Giorgos Lavaridis Explained

Giorgos Lavaridis
Fullname:Georgios Lavaridis
Birth Date:1947 10, df=y
Birth Place:Istanbul, Tyrkey
Height:1.80 m
Position:Midfielder, defender
Youthyears1:1961–1964
Youthclubs1:Galatasaray
Youthyears2:1964–1968
Youthclubs2:AEK Athens
Years1:1968–1975
Clubs1:AEK Athens
Caps1:133
Goals1:6
Years2:1975–1977
Clubs2:Panserraikos
Totalcaps:133
Totalgoals:6
Nationalyears1:1971
Nationalteam1:Greece U21

Giorgos Lavaridis (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Γιώργος Λαβαρίδης; born in 1947) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.[1]

Club career

Lavaridis started playing football in 1961 at Galatasaray, pushed by his father, "Giakis", at the age 14. He was given the nickname "Baby" (Greek, Modern (1453-);: "Μπέμπης") by the local Greeks who watched him play in Istanbul, due to his young age. In 1964, Lavaridis moved to Greece and joined the academies of AEK Athens.[2] He was promoted to the first team in 1968 under Branko Stanković. With AEK he reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup in 1969.[3] In 1971 he was one of the key players in winning the championship.[4] He left AEK in 1975 when the then president of the club, Loukas Barlos decided to proceed with a renewal in the roster and then played in Panserraikos for 2 years before retiring as a footballer.[5]

International career

Lavaridis was a member of Greece U21, which in 1971 won the Balkan Youth Championship,[6]

Personal life

Lavaridis is married with two children. He was rumored to be ordained a Greek Orthodox priest,[7] but this was disputed. On 19 July 2022 he visited the offices of AEK Athens accompanied by his wife and daughter and donated to their new Museum his jersey from the early 70's and a photo frame with a photo of him in action from the friendly match against Nacional on 22 August 1973.[8] On 9 June 2024 he visited OPAP Arena [9] and the museum of AEK Athens and was photographed at the "plaque" dedicated to him outside the AEK Athens stadium.[10]

Honours

AEK Athens

1970–71

Greece U21

1971

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Giorgos Lavaridis. 2021-06-11. football.aek.com. el.
  2. Web site: HISTORY. 2021-06-11. aekfc.gr. en.
  3. Web site: 1968/69: Η πρώτη ελληνική ομάδα σε ευρωπαϊκή οκτάδα, η απογοήτευση εντός συνόρων. Σταύρος. Καζαντζόγλου. 15 June 2019. enwsi.gr.
  4. Web site: 2020-04-13. 96 χρόνια ΑΕΚ!. 2021-06-11. kingsport.gr. el.
  5. Web site: Γιώργος Λαβαρίδης. aekpedia.com.
  6. Web site: Το Βαλκανικό Κύπελλο του 1971 για τις ελπίδες. 10 July 2015.
  7. Web site: 2016-10-15. 69αρης ο Γιώργος Λαβαρίδης!. 2021-06-11. AEK-LIVE. el.
  8. Web site: Ο μυθικός Γιώργος Λαβαρίδης έδωσε ιστορική φανέλα για το μουσείο της ΑΕΚ!. 19 July 2022.
  9. Web site: newsroom . sport-fm . Επισκέφτηκε την OPAP Arena και το Μουσείο της ΑΕΚ ο Γιώργος Λαβαρίδης . 2024-07-06 . sport-fm.gr . el.
  10. Web site: 2024-06-15 . Γιώργος Λαβαρίδης: Επίσκεψη στην OPAP Arena και το Μουσείο της ΑΕΚ . 2024-07-06 . el.