Vasilis Hatzipanagis facts for kids

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Vasilis Hatzipanagis

Personal information
Date of birth	(1954-10-26) 26 October 1954 (age 70)
Place of birth	Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.73 m
Playing position	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)
National team
1974–1975	Soviet Union U19
1975	Soviet Union Olympic	4	(1)
1976	Greece U21	4	(0)
1976–1999	Greece	2	(0)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

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

Many football fans in Greece and around the world consider Hatzipanagis one of the best Greek footballers ever. Even though he was incredibly talented, his career faced challenges because of problems with his contracts. This meant he didn't always get the recognition he deserved. People often called him "the Greek Maradona" because of his amazing skills. In 1984, he was even invited to play for the World XI, a special team made up of top football legends from all over the globe. This showed just how good he was.

Vasilis Hatzipanagis: A Football Legend

Early Career in the Soviet Union

Vasilis Hatzipanagis was born in 1954 in Tashkent, which was then part of the Soviet Union. His parents were Greek refugees. A football club called Pakhtakor Tashkent noticed his talent. They wanted him to play for them, but there was a strict rule: he had to become a Soviet citizen to play in the top league.

Hatzipanagis started his professional career at just 17 years old. During his time at Pakhtakor Tashkent, he played in 96 matches and scored 22 goals. He helped his team get promoted from the Soviet First League to the Soviet Supreme League in 1972.

Playing for Iraklis in Greece

After a period of military rule in Greece ended, Hatzipanagis moved to Thessaloniki and joined the club Iraklis in December 1975. He was so popular that his first match filled the stadium with excited fans. The strong support from Iraklis fans was one reason he never left the team. Another reason was his contract, which made it very hard for him to move to another club, even though he wanted to play in a stronger league.

Many big European clubs like Lazio, Arsenal, Porto, and Stuttgart were interested in him. However, Iraklis didn't want to sell their most popular player. So, Hatzipanagis stayed with Iraklis until 1990. His last game for the club was in a UEFA Cup match against Valencia in September 1990. He played 281 matches for Iraklis and scored 61 goals. In the summer of 1980, he also played briefly in Canada for Toronto Panhellenic.

International Football Journey

Representing the Soviet Union

Before moving to Greece, Vasilis Hatzipanagis played for the Soviet Union's under-19 team. He then moved up to the senior team and played for the Soviet Union Olympic team in the qualifying games for the 1976 Olympics.

He made his debut in a 3-0 win against Yugoslavia, where he even scored a goal. He played in three more matches for the Soviet Olympic team. His coach told him he was "way above Greece's level." However, Hatzipanagis decided to leave the Soviet league and move to Greece, the land of his family.

Playing for 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 fans in Athens were amazed by his skills.

However, after this game, he was told he couldn't play for Greece anymore because he had already played for the Soviet Union. This rule meant he couldn't represent Greece in official matches. Many years later, after he had retired, he played for 20 minutes in a friendly match against Ghana in 1999. This was a special moment where the Greek Football Federation honored him for his amazing contributions to football.

His Unique Style and Legacy

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

On June 22, 1984, he received another great honor. He was invited to play for a World XI team. This team included other football legends like Franz Beckenbauer, Mario Kempes, and Kevin Keegan. They played against the New York Cosmos in New Jersey.

In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's 50th anniversary, Hatzipanagis was chosen as Greece's Golden Player of 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 shared some regrets, saying, "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

Club

Club	Country	Year	Apps	Goals
Pakhtakor Tashkent		1972–1975	96	22
Iraklis		1975–1990	281	61
Career total		1972–1990	377	83

International

Honors and Achievements

Club Trophies

Pakhtakor Tashkent

• Soviet First League
  • Winner: 1972

Iraklis Thessaloniki

• Greek Cup
  • Winner: 1975–76
  • Runner up: 1979–80, 1986–87
• Balkans Cup
  • Winner: 1985

Toronto Panhellenic

• Canadian National Soccer League
  • Play-Off Winner: 1980

Individual Awards

• Soviet Masters of Sports award
  • Master of Sports: 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