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Mimis Papaioannou

Personal information

Full name

Dimitrios Papaioannou

Date of birth

23 August 1942

Place of birth

Nea Nikomedeia, Greece

Date of death

15 March 2023 (aged 80)

Place of death

Athens, Greece

Height

1.68 m

Playing position

Forward, attacking midfielder

Youth career

1957–1960

Nea Genea

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

1960–1962

Veria

(40)

1962–1979

AEK Athens

480

(234)

1979–1982

New York Pancyprian-Freedoms

(5)

Total

581

(279)

National team

1962–1965

Greece military

(4)

1963–1978

Greece

(21)

Teams managed

1982–1986

New York Pancyprian-Freedoms

1986–1987

Kerkyra

1987–1988

Edessaikos

1988–1989

Olympiacos Chalkida

1989–1990

AE Kos

1990–1991

Pannafpliakos

1991–1992

Evgeros

1992–1994

Greece (assistant)

Honours


Men's football
Representing Greece
World Military Cup
Winner	1962
Winner	1963

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

Dimitrios "Mimis" Papaioannou (Δημήτριος "Μίμης" Παπαϊωάννου; born August 23, 1942 – died March 15, 2023) was a famous Greek professional footballer. He played as a forward and later became a manager. He spent most of his career playing for AEK Athens. People called him "The Vlach" (ο Βλάχος) because his family were refugees.

Mimis Papaioannou was known for his fair play. He was never shown a red card in his entire career! Many people thought he was the best Greek footballer of his time. The IFFHS even named him the best Greek footballer of the 20th Century. In 2021, they also picked him for Greece's best team of all time.

Early Life and First Steps in Football

Mimis Papaioannou was born on August 23, 1942, in Nea Nikomedeia, Greece. His dad, Kostas, looked after the local football team called Nea Genea. This meant young Mimis was around football from a very young age.

His amazing football talent quickly became clear. He loved football so much that he left school early. He split his time between the football stadium and working as an assistant at a barber shop in his village.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out

When he was 15, Mimis joined Nea Genea. He played as a forward, scoring many goals. Soon, bigger teams noticed his skills. At 17, in 1959, he moved to Veria, a local club.

His great games for Veria caught the eye of big teams in Thessaloniki. The coach of AEK Athens, Tryfon Tzanetis, also wanted him. In 1961, AEK Athens offered a lot of money for him. Mimis was unsure because he liked PAOK, a team closer to his home. But his club president told him to choose AEK Athens. This move meant going to Athens, far from his family, but the money helped them a lot.

Becoming an AEK Athens Legend

Joining AEK Athens (1962–1963)

In the summer of 1962, 20-year-old Mimis Papaioannou joined AEK Athens. This was the start of 17 years that made him one of AEK's greatest players. He teamed up with Kostas Nestoridis. Together, they were a powerful attacking duo.

On September 27, 1962, he scored his first goal in his first game. AEK won 7–2 against Egaleo. He also scored in a big game against Olympiacos, helping AEK win 3–1. At the end of the season, AEK tied for first place with Panathinaikos. They played a deciding match on June 23, 1963. Mimis scored twice, and AEK won the league title after 23 years!

Leading the Team (1963–1965)

In the next few years, Mimis became the main leader of AEK Athens. He took over from Nestoridis and pushed the team to new successes. Fans loved him for his passion and skill.

On September 29, 1963, he scored two goals against Panathinaikos. On October 16, 1963, he scored his first hat-trick (three goals) against Aris. He scored another hat-trick two months later against Ethnikos Piraeus. In 1964, he scored four goals in a Cup game against Anagennisi Arta. He also won his first Cup with AEK that year. In 1964, he was the league's top scorer with 29 goals.

On January 31, 1965, Mimis scored another hat-trick against Panachaiki. He also scored the winning goal in a tough game against Olympiacos.

A Short Break and Singing Career

On May 12, 1965, the famous Real Madrid player, Ferenc Puskás, saw Mimis play. Mimis scored two goals against Real Madrid in a friendly match. Puskás then suggested that Real Madrid buy Mimis.

Real Madrid offered a huge amount of money for Mimis. This was a dream chance for Mimis to play in Spain. But AEK Athens was worried about how fans would react if Mimis left. So, the transfer never happened. Mimis was very upset and almost quit football.

Then, a music composer named Christos Nikolopoulos introduced Mimis to the famous singer Stelios Kazantzidis. Stelios found out Mimis had a great singing voice. He asked Mimis to join him and Marinella for concerts in Germany. Mimis agreed and sang for Greek people living in Germany.

After two months, Stelios realized how important Mimis was to football. He convinced Mimis to go back to AEK. Mimis signed a very good contract with AEK in December 1965. His singing career was short. He recorded seven songs between 1971 and 1972. One of these was the famous "Hymn of AEK" (Α.Ε.Κ.-Ύμνος της ΑΕΚ).

Back to AEK Athens

Leading the Way Again (1965–1966)

Mimis Papaioannou returned to AEK and became the team's main leader. In his first game back, on December 19, 1965, he scored against Panathinaikos.

He scored five hat-tricks this season! He was the league's top scorer again with 23 goals.

European Adventures (1966–1967)

The next season, Mimis led AEK to the final of the Balkans Cup. He scored many goals in that competition. In the final against Fenerbahçe, AEK lost, but Mimis scored their only goal. He also scored in a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup game against Braga.

On January 29, 1967, he scored the winning goal against Olympiacos in the last minutes.

Winning More Titles (1967–1968)

On October 22, 1967, Mimis scored to tie the game against Panathinaikos. On November 12, he scored a hat-trick against Panserraikos. He also scored two goals against Olympiacos. On January 21, 1968, he scored his second hat-trick of the season against Vyzas Megara.

At the end of the season, Mimis celebrated his second championship with AEK. This win also meant AEK would play in the European Cup for the first time.

European Quarter-Finals (1968–1969)

On September 18, 1968, Mimis scored in AEK's first European Cup win. They beat Jeunesse Esch 3–0. In a game against Olympiacos, after their goalkeeper was sent off, Mimis played as goalkeeper for the last 5 minutes! He even made two great saves.

On November 3, 1968, he scored AEK's fastest hat-trick ever, in just 12 minutes! This was in a 5–2 win against Chalkida. AEK reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup, which was the best a Greek club had done at that time.

More Goals and Another Title (1969–1971)

On February 8, 1970, Mimis scored the only goal to win the game against Olympiacos. On September 30, 1970, he scored four goals in a 10–0 Cup win. On December 4, 1970, he scored a hat-trick against his old club, Veria, in an 8–2 win.

He scored two more hat-tricks in March 1971. Mimis led his club to win another championship. He scored 27 goals in the league that season.

Tough Times and Leadership (1971–1974)

AEK started having money problems and disagreements within the club. This led to a difficult period for the team. Mimis continued to lead the club during these hard times. They did well in the UEFA Cup, reaching the second round before losing to the strong Liverpool team.

The club continued to struggle, and Mimis scored fewer goals than usual.

A New Golden Era (1974–1976)

When Loukas Barlos took over the club, AEK entered a great period. Mimis Papaioannou led the team to many titles. With new players joining, Mimis played even better. He helped AEK win 4–3 against Panathinaikos on April 20, 1975. AEK finished second in the league, just two points behind Olympiacos.

The next season, Mimis scored in a UEFA Cup game against Vojvodina. On November 2, 1975, he scored a hat-trick in a Cup game. A week later, he scored two goals in a 2–0 win against Olympiacos.

European Semi-Finals (1976–1977)

In the summer of 1976, AEK got stronger with new players. The coach moved Mimis to play as a "classic number 10" (a creative midfielder). Mimis did great in this new role, still scoring goals and setting up plays.

In the UEFA Cup, Mimis scored against Dynamo Moscow. AEK then beat Derby County, becoming the first club to win in England in a European tournament. They reached the quarter-finals and Mimis scored the winning penalty in a shootout against QPR. This sent AEK to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup! Their amazing journey ended when they lost to the legendary Juventus.

Winning the Double (1977–1978)

The next season, AEK's attack was unstoppable with Mimis leading the way. He scored in a UEFA Cup game against ASA Târgu Mureș. At the end of the season, with Mimis as captain, AEK won the domestic double. They won the league with only two defeats and also won the Cup, beating PAOK 2–0 in the final.

Last Season at AEK (1978–1979)

After a very successful season, AEK added more star players. Mimis Papaioannou was getting older, so he let Thomas Mavros take the lead in scoring. Mavros became the league's top scorer with 31 goals.

Mimis won his last championship with AEK. They tied for first place with Olympiacos, but Olympiacos did not show up for the deciding match. However, AEK lost the Cup Final to Panionios. This was Mimis Papaioannou's last season with the club. On June 6, 1979, AEK held a special friendly match in his honor.

Mimis Papaioannou was a very important leader for AEK. He helped them win 5 Championships and 3 Cups, including a double in 1978. He was a symbol of loyalty, staying with the same team for over a decade. He never received a red card and only three yellow cards in his whole career! He became AEK's all-time top scorer. He also holds the record for most goals in games against Panathinaikos (10 goals). He is second in goals against Olympiacos (14 goals). He played the most league games for AEK, with 480 appearances.

Retirement from Playing

After leaving AEK in 1979, 37-year-old Mimis Papaioannou went to the United States. He played for the New York Pancyprian-Freedoms. After three successful years, Mimis ended his amazing football career at age 40.

In January 1999, the IFFHS named him the Top Greek Footballer of the 20th Century. This recognized all his skills and good character.

Playing for Greece

Mimis Papaioannou was part of the Greek military football team from 1962 to 1965. He helped them win the World Military Cup two times in a row, in 1962 and 1963.

He played 61 times for the Greece national team and scored 21 goals. At the time, he was their top scorer. His first game for Greece was on November 27, 1963, against Cyprus. Even though it was his first game, he was the captain of Greece!

Managerial Career

After leaving AEK in 1979, Mimis Papaioannou became a player-coach for the New York Pancyprian-Freedoms in the USA. He won a league and cup double there. He stayed with the team until 1986, first as a player, then player-coach, and finally just as a coach.

When he returned to Greece in 1986, he coached a few clubs like Kerkyra and Edessaikos. In 1991, he moved to Kefalonia and coached the local team, Evgeros. They were promoted to a higher division. He also coached different levels of the Greek national team. He was an assistant coach for the men's team at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA.

Life After Football

In December 2011, Mimis Papaioannou's autobiography, "Date in the Air" (Ραντεβού στον Αέρα), was published. He often visited schools to talk about football and presented at tournaments for students. He also played football with AEK veteran players to stay active.

His wax figure is in the new Agia Sophia Stadium museum. His name is also honored on one of the four main pillars of the stadium, alongside other important AEK figures.

Death

On March 15, 2023, Mimis Papaioannou passed away at the age of 80. He had been struggling with health issues for a long time. His funeral was held on March 17 in Nea Filadelfeia. Many important people from Greek football came to say goodbye. At the Agia Sophia Stadium, flags were at half-mast, and his image was shown on the stadium's big screen.

How He Played

Mimis Papaioannou was known for his amazing technique, dribbling skills, and strength. He could score spectacular goals. His left foot was very strong, but he could score with both feet. He had a unique ability to jump high and stay in the air longer than other players. This helped him win many aerial duels. Even though he was only 1.68 meters tall, he scored over 50 goals with his head! People said his headers were like shots with his head.

He was also great at free-kicks and even scored directly from corner kicks twice. Mimis was a true leader who inspired his teammates. He was very smart about the game. Later in his career, he changed from a striker to an attacking midfielder. He adapted quickly to this new role. He had great passes and crosses, creating many scoring chances for his teammates.

Singing Career Details

Mimis Papaioannou recorded 7 songs with Polyphone between 1971 and 1972. He worked with Christos Nikolopoulos and Stelios Kazantzidis on these songs:

Mes ti fotia mou (Μες τη φωτιά μου) - 1971
A.E.K.-Hymn of AEK (Α.Ε.Κ.-Ύμνος της ΑΕΚ) - recorded June 19, 1971
San pouli kinigimeno (Σαν πουλί κυνηγημένο) - 1971
Eho elattomata (Έχω ελαττώματα) - 1971
San theatrinos (Σαν θεατρίνος) - 1972
Ftanoun i pikres (Φτάνουν οι πίκρες) - 1972
Martyres i pikres mou (Μάρτυρες οι πίκρες μου) - 1972

Honours and Achievements

As a Player

AEK Athens

Alpha Ethniki (Greek League): 1962–63, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1977–78, 1978–79
Greek Cup: 1963–64, 1965–66, 1977–78

New York Pancyprian-Freedoms

Cosmopolitan Soccer League: 1980
National Challenge Cup: 1980

Greece Military Team

World Military Cup: 1962, 1963

Individual Awards

Alpha Ethniki Top Scorer: 1963–64, 1965–66
Best Greek Footballer of the 20th Century

As a Coach