Giannis Kanakis
![]() Giannis Kanakis with AEK Athens | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Ioannis Kanakis | ||
Date of birth | (1927-08-27)27 August 1927 | ||
Place of birth | Kavala, Greece | ||
Date of death | 24 March 2016(2016-03-24) (aged 88) | ||
Place of death | Athens, Greece | ||
Position(s) | Wide midfielder, full back | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
Elpida Kavalas | |||
–1949 | AE Kavalas | ||
1949–1960 | AEK Athens | 51 | (16) |
Total | 51 | (16) | |
International career‡ | |||
1951 | Greece | 1 | (0) |
1952 | Greece military | (10) | |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 April 2018 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20 November 2002 |
Giannis Kanakis (Greek: Γιάννης Κανάκης; 27 August 1927 — 24 March 2016) was a Greek former professional footballer who played as a wide midfielder.
Club career
Early years
Kanakis started football at Elpida Kavalas and continued at AE Kavalas, competing in the defensive line.[1] In 1949 he was transferred to AEK Athens following the suggestion of Kostas Negrepontis.
AEK Athens
At AEK, he was relocated in the position of the wide midfielder. A strong, spirited, passionate, but also skilled football player, with a great shot, he wrote his own history at the club and in Greek football and became loved by the fans of the yellow-blacks. In 1952, after Kleanthis Maropoulos retired, he became the team's captain. He was one of the team's leading players in the first half of the 1950s and with the arrival of the legendary striker, Kostas Nestoridis in 1955, they formed an amazing competitive partnership. On 24 June 1956, he won the Cup with AEK, scoring the winner with a power shot in the final 2–1 against Olympiacos.[2] On 25 October 1959, he scored in the 3rd minute in the away match against Ethnikos Piraeus and became the first player in the history of Greek football who scored in the newly formed first national division.[3][4][5] He managed to compete in 6 times in that season's championship scoring 2 goals.[6] In the second round match against Ethnikos Piraeus at the Nea Filadelfeia Stadium, he was honored for his presence,[7] before retiring as a footballer, passing on the captainancy of the team to Andreas Stamatiadis. With AEK he won 2 Cups and a Athens FCA League in 1950.[8][9]
International career
Kanakis played for Greece once, in the away friendly 1–0 defeat against France B in Marseille on 14 October 1951.[10]
He was also anointed an international with the Military team, scoring 10 goals, winning the World Military Cup in 1952 and scoring the winner against Belgium.[11][12][13]
Personal life
Kanakis he worked at the PPC alongside his football career.[9] After his retirement as a footballer he remained close to his beloved AEK and even served for a number of years as director of their football department.[14] He died on 24 March 2016 at the age of 88.[15][16][17][18]
Honours
AEK Athens
- Greek Cup: 1949–50, 1955–56
- Athens FCA League: 1950
Greece military
- World Military Cup: 1952
References
- ^ "ΓΙΑΝΝΗΣ ΚΑΝΑΚΗΣ: Ένας μεγάλος κανονιέρης από την Καβάλα στην ΑΕΚ". koinoniki.gr.
- ^ Γκόγκουλης, Ευάνθης. "OLD FOOTBALL - Κυπελλούχος με γκολάρα του Κανάκη". oldfootball.gr. Archived from the original on 29 October 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
- ^ "ΑΕΚ: Σαν σήμερα ο Γιάννης Κανάκης πέτυχε το πρώτο γκολ στην Α' Εθνική". pontosnews.gr. 25 October 2022.
- ^ Καζαντζόγλου, Σταύρος (25 October 2020). "Ο μεγάλος Γιάννης Κανάκης της ΑΕΚ πέτυχε το πρώτο γκολ στην ιστορία της Α' Εθνικής". enwsi.gr.
- ^ "Το ιστορικό γκολ του Γιάννη Κανάκη - 25/10 08:34". aek365.org.
- ^ "Ο Γιάννης Κανάκης ο θρύλος του ποδοσφαίρου :: Eykalipsis". eykalipsis.com. 4 December 2020.
- ^ "Ποιος ήταν ο Γιάννης Κανάκης". aek-live.gr. 24 March 2016.
- ^ "Το αφιέρωμα που έκανε τον ίδιο τον Γιάννη Κανάκη να κλάψει... (vid)". 24 March 2016.
- ^ a b "Γιάννης Κανάκης". aekpedia.com.
- ^ "Greece matches 1951–1955" (PDF). epo.gr.
- ^ "newsp. Athletic Echo, 8/3/1952". athlitikihxo.gr.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "newsp. Athletic Echo, 26/3/1952". athlitikihxo.gr.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "World Military Championship". RSSSF.
- ^ "Έφυγε ο Γιάννης Κανάκης!". aekfc.gr.
- ^ "Παλαίμαχος της ΑΕΚ έσβησε από ιατρική αμέλεια". zougla.gr.
- ^ newsroom, sport-fm. "Έφυγε από τη ζωή ο Γιάννης Κανάκης". sport-fm.gr.
{{cite web}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^ "Ο Γιάννης Κανάκης «έσβησε» από ιατρική αμέλεια!". sdna.gr. 25 March 2016.
- ^ "Εφυγε ο μεγάλος αρχηγός της ΑΕΚ Γιάννης Κανάκης". efsyn.gr.
External links
- "History of AEK", collective work, Publications G.Ch. Alexandris, Athens 1996
- "Greece, March Through Time", V. Melecoglou-Agg. Mendrinos-Th. Davelos, "Papazisis Publications", Athens 2001
- Giannis Kanakis at aekfc.gr
- Giannis Kanakis at WorldFootball.net