Thomas Mavros

At 69 years old, Thomas Mavros has this physical status:

Thomas Mavros (born 31 May 1954) is a retired Greek international footballer who competed as a striker.

With a record number of 260 goals in Alpha Ethniki, he is one of the best players to play club football in Greece.

Early life

Mavros was born in Kallithea, where he lived until he was 4 years old and then moved to Paleo Faliro. Michalis' father, although he wasn't a footballer, was a huge fan of football. Since he was just 5 years old, his father used to take him and his brother to the park every morning, teaching them everything about football, including teaching them how to play the sport, and he took them every Sunday to Nea Smyrni Stadium to watch Panionios. His elder brother, Sotiris, joined Panionios' children's section soon. It all started in 1961 for the Mavros, who's father refused to attend the stadium due to bad weather. The Mavros opted to fly alone to Nea Smyrni for a match of Panionios against Pierikos. He waited outside the stadium's locker room and caught the attention of the then coach of the team, Takis Papoulidis, who begged Mavros to leave the rest of the team for the warm-up. The two of them played "headers" at the instigation of Papoulidis, rising to 65 without missing a single ball, which represented the start of his football career. Papoulidis, who praised the young one's talent and abilities, pleaded with him to attend every match in Panionios' uniform and carry the team's mascot. Panionios defeated Olympiacos by 1–0 in the first match in which Mavros played as a mascot, and the little one earned 100 drachmas for the tenacity he brought to the team.

Personal life

Mavros is married to former basketball player Palaio Faliro, Angeliki Agorastopoulou's and they have two sons, Dimitris and Sotiris, as well as a niece, Ioanna.

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Club career

Mavros joined the club's infrastructure departments and began his involvement with football at the age of 11. He was escorting himself from his brother's exclusion in the adolescent section, and he was escorted to train with Olympiacos due to a bad situation. Elias Yfantis jumped straightaway and asked him to join the team. The refusal of Panionios to participate in his sport's card prevented the transfer from disappointed Mavros to the point of being banned from Panionios. After a visit to his house and a pledge by 14-year-old Thomas for his service in the youth team, the gap was bridged by the team's curator. Joe Mallett, who excelled and cultivated his talent, was the youngest player to play in a Greek Championship match since 17 January 1971, as well as the youngest scorer against Pierikos on 1–0 victory. He became an international player at a young age, although he was not playing for any of the top clubs. In the first round of the UEFA Cup, he made his European debut against Atlético Madrid on September 16th. His appearance made him the then-youngest player of a Greek football team to have ever played in a European competition. Mavros started as a left winger and later as a striker, where he displayed his scoring skills, sparking the interest of Greek football's top teams.

Athens, Loukas Barlos, president of AEK Athens, wanted to sign the young striker, but Panionios board refused to give them their best player. The expression of concern by AEK in the summer of 1975 contrasted with Panionios' rigidly cynical outlook. The adventure of Kostas Nestoridis' transfer in 1955 was about to begin for AEK. Mavros' desire to play for the time's greatest AEK as well as his unashamed admiration for Barlos was sufficient to get past the transfer's inexplicable and obsession. It was then revealed that Mavros' contract with Panionios was also invalid, effectively ending the deal. Panionios also suspended the transfer, triggering a trial between the two teams that lasted for an entire season. Mavros was unable to play for either team during this period. After the conflict was settled, Mavros was eventually transferred to AEK Athens in June 1976.

Both Barlos and Mavros, who have since adopted a "father-son" relationship, were brought joy and happiness by the happy ending of the case. He was immediately involved of the team's journey to the UEFA Cup, winning 2 Championships and 2 Cups, including a domestic double in 1978. He was also the top scorer three times (1978, with 22 goals, 1979 with 31 goals, 1985 with 27 goals). He was also Europe's second goalscorer in 1979, with three goals behind AZ's player, Kees Kist. He was born alongside Duan Bajevi, one of the club's top scoring pair and one of Europe's best players. Athens fans adored him because he was one of the few players to remain with the club after Barlos' departure and because of his ability to score against rival Olympiacos. They named him (Greek: "They"; Faidon Konstantoudakis, a lexicographer), and the entire stadium erupted, shouting "Who, who?" "Mavros the God" (Greek: ", ;, "; "") " ())" Mavros the God)

The era after Barlos' resignation was marked by financial and financial uncertainty, but the transfers did not meet the aspirations, as the team was getting poorer in every season. Mavros stayed in the team's decline, and the team's leading presence prevented the team from falling apart. For the 80th anniversary of the Czechoslovak Football Association, Mavros was called to Europe XI on August 18 to face Czechoslovakia. In the second leg at Karaiskakis Stadium, he led the team in the qualification at the expense of Olympiacos in the quarter-finals of the Cup. Mavros had the ball in the goal's counterattack and dribbled to the opposite field, and many fans of the red whites started leaving the stadium excited about the coming goal of Mavros and the subsequent dismissal of their team. In the Final against PAOK at Olympic Stadium, his goals and another by Vangelis Vlachos helped the team win a trophy for the first time in four years. In the ensuing season, he revived his cortact, with the club receiving 45 million drachmas from Lefteris Panagidis, the club's former president. Mavros was named to the World XI on June 22nd, alongside fellow Franz Beckenbauer, Ruud Krol, Peter Shilton, Kevin Keegan, Hugo Sánchez, and Felix Magath. In a 3–1 victory over the New York Cosmos, 20,000 Greek fans attended World XI's match against the New York Cosmos. In fact, Beckenbauer told him, "You came at last." "It's in his best interest, his team's New York Cosmos for Mavros, "which is in the constant interest of his team." Mavros defeated Egaleo 5–2 on January 27, 1985, becoming one of the first nine Greek players to score five goals in a match against Egaleo. Nikos Alefantos, the club's president, requested that Andreas Zafiropoulos not renew Mavros' contract because the player was "too old" to play for a team of that age. All of the above were confirmed on April 11, 1987, when Alefantos booed Mavros at the 80th minute, causing a raucous reaction from all AEK supporters. Zafiropoulos obliged the coach's wishes, and Mavros was released from the club and rejoined Panionios, his former team.

With his return to Nea Smyrni, Mavros proved the wrong coach and administration of AEK Athens. He earned the top scorer in the league in 1990 with Panionios, his highest scorer in the age of 36, becoming the oldest player in Greece to ever win this award. Mavros lived one of his career as an AEK critic in Nea Filadelfeia on October 28, 1989. Panionios equalized the match in the 27th minute, doing what he does best. The goal was not celebrated by the Mavros. Thousands of AEK supporters on the stands, stood on their feet, chanted his name as if he had just scored for AEK, demonstrating their love and admiration for his visage and commotion, prompting Mavros to applaud them and kiss them away, putting an end to a tear of joy. Mavros scored a total of 51 goals in 89 games during his second stint with the club, beating his former colleague, Mimis Papaioannou, as the Greek Championship's all-time top scorer.

He hung up his shoes in the friendly match against AEK, which was held in his honor on November 14th. In the last game of his glorious career, both teams were 4–2 as a result. AEK and Mavros both scored three goals in the last game of his glorious career.

International career

Although Mavros' international career is enviable, much has been said about its unjust termination in 1982. He played for Greece's Youth team from 1972 to 1974, in which he scored four goals in the European Championship matches. Two goals against Yugoslavia and one goal against Malta on 16/1/74. In the 2–1 win over Czechoslovakia, then played with Greece U21 and scored the winning goal on 31/5/1972. He became the youngest player to ever play for the men's squad at the age of 17. Mavros had a total of 36 appearances, with Greece scoring 11 goals from 1972 to1984. He made his debut in the 1980s at the European Championships.

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