Vasilis Hatzipanagis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Vasilis Hatzipanagis

Personal information
Full name	Vasilios Hatzipanagis
Date of birth	(1954-10-26) 26 October 1954 (age 70)
Place of birth	Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Winger, attacking midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1972–1975	Pakhtakor Tashkent	96	(22)
1975–1990	Iraklis	281	(61)
1980	→Toronto Panhellenic (loan)
Total		377	(83)
International career
1974–1975	Soviet Union U19
1975	Soviet Union Olympic	4	(1)
1976	Greece U21	4	(0)
1976–1999	Greece	2	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Vasilis Hatzipanagis (Greek: Βασίλης Χατζηπαναγής, born 26 October 1954) is a famous Greek former footballer. He played as a midfielder for teams like Iraklis Thessaloniki in Greece and Pakhtakor Tashkent in the Soviet Union. He also played for the national teams of Greece and the Soviet Union.

Many football fans in Greece and around the world consider Hatzipanagis one of the best Greek footballers ever. Even though he was super talented, his career had some challenges with contracts. Because of his amazing skills, some people called him "The Greek Maradona."

Club Career Highlights

Playing for Pakhtakor Tashkent

Vasilis Hatzipanagis was born in 1954 in Tashkent, which was then part of the Soviet Union. His parents were Greek. He was discovered by the football club Pakhtakor Tashkent. They saw his great potential and wanted him to play for them. To play in the top league, he had to become a Soviet citizen.

Hatzipanagis started his professional career at just 17 years old. During his time with Pakhtakor, he played 96 games and scored 22 goals. His team also moved up from the Soviet First League to the top Soviet Supreme League in 1972.

Joining Iraklis in Greece

In December 1975, Hatzipanagis moved to Greece and signed with Iraklis, a club in Thessaloniki. He was so famous that the stadium was completely full for his very first match! The loyal Iraklis fans were a big reason he stayed with the team for so long.

His contract with Iraklis made it very hard for him to leave, even though he wanted to play in bigger leagues. Famous clubs like Lazio, Arsenal, Porto, and Stuttgart were interested in him. However, the club's leaders were worried about selling their most popular player. So, Hatzipanagis stayed at Iraklis until 1990.

His last game for Iraklis was on 19 September 1990, in a UEFA Cup match against Valencia. The game ended in a 0–0 draw. In the next game, Iraklis lost 2–0, and Hatzipanagis did not play. In the summer of 1980, he also played for a short time in Canada with Toronto Panhellenic.

International Football Journey

Playing for the Soviet Union

Vasilis Hatzipanagis was chosen to play for the Soviet Union's under-19 squad. He then moved up to the senior team and played for the Soviet Union Olympic team in the qualifying games for the 1976 Olympics.

His first game was a 3–0 win against Yugoslavia, where he even scored a goal! He played in three more matches for the Soviet Union. Even though his coach said he was "way above Greece's level," he decided to move to Greece, the country of his family.

Representing Greece

A special moment for Hatzipanagis was his first game for the Greek national team. It was a friendly match against Poland in May 1976. The crowd in Athens was amazed by his incredible ball skills.

However, after this game, Hatzipanagis was told he couldn't play for Greece anymore because he had already played for the Soviet Union. Many years later, after he had retired, he played one more time for Greece. This was on 14 December 1999, in a friendly match against Ghana. He played for 20 minutes and was honored by the Greek Football Federation for his amazing contribution to football.

His Unique Playing Style

As an attacking midfielder for Iraklis, Hatzipanagis always drew huge crowds to the Kaftanzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki. His fancy footwork earned him the nickname "the footballing Nureyev" (a famous ballet dancer). He once explained his style simply: "When I see defenders in front of me, I want to dribble around every one of them."

On 22 June 1984, he was invited to play in a special "World XI" team. This team included other football legends like Franz Beckenbauer, Mario Kempes, Kevin Keegan, and Peter Shilton. They played a match against New York Cosmos in New Jersey.

In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's 50th anniversary, Hatzipanagis was chosen as Greece's "Golden Player" for the past 50 years. He was 50 years old at the time and said, "It is very touching to see that you are not forgotten, that your contribution is appreciated even after so many years." He also mentioned, "I regret not having been able to wear the Greek national jersey more than once. And I regret not having made a career abroad. I would have liked to play in a better league, to have enjoyed football at that level. If I could turn back the clock, I would do some things differently."

Career Statistics Overview

Club Performance

International Performance

Awards and Achievements

Club Trophies

Pakhtakor Tashkent

• Soviet First League: 1972

Iraklis Thessaloniki

• Greek Cup: 1975–76
• Balkans Cup: 1985

Toronto Panhellenic

• Canadian National Soccer League Play-Off: 1980

Individual Honors

• Soviet Master of Sports award: 1974
• UEFA Jubilee Awards
  • Greece's Golden Player: 1954–2003
• Goals from direct corner kicks: 7, in the 1982-83 season

See also

In Spanish: Vasilis Hatzipanagis para niños