Savva Georgiou
Encyclopedia
Georgios Savva was a Cypriot
football striker
and was the first foreign footballer ever to play professionally in Israel
. He was also the first ever Greek Cypriot that played in a football championship outside Cyprus. Georgios comes from a working class Greek background mixed with Jewish heritage from one of his grandfathers.
He played football during 1950s and he was one of the best ever Cypriot footballers. Sometimes he could play even as a defender. He began playing football for APOEL youth team in 1949 and one year later he became member of the senior squad. Scoring two goals for his team in the Cypriot Cup final in 1951 against EPA Larnaca FC
, APOEL won the final 7-0 (a record in a Cypriot Cup final until today) and he won the first trophy in his career. In 1952
, he helped his team to win the Cypriot Championship and then, as the first professional Cypriot player he played football in England
with Bristol City for one year and he also played for the representative team of London.
were British soldiers that were stationed in Israel
during the British Mandate. The Cypriot striker was the first player ever to be brought in from abroad to play professional football in Israel
.
Three offers from Israeli clubs were on the table though Georgios ended up only playing for Maccabi Haifa
. Acclimation was difficult but eventually he settled in the port city and scored some goals to go down in the annals of history in Israeli football.
, playing with a representative team of both AC Omonia
and APOEL. He died in 9 Aug 1992.
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
football striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
and was the first foreign footballer ever to play professionally in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. He was also the first ever Greek Cypriot that played in a football championship outside Cyprus. Georgios comes from a working class Greek background mixed with Jewish heritage from one of his grandfathers.
He played football during 1950s and he was one of the best ever Cypriot footballers. Sometimes he could play even as a defender. He began playing football for APOEL youth team in 1949 and one year later he became member of the senior squad. Scoring two goals for his team in the Cypriot Cup final in 1951 against EPA Larnaca FC
EPA Larnaca FC
EPA Larnaca 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 participated in the first Cypriot Championship in 1934/35. Few years later, Pezoporikos...
, APOEL won the final 7-0 (a record in a Cypriot Cup final until today) and he won the first trophy in his career. In 1952
1952-53 in English football
The 1952–53 season was the 73rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the closest championship win in English league history at the time, with Arsenal claiming the title by just 0.099 of a goal. Both Arsenal and Preston had identical records aside from their goal averages...
, he helped his team to win the Cypriot Championship and then, as the first professional Cypriot player he played football in England
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
with Bristol City for one year and he also played for the representative team of London.
Arrival to Israel
For the season 1955-56 he played for a year for Maccabi Haifa. Before Georgios, the only foreign players that played in IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
were British soldiers that were stationed in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
during the British Mandate. The Cypriot striker was the first player ever to be brought in from abroad to play professional football in Israel
Football in Israel
Football is the most popular sport in Israel. Football as an organised sport first developed in the United Kingdom who controlled Israel during the days of the British Mandate. Israel will be hosting the UEFA U-21 Championship in 2013....
.
Three offers from Israeli clubs were on the table though Georgios ended up only playing for Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa F.C.
Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups...
. Acclimation was difficult but eventually he settled in the port city and scored some goals to go down in the annals of history in Israeli football.
Back to Cyprus
In 1957, when APOEL FC had relegation danger, he was brought back to Cyprus and he was the most important player of his team. In 1959, he beat by himself the Greece national football teamGreece 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...
, playing with a representative team of both AC Omonia
AC Omonia
Athletic Club Omonoia Nicosia is a professional football club that plays in the Cyprus capital city Nicosia. The club was established in 1948 and became a member of the Cyprus Football Association in 1953...
and APOEL. He died in 9 Aug 1992.