Angelos Messaris
Encyclopedia
Angelos Messaris was a Greek
footballer. He played for Panathinaikos and he is widely regarded as the best Greek player of the pre-war
era. This is probably also due to the myth that for decades followed his sudden and mysterious early leaving from football. He made his last appearance in the football field on 23 April 1931 at the age of 21, in a match against AEK Athens. Panathinaikos were losing 2-0 but Messaris tied the score with two reverse headers and he received great cheering. That was his last appearance. He never played football again.
Messaris was descended from people of Kefalonia
, an island in the Ionian sea, but he was born in Cape Town
of South Africa
in 1910. In 1924, he came to Athens and after spending three years at the team of Goudi he was transferred to Panathinaikos. His dribbling skills, his perfect control together with his versatile mind and hard work in the football field elevated him to the top. During his short football career he scored 53 goals: 23 in the Athens FCA Championship
, 11 in the Panhellenic Championship
, 2 with the Greece national team
(he played four times) and 17 in international and friendly games of Panathinaikos and the mixed team of Athens. He was first scorer in the 1929-30 season with 7 goals. At the legendary victory over Olympiakos with 8-2 he scored the first three goals and actually served three more. Another famous victory was that over Aris
with 4-1 in Thessaloniki which called forth the following chant: "We scored eight against Olympiakos and four more against Aris - hooray Angelos Messaris!"
After giving up football, Messaris concentrated on his studies at the National Technical University of Athens
. Then he returned to South Africa where he concluded his studies and following this he came back to Greece where he became an executive manager at the Doxiadis
enterprises. It is said that the reason why he left Panathinaikos rests on the unbearable pressure Apostolos Nikolaidis was putting on him in order to persuade him to commit himself to football and forget about his studies at NTUA
. In a short telephone talk that he had with journalist Dimitris Liberopoulos back in 1973 Messaris said: "Please leave me alone... The football player you are asking for died in 1931". He died in 1978 and his funeral was attended by thousands of people.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
footballer. He played for Panathinaikos and he is widely regarded as the best Greek player of the pre-war
Pre-war
The term pre-war or prewar is usually applied to the most recent or significant war in a culture's history.Antebellum is most often used to denote the period before the American Civil War while pre-war typically refers to the period before WWII.In real estate the term refers to buildings from the...
era. This is probably also due to the myth that for decades followed his sudden and mysterious early leaving from football. He made his last appearance in the football field on 23 April 1931 at the age of 21, in a match against AEK Athens. Panathinaikos were losing 2-0 but Messaris tied the score with two reverse headers and he received great cheering. That was his last appearance. He never played football again.
Messaris was descended from people of Kefalonia
Kefalonia
The island of Cephalonia, also known as Kefalonia, Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia , is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece, with an area of . It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit...
, an island in the Ionian sea, but he was born in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1910. In 1924, he came to Athens and after spending three years at the team of Goudi he was transferred to Panathinaikos. His dribbling skills, his perfect control together with his versatile mind and hard work in the football field elevated him to the top. During his short football career he scored 53 goals: 23 in the Athens FCA Championship
Athens Football Clubs Association
Athens Football Clubs Association is one of the oldest amateur Greek association football clubs associations, representing teams from Athens Prefecture.- History :It was founded in 1924 in Athens, Greece...
, 11 in the Panhellenic Championship
Panhellenic Championship
The Panhellenic Championship was a Greek football competition to determine the nation's champion club, which ran from 1906 to 1959.In the beginning , it was run by the Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics and it was actually a local tournament among clubs from Athens and Piraeus...
, 2 with the Greece national team
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
(he played four times) and 17 in international and friendly games of Panathinaikos and the mixed team of Athens. He was first scorer in the 1929-30 season with 7 goals. At the legendary victory over Olympiakos with 8-2 he scored the first three goals and actually served three more. Another famous victory was that over Aris
Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Football Club , also known as God of war and the Yellows, is a Greek football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Formed in 1914, the club was a founding member of Macedonian Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation, they currently compete in...
with 4-1 in Thessaloniki which called forth the following chant: "We scored eight against Olympiakos and four more against Aris - hooray Angelos Messaris!"
After giving up football, Messaris concentrated on his studies at the National Technical University of Athens
National Technical University of Athens
The National Technical University of Athens , sometimes simply known as Athens Polytechnic, is among the oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions of Greece....
. Then he returned to South Africa where he concluded his studies and following this he came back to Greece where he became an executive manager at the Doxiadis
Konstantinos Apostolos Doxiadis
Constantinos Apostolou Doxiadis , was a Greek architect and town planner. He became world wide known as the lead architect of Islamabad, the new capital of Pakistan, and later as the father of Ekistics...
enterprises. It is said that the reason why he left Panathinaikos rests on the unbearable pressure Apostolos Nikolaidis was putting on him in order to persuade him to commit himself to football and forget about his studies at NTUA
National Technical University of Athens
The National Technical University of Athens , sometimes simply known as Athens Polytechnic, is among the oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions of Greece....
. In a short telephone talk that he had with journalist Dimitris Liberopoulos back in 1973 Messaris said: "Please leave me alone... The football player you are asking for died in 1931". He died in 1978 and his funeral was attended by thousands of people.
External links
- pao.gr (in Greek)