Panajot Pano
Encyclopedia
Panajot Pano was an Albania
n football
player. He started his career as a goalkeeper in the SK Tirana
youth academy, but he became the most prolific centre-forward of their arch-rivals, Partizani Tirana. During his eighteen-year career he played 24 matches with the Albanian national football team
and was awarded the Albanian UEFA Jubilee Award
.
, Albania from ethnic Greek
parents ( Panagiotis Panou).
. On the international front, he played 25 times (3 goals) for the Albania national football team
.
In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA
's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player
of Albania by the Football Association of Albania
as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.
On 6 March 2009, Pano received the order Honor of the Nation from the President of Albania, H.E. Bamir Topi
. This was the first time in the history of Albania that a footballer was honored with the Honor of the Nation order.
, (Florida
, USA) on 19 January 2010 after suffering a heart attack
.
His son Ledio Pano, became also a well known football player and played for the football clubs of Partizani, Luftëtari, Xanthi FC and Pas Ioannina. He was also capped several times with Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player. He started his career as a goalkeeper in the SK Tirana
SK Tirana
KF Tirana is the most successful Albanian football club earning 47 major trophies in the country and is branch of Multiple Sport Klub of Tirana . KF Tirana is the most popular football club in the country with a considerable number of supporters...
youth academy, but he became the most prolific centre-forward of their arch-rivals, Partizani Tirana. During his eighteen-year career he played 24 matches with the Albanian national football team
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
and was awarded the Albanian UEFA Jubilee Award
UEFA Jubilee Awards
To celebrate the Union of European Football Associations 's 50th anniversary in 2004, each of its member associations was asked by UEFA to choose one of its own players as the single most outstanding player of the past 50 years . The 52 players were known as the Golden Players...
.
Biography
Pano was born in DurrësDurrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
, Albania from ethnic Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
parents ( Panagiotis Panou).
Honors
He has won four Albanian championships with Partizani Tirana, five Albanian Cups, and in 1970, the Balkans CupBalkans Cup
In 1961, a Balkans Cup for football clubs from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia was introduced. It was played 27 times...
. On the international front, he played 25 times (3 goals) for the Albania national football team
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
.
In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player
UEFA Jubilee Awards
To celebrate the Union of European Football Associations 's 50th anniversary in 2004, each of its member associations was asked by UEFA to choose one of its own players as the single most outstanding player of the past 50 years . The 52 players were known as the Golden Players...
of Albania by the Football Association of Albania
Football Association of Albania
The Albanian Football Association is the governing body of football in Albania. It organizes the national football's league Albanian Superliga, the Albania national football team, and the Albania national under-21 football team...
as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.
On 6 March 2009, Pano received the order Honor of the Nation from the President of Albania, H.E. Bamir Topi
Bamir Topi
Bamir Myrteza Topi is the fifth and current President of Albania since 24 July 2007. He was also Honorary President of Albanian football club KF Tirana from 2005 to 2007.-Early life and public activities:...
. This was the first time in the history of Albania that a footballer was honored with the Honor of the Nation order.
Death
He died at 70 in JacksonvilleJacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, (Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, USA) on 19 January 2010 after suffering a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
His son Ledio Pano, became also a well known football player and played for the football clubs of Partizani, Luftëtari, Xanthi FC and Pas Ioannina. He was also capped several times with Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
Goals in Albanian championships
| Season | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | SK Tirana SK Tirana KF Tirana is the most successful Albanian football club earning 47 major trophies in the country and is branch of Multiple Sport Klub of Tirana . KF Tirana is the most popular football club in the country with a considerable number of supporters... |
2 |
| 1959 | SK Tirana SK Tirana KF Tirana is the most successful Albanian football club earning 47 major trophies in the country and is branch of Multiple Sport Klub of Tirana . KF Tirana is the most popular football club in the country with a considerable number of supporters... |
6 |
| 1960 | Partizani | 7 |
| 1961 | Partizani | 14 |
| 1962–63 | Partizani | 17 |
| 1963–64 | Partizani | 10 |
| 1964–65 | Partizani | 7 |
| 1965–66 | Partizani | 6 |
| 1966–67 | Partizani | 10 |
| 1968 | Partizani | 17 |
| 1969–70 | Partizani | 11 |
| 1970–71 | Partizani | 17 |
| 1971–72 | Partizani | 9 |
| 1972–73 | Partizani | 4 |
| 1973–74 | Partizani | 7 |
| TOTAL | 144 |