the failed ...
in a 5–0 win.


1969–1971

On 8 February 1970, Papaioannou won his team the match against Olympiacos at home, by scoring the only goal of the match. In the round of 32 of the Cup on 22 March, he opened the score against Panathnaikos, while also having a shot hit the crossbar, in an episodic 1–1 draw that was decided at the penalties with AEK losing by 3–5 and Papaioannou missing his penalty. On 30 September 1970 he scored 4 goals in AEK's 10–0 triumph against the lowerdivision side, Agia Eleousa for the Cup. The double-headed eagle made their highest scoring victory in the league on 4 December 1970, beating Veria by 8–2, with Papaioannou scoring a hat-trick to his former club. On 7 March 1971 he scored again a hat-trick against
EPA Larnaca EPA Larnaca (, ''Enosis Pezoporikou Amol'') was a Cypriot football club based in the city of Larnaca. Founded in 1930 with the merge of two local clubs, Pezoporikos and AMOL, the club was a founding member of Cyprus Football Association and part ...
in a 3–0 win at home and three weeks later he scored another one in the 4–0 victory over OFI. Papaioannou led his club to the conquest of another championship, where he lost the top scorer award by a single goal from
Georgios Dedes Georgios Dedes ( el, Γεώργιος Δέδες; born 25 February 1943) is a Greek former professional footballer of Asia Minor descent, who played as a forward. His main characteristics were his speed, his technique and his shooting. He compe ...
, scoring 27 goals in the league.


1971–1974

The following season, he scored in both league games against Olympiacos equalizing in the matches that both ended in 1–1. Papaioannou scored in the epic 3–2 home win against
Internazionale Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter is t ...
on 29 September 1971, for the 2nd leg of the first round of the European Cup. From the previous season AEK was beginning to struggle financially and the administrative disputes appeared within the club, resulted in a series of issues. Those issues marked the start of a declining period for AEK. In 1974 the club finished 5th and did not qualify for any European competition, while Stanković was sacked at the midseason. Papaioannou continued to lead the club during the hard times, as they had a decent presence in the UEFA Cup, where they reached the second round and were eliminated by the great
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
of
Bill Shankly William Shankly (2 September 1913 – 29 September 1981) was a Scottish football player and manager, who is best known for his time as manager of Liverpool. Shankly brought success to Liverpool, gaining promotion to the First Division and winnin ...
. ΑΕΚ continued their bad campaigns, as they finished for the second consecutive year in 5th place for the league, while in the Cup they were eliminated at the round of 16. It was characteristic that the situation at the club was affecting the performances of Papaioannou as, he recorded his lowest until then performance, with 7 goals in all competitions.


1974–1976

As the ownership of the club passed to
Loukas Barlos Loukas Barlos ( el, Λουκάς Μπάρλος; 1920 – 20 October 1999) was a Greek businessman who served as the twenty third president of AEK Athens F.C. from 1974 until 1981. Early life Barlos was born and raised in Thessaloniki, but his p ...
, the team entered in a glourious period, with Papaiannou leading the club to titles and distinctions. In the competitive regenaration of the club under
František Fadrhonc František Fadrhonc (18 December 1914 – 9 October 1981) was a Czech football manager, who was born in Nymburk, Austria-Hungary, present day Czech Republic. He coached many teams in Europe, mostly in the Netherlands. After winning the Dutch cham ...
and with the transfers of Walter Wagner, Christos Ardizoglou, Tasos Konstantinou and Giorgos Dedes in their offense, Papaioannou raised his performances. He scored a 4–3 victory against Panathinakos on 20 April 1975. AEK finished at the second place in the league, just 2 points behind Olympiacos. In the next season, AEK faced
Vojvodina Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...
in the first round of the UEFA Cup, where Papaioannou scored once in the 3–1 win in the second leg, on 1 October 1975. On 2 November 1975, he scored a hat-trick in the Cup game, where AEK prevailed over Agios Dimitrios with 7–0. One week later, with his 2 goals Papaioannou, formed the 2–0 win, in the away match against Olympiacos.


1976–1977

In the summer of 1976 after the "yellow-blacks" were strengthen by the additions of
Nikos Christidis Nikos Christidis (Greek: Νίκος Χρηστίδης; born 18 September 1944) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Club career Christidis started his football career in the youth divisions of Aris. In 1961 he w ...
, Takis Nikoloudis and the great
Thomas Mavros Thomas Mavros ( el, Θωμάς Μαύρος, born 31 May 1954) is a Greek former international football player who played as a striker. He was "the flag" of AEK Athens, that led the club to huge success, during the 70's and 80's. Mavros is regar ...
, they played amazing football. Fadrhonc, considering the playing intelligence and high technical qualities in the playing style of Papaioannou, decided to relocate him as a "classic number 10" in order to fit all the great attackers the club had to offer. Papaioannou responded successfully as a playmaker, while maintining his scoring abilities. In the first round of the UEFA Cup, AEK faced
Dynamo Moscow MGO VFSO "Dynamo" (russian: МГО ВФСО «Динамо»), commonly known as Dynamo Moscow (russian: Динамо Москва) is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. Founded by Felix Dzerzhinsky on 18 April 1923, Dynamo Moscow was the first ...
, where Papaioannou scored in the 2–0 of the first leg on 15 September 1976. In the episodic second leg on 29 September 1976 that was sent to the extra time, after AEK won a penalty in the last minute and Konstantinou who went to take it, given the order by Papaiannou to finish the job, calmly sent the ball into the net and the goalkeeper the oppostie direction. After beating
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 1884 ...
in both legs of the second round and became the first club in European tournaments' history to achieve a victory in English ground, they faced
Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional football club based in Bel ...
, where Papaioannou open the score in the first leg on the 2–0 victory on 24 November 1976. In the
quarter-finals A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
he helped his team tie the 3–0 defeat of the first leg against
QPR Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus R ...
, scoring a goal in the regular time and sending the match to penalties. He scored the winning penalty leading the club to the
semi-finals A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
. AEK Athens glourious campaign in the UEFA Cup ended after losing to the legendary
Juventus Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
of
Giovanni Trapattoni Giovanni Trapattoni (; born 17 March 1939), sometimes popularly known as "Trap" or "Il Trap", is an Italian football manager and former player, considered the most successful club coach of Italian football. A former defensive midfielder, as a p ...
, who eventually won the tournament.


1977–1978

In the next season the acquisition of
Dušan Bajević Dušan "Duško" Bajević ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Бајевић, ; gr, Ντούσαν Μπάγεβιτς, ''Doúsan Báyevits''; born 10 December 1948) is a Bosnian professional Manager (association football), football manager and former player. H ...
and the formation of an outstanding attacking duo with Thomas Mavros, while Papaioannou orchistrated the attack, made the team's offense unstoppable. Fadrhonc was sacked in the beginning of the season after 3 years of presence, but his replacement
Zlatko Čajkovski Zlatko "Čik" Čajkovski (24 November 1923 – 27 July 1998) was a Croatian and Yugoslavian football player and coach. His brother, Željko Čajkovski, was a footballer as well. Normally a defensive midfielder, Čajkovski was renowned for hi ...
also did an excellent job. On 28 September 1977 he scored in the second leg of the first round of the UEFA Cup against ASA Târgu Mureș, where AEK qualified with a score of 3–0, while at the second round their campaign was cut short by
Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (; nl, Standard Luik ; german: Standard Lüttich ) or simply Standard in Belgium, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Liège. They are one of the most ...
. At the end of the season, with Papaioannou as their captain, they won easily the domestic double by winning the league with just 2 defeats, as well as the Cup going undefeated while beating Panathinaikos in the second round, tearing apart Olympiacos by 6–1 in the semi-finals and prevailing against PAOK by 2–0 in the final.


1978–1979

After a completely successful season, Barlos after taking the approval of Papaioannou added to the star roster of the club the other "Mimis", by sigining Panathinaikos' legendary captain, Domazos alongside Ferenc Puskás, now as a coach, who both led the "greens" to the European Cup Final in 1971. During the season AEK were unstoppable with only three defeats in the league and played one of the most spectacular football that the team had ever played, as they tore their opponents apart with large margin wins, achieving the league's best offense with a total of 90 goals. The advanced age of Papaioannou and the great performances his teammates, did not allow him this time to be the lead player of the club. He passed that role to Mavros, who that season became the top scorer in the league with 31 goals and 40 in total in the season, winning the European Silver Shoe, just 3 goals behind
Kees Kist Cornelis Kist (born 7 August 1952) is a Dutch former professional footballer and manager. He played as a striker, and most notably won the European Golden Shoe for the 1978–79 season. Club career Born in Steenwijk, Kist started his career a ...
. Papaioannou won his last championship with AEK after they were tied in first place with Olympiacos and the latter did not came to play the play-off match, that was set for the title. However, AEK lost the chance to win a second domestic double in a row as they lost the Cup Final AEK against Panionios who overturned the 1–0 lead of the "yellow-blacks" and won by 3–1 the first Cup of their history. That year marked the last season of Papaioannou at the club. On 6 June 1979, AEK organized a friendly match at Nea Filadelfeia against PAOK in his honour. Players from the elite of the Greek football, such as
Vasilis Hatzipanagis Vasilis Hatzipanagis ( el, link=no, Βασίλης Χατζηπαναγής, , born 26 October 1954) is a Greek former professional footballer. He played for Iraklis in the Greek Alpha Ethniki and Pakhtakor in the Soviet Supreme League. He a ...
,
Antonis Antoniadis Antonis Antoniadis (Greek: Αντώνης Αντωνιάδης, born 25 May 1946) is a former Greek footballer. He scored 243 goals during his 22-years long career. He started his career in 1964 playing for Aspida Xanthi before moving to Pana ...
and
Georgios Firos Georgios Firos ( el, Γεώργιος Φοιρός; born 8 November 1953) is a Greek football manager and former football player. Career Born in Evosmos, Thessaloniki, Firos played center-back or sweeper. He was one of the very few players that ...
, as well as foreign players, such as
Walter Schachner Walter "Schoko" Schachner (born 1 February 1957) is a football manager and former player, who played as a forward. He made 64 appearances scoring 23 goals for the Austria national team. As he always brought chocolate to the games when he was ...
and
Kurt Jara Kurt Jara (born 14 October 1950) is an Austrian football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. Playing career Club career Born in Innsbruck, Jara started his professional career with local side FC Wacker Innsbruck before moving ...
, wore the yellow-black shirt to honour Papaioannou, in a 3–2 loss by the team of Thessaloniki. Papaioannou was an emblematic and the most effective leader of the club who managed to lead them to 5 Championships, 3 Cups, including a domestic double in 1978. He has been for AEK and Greek football a symbol of morale and loyalty to the team, as staying with the same team for over a decade and never seeing a red card in his entire career, while he was marked with a yellow card only three times. In his 17-year spell with AEK, he became the club's all-time top scorer and by the time he left AEK he was also the league's all-time top scorer, a record broken 11 years later by Mavros. Papaioannou today is the 3rd place of the all-time top scorers of the Greek Championship. He holds the record of most goals scored in the derbies against Panathinaikos with 10 goals, while he is second, behind Mavros at the same record in the derbies against Olympiacos with 14 goals. He was the player with the most appearances in all official competitions with the double-headed eagle, until he was surpassed by
Stelios Manolas Stelios Manolas ( el, Στέλιος Μανωλάς, born 13 July 1961) is a Greek former international football player who played as a centre back for AEK Athens and a manager. Arguably the best Greek defender of his era, being one of the few ...
, however Papaioannou holds record of the games played in league with 480 appearances. Until today, he is sixth in appearances for the Greek Championship.


Retirement

After leaving AEK in the summer of 1979, the 37-year-old Papaioannou went in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
to play for the
New York Pancyprian-Freedoms New York Pancyprian-Freedoms is an American amateur soccer team based in Astoria, New York, United States. Founded in 1974, the team plays in the Eastern Premier Soccer League, a league at the fifth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The tea ...
. After a successful 3-year spell, Papaioannou ended his great career as a football player, at the age of 40. In January 1999, the combination of all his virtues and talents, was recognized by the
IFFHS The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) is an organisation that chronicles the history and records of association football. It was founded in 1984 by Alfredo Pöge in Leipzig. The IFFHS was based in Abu Dhabi for so ...
, where he was named the Top Greek Footballer of the 20th Century.


International career

Papaioannou was part of the Greek military team from 1962 to 1965. He managed to win two concecutive times the
World Military Cup The World Military Cup is a football competition for national military teams. It is organized by the International Military Sports Council (CISM). The tournament has been held since 1946 and was originally called the World Military Championship. ...
in 1962 and 1963. Papaioannou was capped 61 times with
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
scoring 21 goals becoming their top scorer, at the time, until Anastopoulos surpassed him in 1986 and now he is among the top 5 goalscorers. His debut was on 27 November 1963 in a friendly away 3–1 loss against
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
, under Tzanetis. Although it was the first international match of Papaioannou was the captain of Greece.


Managerial career

Papaioannou, after leaving AEK in 1979, went in the
USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
as a player-coach for
New York Pancyprian-Freedoms New York Pancyprian-Freedoms is an American amateur soccer team based in Astoria, New York, United States. Founded in 1974, the team plays in the Eastern Premier Soccer League, a league at the fifth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The tea ...
, where he won a double in the
League League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...
and
Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, ...
. He remained there until 1986 initially as a player, then as a player-coach and eventually only as a coach. Although he was approaching the age of 40, in 1981 he attracted the interest of the top professional league in the US, NASL, but he had already decided to retire. After his return to Greece, some coaching attempts at clubs such as
Kerkyra Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...
and others were not crowned with success. The 1991–92 season found Papaioannou in
Kefalonia Kefalonia or Cephalonia ( el, Κεφαλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It ...
, where he was active professionally and at the local time coached the team of Evgeros, which was promoted from the local championships to the fourth division. He also coached divisions of the national team of Greece and was at the side of
Alketas Panagoulias Alketas 'Alkis' Panagoulias ( el, Αλκέτας 'Άλκης' Παναγούλιας; 30 May 1934 – 18 June 2012) was a Greek association football player and manager. He managed the national teams of both Greece and the United States. He also ...
in the Men's team, as an assistant, at the
1994 FIFA World Cup The 1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national soccer teams. It was hosted by the United States and took place from June 17 to July 17, 1994, at nine venues across the country. The United States ...
in the USA.


After football

In December 2011, the autobiography of Papaiannou, entitled "Date in the Air" ( el, "Ραντεβού στον Αέρα") was published by NIKAS publications and edited by Dimitras Apostolias. He visits schools and gives speeches about football, while he present in tournaments held for school students. Papaiannou also competes with the veterans of AEK and plays football on a
five-a-side football Five-a-side football is a version of minifootball, in which each team fields five players (four outfield players and a goalkeeper). Other differences from football include a smaller pitch, smaller goals, and a reduced game duration. Matches are ...
field to keep in shape. His wax figure is in the new
Agia Sophia Stadium The Agia Sophia Stadium (), also known by its commercial name OPAP Arena, is the home stadium of AEK Athens FC. With an all-seater capacity of 32,500, it is the largest football-only stadium and the second largest football stadium overall in Gr ...
museum with other wax effigies of people who have connected their name with AEK from various positions. His name also is honoured on one of the four pillars of the Stadum, alongside other important figures of the club's history such as Kostas Nestoridis, Stelios Serafidis and Thomas Mavros.


Career statistics


Club

{, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" , - ! rowspan=2, Season ! rowspan=2, Club ! colspan=2,
League League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...
! colspan=2,
Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, ...
! colspan=2,
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
! colspan=2,
Balkans Cup The Balkans Cup was an international football competition for clubs from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. It was introduced in 1961 and was very popular in the 1960s (the 1967 final attracted 42,000 spectators), being t ...
! colspan=2, Total , - !Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals , - , 1962–63 , rowspan="17",
AEK Athens A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadel ...
, 30, , 16, , 2, , 1, , 0, , 0, , , 0, , 0, , 32, , 17 , - , 1963–64 , 28, , 29, , 4, , 5, , 1, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 33, , 34 , - , 1964–65 , 30, , 13, , 3, , 1, , 1, , 1, , 0, , 0, , 34, , 15 , - , 1965–66 , 25, , 23, , 3, , 5, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 28, , 28 , - , 1966–67 , 22, , 10, , 3, , 3, , 2, , 1, , 9, , 8, , 36, , 22 , - , 1967–68 , 27, , 19, , 3, , 1, , 0, , 0, , 4, , 1, , 34, , 21 , - , 1968–69 , 33, , 20, , 2, , 4, , 6, , 3, , 0, , 0, , 41, , 27 , - , 1969–70 , 32, , 18, , 1, , 1, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 33, , 19 , - , 1970–71 , 34, , 27, , 8, , 10, , 2, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 44, , 37 , - , 1971–72 , 28, , 12, , 3, , 4, , 2, , 1, , 0, , 0, , 33, , 17 , - , 1972–73 , 21, , 7, , 3, , 3, , 4, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 28, , 10 , - , 1973–74 , 24, , 7, , 2, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 26, , 7 , - , 1974–75 , 33, , 10, , 3, , 1, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 36, , 11 , - , 1975–76 , 30, , 11, , 4, , 3, , 4, , 1, , 0, , 0, , 38, , 15 , - , 1976–77 , 30, , 3, , 2, , 2, , 10, , 3, , 0, , 0, , 42, , 8 , - , 1977–78 , 31, , 7, , 5, , 1, , 3, , 1, , 0, , 0, , 39, , 9 , - , 1978–79 , 22, , 2, , 3, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 0, , 25, , 2 , - ! colspan=2, Career total ! 480, , 234, , 54, , 45, , 35, , 11, , 13, , 9, , 582, , 299 : a. Also includes the games for the play-off matches. : b. His goal against Panathinaikos on 3 April 1966 did not count as the game was suspended.


International

{, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" , - !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals , - , rowspan="16" ,
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, 1963, , 1, , 0 , - , 1964, , 5, , 6 , - , 1965, , 4, , 3 , - , 1966, , 1, , 0 , - , 1967, , 5, , 1 , - , 1968, , 3, , 2 , - , 1969, , 7, , 1 , - , 1970, , 6, , 2 , - , 1971, , 5, , 1 , - , 1972, , 5, , 0 , - , 1973, , 1, , 0 , - , 1974, , 4, , 2 , - , 1975, , 5, , 1 , - , 1976, , 3, , 1 , - , 1977, , 3, , 1 , - , 1978, , 3, , 0 , - ! colspan="2" , Total!!61!!21


Honours


As a player

AEK Athens *
Alpha Ethniki The Super League Greece 1 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λιγκ 1), or Super League 1, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced ''Alpha Ethniki'' at the top of ...
: 1962–63, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1977–78, 1978–79 *
Greek Cup The Greek Football Cup ( el, Κύπελλο Ελλάδος Ποδοσφαίρου), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Kypello Elladas is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation. The Greek Cup is the second most im ...
: 1963–64, 1965–66, 1977–78 New York Pancyprian-Freedoms *
Cosmopolitan Soccer League The Cosmopolitan Soccer League is a regional soccer league consisting of semi-pro and amateur teams based in and around New York City. Established in 1923, it is one of the oldest soccer leagues in the United States and has contributed greatly ...
: 1980 *
National Challenge Cup The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a knockout cup competition in men's soccer in the United States of America. It is the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in that country. The 2023 U.S. O ...
:
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...
Greece military *
World Military Cup The World Military Cup is a football competition for national military teams. It is organized by the International Military Sports Council (CISM). The tournament has been held since 1946 and was originally called the World Military Championship. ...
: 1962, 1963 Individual *Alpha Ethniki top scorer: 1963–64, 1965–66 *Greek football player of the 20th Century


As a coach

New York Pancyprian-Freedoms *Cosmopolitan Soccer League: 1982 *National Challenge Cup:
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
,
1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...


Style of play

The playing style of Papaioannou was characterized by technique, dribbles, strength and versatility in his finishing, scoring spectacular goals, that made him a difficult opponent to play against. His strong foot was his left but he scored with both legs. He had a unique jumping ability, staying in the air longer than his opponents and beat them in aerial duels. Despite his small stature of 1.68
meters The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its prefi ...
, he scored over 50 headers in official matches. His headers were described as shots with the head. Οn 12 May 1965, at the 46th minute, during the 3–3 draw in a friendly match against Real Madrid, the central defender
José Santamaría José Emilio Santamaría Iglesias (born 31 July 1929) is a retired football central defender and manager. He spent his 18-year career with Nacional and Real Madrid, winning a combined 17 titles including four European Cups with the latter ...
was stunned, not believing that the Greek player had just jumped "to the stars" and sent the ball into the net, making the score 3–1. Papaioannou was exceptionally good at free-kicks and he had also scored twice from direct corner kicks. His leadership skills and ability to inspire his teammates resulted in making the team give everything they got on the pitch. His playing intelligence and technical ability got him to be converted from a striker to an attacking midfielder, considering his physical contidion at the time and in order to fit with all the great players in the team's offense. He adapted quickly in his new role, while the change of his position kept him in a high level, as despite his offensive skills, he also had good though passes and crosses, creating a lot of scoring chances for his teammates.


Singing career

The 7 songs with the voice of Mimis Papaioannou were recorded on Polyphone during the period 1971–1972 with the collaboration of Christos Nikolopoulos and Stelios Kazantzidis: # - St. Kazantzidis, G. Vassilopoulos (1971) # - St. Kazantzidis, Chr. Kolokotronis (recorded 19 June 1971) # - St. Kazantzidis, G. Vassilopoulos (1971) # - Chr. Nikolopoulos, Pythagoras (1971) # - St. Kazantzidis, Evag. Atraidis (1972) # - St. Kazantzidis, Evag. Atraidis (1972) # - Chr. Nikolopoulos, G. Vassilopoulos (1972)


References


External links


Mimis Papaioannou at phantis.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Papaioannou, Mimis 1942 births Living people People from Imathia Greek footballers Greece international footballers Association football forwards AEK Athens F.C. players Super League Greece players Cosmopolitan Soccer League players Veria F.C. players New York Pancyprian-Freedoms players Footballers from Central Macedonia Expatriate soccer players in the United States Greek expatriate sportspeople in the United States