LEFTERIS ANTONIADIS 1925-2012

 "ξέρω πως όταν πεθάνω θα τυλίξουν το φέρετρό μου με την ερυθρά ημισέληνο, αλλά  η καρδιά μου θα είναι γαλάζια με σταυρό..

Tens of thousands of Turks filled a stadium to bid farewell to Lefteris Antoniadis, one of Turkey's top football players, who died at age 86 in Istanbul.  Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the funeral ceremony on Sunday at Fenerbahce's Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium to honor Antoniandis, known to Turkish fans as Lefter Küçükandonyadis. 

Born in 1925 in Istanbul to a Greek father from Turkey's minority Greek community and a Turkish mother, he was the first player from Turkey to play abroad. From an early age he showed his great love for football. He began his football career in Taximspor, a district team of the City. After a four year stint in the Turkish Army, he joined Fenerbahce in 1947, where his talent was immediately recognized. In 1951 he played for Italian Fiorentina, the first player from Turkey to achieve recognition by a foreign team.

He returned to Fenerbahce, where he helped win two championships,  founded the national team, and helped to earn three titles (1959, 1961, 1964). From 1947 to 1964 he played 615 games scoring 423 goals. His prowess on the field and legendery status earned him the respect of all Turkish fans.  In the season 1953–1954, he was the top scorer in the Turkish league.  After ending his career in Turkey in 1964, Küçükandonyadis played a single season in Greece with AEK Athens the team of the Greek Athletic Union of Constantinople. He participated in five games in the 1965 season scoring two goals before an injury in the match against Iraklis forced his retirement.

He played 50 times for the Turkish national football team, 9 of them as the captain. He also played at the 1954 World Cup netting in 2 goals, one against West-Germany and one against South-Korea. He scored 20 goals for his national team and was the top scorer for Turkey till overtaken by Hakan Şükür. He was the first Turkish football player to receive the “Golden Honor medal” from the Turkish Football Federation.  Lefteris coached Egaleo F.C. in Greece and Supersport United in South Africa. He later returned to Turkey and coached various Turkish clubs.

In Turkey, he was loved, never hiding his identity as a Greek Orthodox Christian. In fact, he embraced his faith, daring to wear a Cross prominently on his chest outside his player's jersey even while  standing at attention when the Turkish National Anthem was played.  He was a gifted footballer and a great human being, who by the dint of his talent and example was admired by Turkish fans and players alike. The Turkish fans nicknamed him "Küçük" which means small, due to his 5' 4" height, adding it to his surname.  It was chanted repeatedly at games when he played, 

In recent years he lived out his retirement in the formerly Greek inhabited Princess Islands, entertaining a steady stream of visitors like Soukour Hakan, one of the greatest scorers of all time in Turkey , Demis Nikolaidis of AEK and His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomeow, the Patriarch of Constantinople.

 

Η ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ - ΓΙΩΤΑ ΝΕΓΚΑ

Comments

[Chris Georgallis]

Hi Stavro,
i would like to thank you so very much for your wonderful site! It has inspired me so much and helped re ignite my passion for my race and the nations of Greece and Cyprus. I am of Greek Cypriot origin, my mother from Nicosia and Father from Rizokarpaso. I was born and raised in London England and now live in Capetown Soth Africa, Its a long story but a good one! I am married to a wonderful Greek Cypriot girl of South African origins, who is a paediatrician and we have a 2year old son called Alexi. We are true children of the Diaspora. I own my own food and coffee brand in Capetown, but i have a real love of history and theology and these two are my passions. I am so very inspired by your writings and articles and your deep and sincere faith! My father(now gone on) was a soldier in the 2nd World War.He was a prisoner of war when Greece fell to the Germans and escaped from Italy to Switzerland. He has told me some awesome stories. I love your passion for our history as i too enjoy such tales. Hope to hear from you, and i am not quite sure how to communicate other than through this comment bar? Anyway thank you and God bless you.
Chris Georgallis.

[Joseph]

The story of Lefteris Antoniadis really shows how sports can bridge over cultural and national barriers and both Greeks and Turks can share their love with the same sports legend (rare thing…). Sports and national pride do go well together. This season we have the honor of having two of Greece’ contemporary basketball legends (Sofoklis Schortsanitis and Theodoros Papaloukas)‏ playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv. This fills both my son and my hearts with great Greek pride!

[Stavros]

Chris,

I am really glad that you have found something worthwhile here. Our race is much maligned these days yet those of us who know it from a personal vantage point have always known that its individual stories bear witness to much that is admirable.

Greeks on the periphery especially share a love of our culture, history and people that is tempered by our own trials and tribulations far from our imagined Ithaka.

I am heartened by your success and even more so by your own passion for your roots. Share our values with your children and make them proud of who they are and who they will become.

O Theos mazi sas pantote.

Joseph,

I will always remember Sofoklis for the beating that he and his Greek teammates administered to our American team at the 2006 World Basketball Championships. Of course you are absolutely right about sport and the common ground that it provides for all the citizens of our troublesome world. If only we could settle all our differences on the playing field then go home and drink beer when it is over. Sound eminently sensible to me.

[Kosta]

I was deeply saddened when Lefteri passed away. He makes me proud to be Greek even though he represented Turkey, but that's alright. He made me think of my roots as a pontio Greek since his last name was Antoniadis, also a pontio. I don't know what it is, but I feel as though I lost someone close to me. It's a weird but beautiful feeling. I just wish peace between Greeks and Turks.

[Istvan]

What an amazing career and life he had.
For me he's the one who helped to defeat our Golden Team with Puskas in '56. Rumor says,
had he played 2 years earlier against the hungarians in the World Cup he could have "saved" our team from the most devastating defeat in our sport history.
May his name be remembered for many generations.

[Stavros]

Kosta,

I too wish to see Greeks and Turks live in peace, I believe that there are many Turks who share our feelings. Unfortunately, Turkey is controlled by people who harbor dangerous ideas of a renewed Ottoman Empire. Let's hope they do not succeed.

Istvan,

Puskás coached Panathinaikos to the Eurpean Cup Final in 71. A feat that has yet to be repeated. I am not particularly impressed by our current crop of sports celebrities but these two guys deserve admiration and respect.

Good to hear from you both.