Giannis Gaitatzis: The One-Shoe ‘Iron Man’

It was after the UEFA Conference League final between Olympiacos and Fiorentina last year, when the Piraeus side won 1-0 and recorded the greatest achievement by a Greek team at the Club level, that one of the Legend’s greats of the past made some very touching statements about his relationship with the team.

“I came to Olympiacos from a village between Xanthi and Alexandroupolis (in extreme northeast Greece), which if I open a map today, I myself couldn’t find it”—so said Giannis Gaitatzis, who wore the Reds’ jersey for 14 consecutive seasons, from 1963 to 1977, and experienced unforgettable moments with the Piraeus team – under conditions many of today’s players couldn’t have imagined athletes of bygone eras experienced.

There are very few players in the world today who could say what the veteran from Thrace said about arriving at Olympiacos.

“When I finally arrived in Piraeus, I only had one shoe. Olympiacos bought me the other one.”

It was with these simple and heartfelt words that Giannis Gaitatzis reflects on both the spirit and philosophy of the Piraeus team, which, as the most popular sports club in Greece, has managed to win over the lion’s share of the sports- and football-loving fans in the provinces.

Gaitatzis was a huge figure in Olympiacos’ history, and up until 1999 held the record for the most appearances in official games, with 346. He “lost” that title in 1999 to Kyriakos Karataidis.

Gaitatzis’ game was characterized by a harmonious combination of strength and substance. He was a defensive back for the next era.

Ideal for all positions

The term “utility player”, which is often overused nowadays, fits perfectly in the case of Gaitatzis who when he started playing football as a boy in Xanthi, could effectively play in all positions, except for goalie. Xanthi at the time of Gaitatzis’ early playing years had two teams: Aspida, where subsequent top league scorer Antonis Antoniadis began his career before transferring to Panathinaikos Athens, and Orpheus, “a small, likeable team with very few fans and a pretty good history,” as Gaitatzis remembered. This is team with which he began his footballing career.

Under Bukovi’s guidance

To transfer to Olympiacos, Gaitatzis had to leave his beloved Orpheus in 1963, although he quickly established himself on the right side of the Piraeus club’s defense, a position proposed to him by visionary manager Marton Bukovi.

However, Gaitatzis had tremendous skills in every position on the pitch, which is why, during his long run with Olympiacos, he could often be seen changing positions on the field even during the same game.

Gaitatzis could play effectively in the center of the field as a defensive midfielder, and despite the fact that he didn’t often venture towards the opposing team’s penalty box, he was part of a dynamic duo with the legendary striker Giorgos Sideris for a short time.

Goal-scoring, however, was not his forte, as he only recorded seven goals during his very long career. It was his only “shortcoming”, because he excelled in almost every other aspect of the game, including playmaking and setting up goals for the team’s forwards. Wearing the captain’s armband on numerous occasions, he won 11 titles in his career with Olympiacos: five championships, five Cups, and one Balkan Cup. He got to celebrate the Double once, in 1973.

Gaitatzis’ game was characterized by a harmonious combination of physical strength and substance. It is obvious that his mind was always focused on the game itself and the strategy his team was following. On the field, Gaitatzis was a “faithful soldier”, never flashy but always determined, willing to take risks, to defy hazards and sacrifice himself for the team. He was a footballing hero, and didn’t need any further billing or hype.

His handling of the ball was solid, while his stamina was impressive, as evidenced by his very few injuries over the 14 years he played with the Piraeus team. His modesty was also noteworthy. When asked about his success in recording the most ever appearances in the red-and-white jersey, Gaitatzis always answered (and still does) that this was also a matter of luck, because he was fortunate enough to have avoided serious injury. In any case, a right back with sudden forays up the field isn’t a position that athletes in their ‘30s can easily maintain, yet he was able to remain in top form until he was 33.

Despite his solid play over nearly a decade and a half, Gaitatzis had only a minimal presence on the Greek national team. He earned his first international cap in 1967, with infrequent call-ups through until 1971, when he earned his last cap – 15 in total. It was a very limited presence on the national team, considering Gaitatzis’ value and contribution on the field.

Gaitatzis literally coached in every corner of Greece, managing smaller teams like the one at which he started his career as a player.

As a coach

When Gaitatzis hung up his cleats, like many other veteran players he turned to coaching. His contributions were significant as a manager, as well, but not with teams in the first division. Gaitatzis literally coached in every corner of Greece, managing smaller teams like the one at which he started his career as a player.

The first team he coached was Thiva (Thebes) in 1980, subsequently assuming the reins at AE Orchomenos (1981-82 season), followed by Pannapliakos (1982-83 and 1983-84), where he won the national amateur championship in 1983 and saw the team promoted to the third division. He also sat on the bench of Lamia, Panargiakos, AO Sparta (presiding over the team’s promotion to the second division), Olympiacos Volos, Egaleo, Panarkadikos, Atromitos Athens and Ialyssos Rhodes.

Speaking a few years ago, he echoed a sentiment that players who wore the red-and-white jersey felt about the biggest football club in Greece, one that only athletes can express: “Anyone who hasn’t worn the Olympiacos jersey cannot every image what a great team Olympiacos is”.