Olympiacos Celebrates Centennial with Landmark Documentary on Historic European Triumphs

The Triple Crown

Olympiacos’ incredible 1997 season was topped off with the triple crown – and then with an epic battle against Michael Jordan and friends

Olympiacos Celebrates Centennial with Landmark Documentary on Historic European Triumphs

The documentary, airing tonight, Thursday, May 22, at 11 p.m. on MEGA Channel, offers a behind-the-scenes look at this unforgettable journey

001

Red Wine and the Night a Legend was Born

A major port, football and dreams. It was March 1925 when a group of 33 men came together to create something unique: a sports club that wasn’t simply a team, but a symbol of an entire people

002

From the Foundations to Piraeus’ Heritage

A co-founder, one of the two men who proposed the team’s full name and the first president of Olympiacos: Industrialist and one-time Piraeus Mayor Michalis Manouskos – a significant leader with contributions in numerous fields

003

The Five Andrianopoulos Brothers Were Actually…Seven

From the very beginning of Olympiacos, the brothers were its “soul” and contributed to the club’s foundations for a course full of triumphs. Their story is one of the most fascinating and fairytale-like in the history of Greek football

004

Giannis Vazos: The Olympiacos Legend who Crossed the Sea from Smyrna

A legendary striker from the refugee quarter of Drapetsona, near Piraeus, he led Olympiacos to victory after victory. With his passion and presence, Vazos came to symbolize the club’s identity

005

Achilleas Grammatikopoulos – The ‘Zamora’ of Piraeus

From Piraeus’ sand lots to glory in the stadiums, Achilleas Grammatikopoulos lived and became part of Olympiacos’ history. The goalkeeper turned symbol who dedicated an entire century to his great love: the jersey with the laurel-crowned youth

006

Nikos Godas – The Legend of the Resistance

A symbol of courage, resistance and dedication. In his red and white jersey until the end. His life is proof that ideas can’t be killed. Exile, a firing squad and the men who fought for what they believed in

007

Vangelis and Giannis Helmis – Making History

First there was Olympiacos, and then there were two brothers. When the three came together something …magical happened. The team that became a Legend…forever

008

The Team of Six Consecutive Championships That Made Olympiacos a Legend

‘A team that achieved triumphs like fairy tales…’: The legendary band of players who dedicated their lives to the laurel-crowned youth; who created a football giant and made Olympiacos the most popular team in the country

009

Andreas Mouratis: A ‘Lion’ and a Piraeus Icon

The legendary ‘Missouri’ was an Olympiacos legend, and his style of play became a buzzword for courge and self-sacrifice

010

‘If You Didn’t See Him Play, You’ll Never Know What You Missed…’

Thanasis Bebis was the perfect playmaker. For decades, when people spoke of his greatness, they’d always start with the same words: his great friend Andreas Mouratis’ pranks, Mandalozis’ flat cap and the…copyright to ‘Pinocchio’

011

The Many Images of Savvas Theodoridis

The iconic goalkeeper was not an Olympiacos man, he was the Club’s ‘living soul’. From his playing time to a tireless presence in its top management, practically every moment of his life was dedicated to the team

012

The Spanoudakis Brothers – Travelers from a Bygone Era

Two beardless youths who avoided death by the skin of their teeth and fled to Piraeus to escape hardship and hunger were destined to write a golden chapter in the glorious history of Olympiacos basketball

013

Takis Ventikos: the ‘Patriarch’ of Track & Field

Ventikos dedicated his whole life to the laurel-crowned youth, as he re-established Olympiacos’ athletics department from scratch in 1953 and saw it achieve dominance over the following decades

014

When The Bells Toll…

Since 1961, the ‘Limping Legends’ and the ‘Geriatrics’ have kept their annual appointment with very few interruptions. The place: the Proodeftiki pitch in the wider Piraeus area. The time: high noon on Good Friday every year. The ‘Limping Legends’ are, of course, the Olympiacos veterans (“Vradyporiakos” in Greek), and the Geriatrics are their Proodeftiki counterparts (“Talaiporiakos”)

015

Santos and Pele Still Remember You!

It was on July 4, 1961, when a stout defender, Kostas Polychroniou, shut down the king of football, allowing Olympiacos to pull off a victory that had evaded the rest of Europe. Olympiacos’ win over Brazilian giant Santos 2-1 has achieved legendary status

016

Giorgos Sideris – The Striker Who Couldn’t Be Brought Down…

From the wholesale produce market to the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, ‘Fontakas’, as he was called, was a prolific goal-scorer, a powerful player and a personality that exceeded the boundaries of the pitch to become a catchphrase for an entire Olympiacos era

017

Bukovi’s Great Team

An internationally known Magyar manager who oversaw another glorious chapter in Olympiacos’ history. Even today, his resignation and the reasons behind it still resonate more than the titles he won for the Reds.

018

‘In There, Gioutsos…!’

Nikos Gioutsos arrived from a football-advanced Hungary to a relative backwater Greece in the early 1960s. His repatriation was achieved through an intervention by renowned composer Mikis Theodorakis, with his transfer to Olympiacos reminiscent of a spy novel

019

Vasilis Botinos – The ‘Red Torpedo’

Vasilis Botinos was a legendary figure in the history of Olympiacos, and anyone who saw him work his… magic agrees you’d be hard-pressed to find his match today

020

Dimitris Karydis – The ‘Boy Wonder’ Who Became a Mentor to Champions

Olympiacos’ aquatic dream has a name – the swimmer who broke the Greek 100-meter freestyle record on no fewer than six occasions, and who created a red-and-white model program

021

Giannis Gaitatzis: The One-Shoe ‘Iron Man’

A unique personality and the epitome of the notion of ‘utility player’ on the field, he recorded the most appearances of the 20th century for Olympiacos

022

Panagiotis Kelesidis – ‘The Greek Gordon Banks’

His heart, passion and unforgettable saves made him a legend between the posts, and he treated the fans to multiple moments of sheer magnificence

023

Greece’s ‘Patriarch’ of Basketball…

The legacy left by Faidon Matthaiou is a veritable ‘sports encyclopedia’. Players and coaches didn’t give him the nickname by chance

024

An Invincible Super-Team That Set the Basketball Court on Fire

The revolution of the ’70s and Olympiacos’ first major triumph with the… orange ball

025

French Finesse…

On the one hand, Yves Triantafyllos, and Romain Argyroudis, on the other. Between them numerous fond football memories

026

Giorgos Delikaris – Sunday Afternoon Dreams

His speech is often allegorical and sometimes poetic – similar to the way he played

027

Captains Who Dropped Anchor in the Right Port

…or, how Ilias Hatzipavlis and Tasos Bountouris, two Olympiacos athletes, became legends in a sport where the wind decides everything…and nothing

028

Julio Losada – ‘Make Way, He’s Passing…’

This football genius from Uruguay inextricably linked his name with the Piraeus team, so much so that it became a motto sung by the fans in the stands

029

Leonidas Theodorakakis – The ‘Human Computer’

On the centennial anniversary of the Club’s founding in 1925, his figure stands tall. He was an institution who wrote his life’s work in red and white

030

Nikos Goulandris’ Glorious 3-Year Tenure

The man responsible for the first Greek version of the ‘galacticos’ and his legendary love for Olympiacos

031

Michalis Kritikopoulos – Linked With the Team Forever

A prolific Olympiacos scorer, he took his last breath wearing the red-and-white jersey

032

Stavros Daifas – A Foot Soldier and a General

An executive whose dedication to the Club and winning spirit were unparalleled – he was at the helm at crucial moments in Olympiacos’ history, when his presence guaranteed that the team performed at its very best

033

‘Brothers, You Live – You’re the light That Guides Us!’

It has gone down in modern Greece’s collective memory as the greatest sporting tragedy the country has ever known. A bloody Sunday in ’81, with 21 immortal dead…

034

Tasos Koumplis – A Player Symbol

The Olympiacos’ star never wore another club’s jersey, while transforming volleyball in Greece in the process

035

Alketas Panagoulias – A philosophy of simplicity

From the crisis in 1981 to the winning of titles and an …insistence on shooting from afar

036

Vangelis Kousoulakis – Ahead of his time

A ‘box-to-box’ midfielder even before the term was coined became a ‘TV star’ with a spectacular goal at the Leoforos Alexandras Stadium; his presence marked an entire Olympiacos era

037

Tasos Mitropoulos – Greek Football’s ‘Rambo’

The story of Tasos Mitropoulos is not just the career journey of a great Olympiacos player, it’s the chronicle of a life in red-and-white, one full of tension, leadership, some wrong turns but complete dedication

038

Nikos Anastopoulos – A Star Who Needs No Director

He wasn’t just a prolific scorer or later, a successful coach. He was, and is, an authentic personality, who lives and played with passion, truth and faith

039

Down by the Water

Sofia Dara and Eli Roussaki didn’t just leave their mark on Greek swimming and the Olympic team, they essentially changed and advanced competitive swimming in Greece

040

Thanasis Moustakidis – ‘Avanti, maestro!’

The man who, as the definitive playmaker, contributed more than anyone else to Olympiacos’ domination in Greek volleyball

041

A trumpet for life

The “Π”, under the giant clock in Gate 7 of the old Karaiskakis Stadium was Attilio’s spot – Olympiacos was his calling

042

‘The Barren Years’

The team counted 10 years from its last championship, and for Olympiacos this is unbearable. The fact that it survived such turmoil, until the arrival of Socrates Kokkalis, was a feat

043

Lajos Détári – Even the Gods have gone mad

In the summer of 1988 Olympiacos brought the Hungarian super star to Greece, a landmark player transfer for Greek football that was accompanied by a legendary welcome, excesses, glory and the advent of the ‘barren years’

044

Georgios Dragovits – The beginning and end

From Kozani to Piraeus, he was the ‘fuse’ that lit up the Olympiacos team that set the domestic league and European volleyball alight

045

Looking Down From the Heights

A trio of supersonic ‘football MIGs’ flew into Piraeus for the 1990-91 season – Yet the incomparable threesome of Protasov, Savichev and Lytovchenko only came away with one Cup, in 1992. Nevertheless…

046

Koulis Karataidis – A Player Who United Two Generations

A huge personality, a ‘rock’ in the defense. He experienced the Club’s time in the sun, but also its years in the shadows

047

Vassilis Karapialis – A ‘poem’ in motion

When he played it was as if he controlled the flow of time, rather than his own speed

048

The Great Yugoslavian School in Water Polo

Nikola Stamenić and Mile Nakić Two top Yugoslavian coaches left an indelible stamp on the history of Olympiacos and Greek water polo

049

Socratis Kokkalis – An Entire Era

He tenure marked the beginning of the end of the ‘barren years’ by achieving the Club’s restart, and he kept the helm for years with titles and distinctions

050

The ‘Shipowners’!

Unter the Tsitsalis’ plan, Olympiacos’ transition to the professional era was shepherded by a group of shipowners under Stavros Daifas. Among them was Miltiadis Marinakis, the late father of the current Club leader…

051

Evangelos Marinakis: ‘Never Give Up – At Every Summit We Reach We Have the Opportunity to Gaze Even Higher’

Miltiadis’ son assumed the Club’s helm amid the darkest hour of the crisis – what followed exceeded every expectation

052

Giannis Ioannidis – ‘We’ll Love You Forever’

Greek basketball’s ‘blond’, as he was known throughout his career as a basketball player and then as one of Europe’s premier coaches, achieved something more important than titles: an eternal place in fans’ hearts in amid an era that will forever bear his stamp

053

Žarko Paspalj – The Forerunner

…or how a left-handed Serb changed Greek basketball forever, bringing Olympiacos into a new era and proving that even near perfection can have a flaw that makes it legendary

054

Red Towers

Panagiotis Fasoulas and Argiris Kambouris. Two towering players who left their mark on Olympiacos and Greek basketball as a whole

055

Dušan Bajević – the Reformer

The man who broke the “curse” and brought the Reds back to the road of success with foresight and an obsession with discipline

056

Alekos Alexandris – The ‘Hitman’

Playing in a position where mistakes aren’t an option, he endured, excelled and became a point of reference for an entire era

057

Grigoris Georgatos – A football genius

The Greek version of Roberto Carlos was one of the all-time greats for the Reds, as he readily provided moments of magic and enjoyment on the pitch

059

Dušan’s Way…

The model team that the great Dušan Bajević created in his image after he “sailed” into Piraeus in 1996 and made history. The force that won no fewer than seven Greek championships in a row, 1997-2003

060

Giorgos Salonikis – Uncompromising

A bon vivant, a joker, but above all a true Olympiacos man

061

Predrag Djordjevic – Profession: Champion!

The legendary ‘Djole’ won 12 championships in 13 years playing for Olympiacos. The football ‘thoroughbred’ from Serbia who became a Piraeus man that marked an entire era for Olympiacos with his world class play

062

Giovanni – When imagination calls the shots

A wizard: one who systematically practices magic in the context of primitive society / one who attracts or fascinates with their skills or abilities / a priest in certain eastern peoples of antiquity

063

Christian Karembeu – The Ambassador

His life and career read like a fairy tale: from remote New Caledonia to the top-flight of European football and ultimately the red-and-white heart of Piraeus. A world champion with a humble soul and a timeless influence

064

Giorgos & Panagiotis Angelopoulos – ‘Music’ on the court (and) dreams

In 1994, in Tel Aviv, they were just young men in the stands, but they didn’t lose faith. Ten years later, they took over at the helm. And everyone knows what happened next

065

Dušan Ivković – Simply the Best…

He was a legend long before he took over at Olympiacos. But it was in Piraeus that he joined forces with the team closest to his heart, and together they worked wonders

066

Luciano Galetti – La Plata Confidential

He moved like a dancer on the pitch. He had a sensual relationship with the beautiful game, almost erotic. And the tango of the Argentine artist who wore the red and white stripes for two seasons and a half was seductive—a sight to behold

067

The Red Gloves

From Kleidouchakis and Grammatikopoulos to our own era and Tzolakis, the No. 1 jersey has been worn by many. And many a fine goalkeeper has left a legacy for his successors to follow

068

The Cup Final of the Century

It wasn’t just a football match, it was a historic event, an almost absurd experience, where the result took a back seat to the tension, the drama and an existential rush

069

We rule this land

The Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Olympiacos’ home and other historic venues

070

Tango in the Port

Argentine passion, unique inspirations and football as an… art form – components that bestowed unforgettable memories to Olympiacos fans and aficionados of the game everywhere

071

Dynasty

The team that Evangelos Marinakis created …with one stroke won seven championships in a row (2011-2017). The role of Ernesto Valverde, the Iberian “school” and the pattern that still holds today

072

‘Returning the love’

The Olympiacos Foundation broke new ground when it was created, with respect to the heritage and the millions of Olympiacos fans – and with a desire to always emphasize that Olympiacos is more than just a team

073

Airport … Stars

Some of the all-time greats who played in the red and white stripes.

074

Aquatic Dreams

With Thodoris Vlachos and Charis Pavlidis at the helm, the titles began to… rain down. Having grown up at Olympiacos, they went on to help their club grow in its turn

075

Ernesto Valverde – Football… squared

The Basque trainer that fans took into their hearts, like few others, was the first to mix football and… geometry in his palette

076

Takis Lemonis – Forever Present

He never left Olympiacos, even when he coached elsewhere, ever the foot soldier and the epitome of the reliable solution

077

Stella Christodoulou and her ‘magic’ hands

An emblematic team leader, an outstanding person who honored wher role as captain of the women’s volleyball team and became its ‘banner’

078

A Legendary back-to-back

Istanbul 2012 and London 2013: A team that reminded fans to believe in miracles. Vassilis Spanoulis, Giorgios Printezis and the rest of the team pulled off an unbelievable double achievement

079

Water Polo’s Golden Girls

A group of ex-swimmers started something in 1988 which is still remembered today. Olympiacos’ most successful women’s team, and one of the top two water polo powerhouses in Europe for a decade

080

Vassilis Torosidis: A Boy Reaches for the Stars…

According to many, he was the most accomplished player in Greek football in the first two decades of the 21st century

081

The Sea Within Them

Spyros Gianniotis and Apostolos Christou embodied and continue to embody the athletic ideal that Olympiacos represents. Dominant in their competitions and athletes that have hung Olympic medals around their necks in swimming

082

Vassilis Spanoulis – The ‘Goldfinger’

He’s vying for the unofficial title of top Olympiacos player of all time, and in all sports. He’s ‘Kill Bill’, and he’s eternal

083

Georgios Printezis: Laurel-crowned

He played like a teenager until the end of his career – a living link between the generations of Olympiacos basketball fans – a career full of consistency, soul and shots that made history.

084

The Professor’s Smile

When Pedro Martins arrived at Olympiacos, no one even knew who he was—apart from Vangelis Marinakis. When he left, he’d broken several key Club records

085

Mathieu Valbuena: The Adventures of ‘Asterix’

When it comes to football, Piraeus is reminiscent of the small “Gaulish village” in the hugely popular comics series “Asterix”. It’s there that a short but massively talented player, one with the heart of a champion, arrived at the right place and time for Olympiacos and manager Pedro Martins.

086

Kostas Fortounis: The Captain Who Was Blessed

On the evening of May 29, 2024, at the Nea Filadelfeia stadium, he was the first to lift the trophy that would forever be remembered by Olympiacos and its fans

087

Youssef El-Arabi: A goal-scoring machine

A genuine genius in the offense – an absolute natural – a symbol of an era. The French-Moroccan center-forward has left an indelible mark on the Piraeus club

088

Ioannis Fountoulis, the ‘eternal captain’

The iconic water polo player was destined to honor Olympiacos and write his own name in “gold letters” in the club’s history, like the fulfillment of a prophecy

089

Gerorgios Bartzokas: A Change and a Dream

He conquered Europe, only to experience the darkest moment of his career a few months later. He recovered, though, bringing with him an unmatched fighting spirit that would feed into a milestone team for European basketball, one that would win title after title for Olympiacos.

090

Tzolakis and other boys of Rentis – Dreams in the (sacred) fields

A symbol of a new era of Olympiacos, the embodiment of the youth academy philosophy, and a living example of how talent, hard work and belief in a vision can build champions

091

Manolo Flies, Manolo Soars

An Olympic champion and a silver medalist at the recent World Indoor Championship at just 26 years old, Emmanouil Karalis is much more than just an athlete that reaches for the sky

092

An empire strikes back

The leading multi-sport club in Europe is making history in Greece and on the continent. Olympiacos’ amateur division has continued to scale the heights due to the unfailingly well-thought-out moves it has made at all levels since 2010

093

Olympiacos on the Silver Screen

References to Olympiacos are notable in Greek cinema. From Melina Mercouri in ‘Never on Sunday’ to the comedic duo of Nikos Stavridis and Thanasis Veggos, Greece’s most popular Club had star status on the Silver Screen

094

‘Wings on Your Feet, a Heart in Your Chest’

Brilliant victories, outstanding achievements. Feats that have been sung—and still are to this day—by millions of Olympiacos fans around the world. Some became chants that set stadiums abuzz, others are songs and anthems that retain the power to move us.

095

José Luis Mendilibar – The Fox of Zaldibar

He came at the right time and became an inspiration. He changed how things were done and brought something that will be remembered forever. The wise Basque found his safe harbor, and this port found someone to… keep it safe

096

European Champions from the …cradle!

The unbelievable performance of the best crop of players to ever emerge from an Olympiacos academy won the UEFA Youth League in 2024, marking the greatest success of a youth team in Greek football

097

Moments that pass but are not forgotten…

When Ayoub El-Kaabi scored the header in the 116th minute of the Europa Conference League final, time froze. And an entire nation felt justice had at last been done.

098

Europa Conference League Champions – The Road to Glory

The road to glory, a journey beyond all reason. How Olympiacos conquered Europe, writing the club’s own golden page in the book of European football. The stories behind the…Story

099

‘Only You Wear a Jersey That’s Glorious…’

With the collectible centennial jersey from Adidas brilliantly bringing together elements of a glorious century-long journey, the evolution of Olympiacos’ venerable red and white strip is fascinating at the very least

Olympiacos Celebrates Centennial with Landmark Documentary on Historic European Triumphs

The documentary, airing tonight, Thursday, May 22, at 11 p.m. on MEGA Channel, offers a behind-the-scenes look at this unforgettable journey

THE STORIES

The Triple Crown

Olympiacos Celebrates Centennial with Landmark Documentary on Historic European Triumphs

Red Wine and the Night a Legend was Born

From the Foundations to Piraeus’ Heritage

The Five Andrianopoulos Brothers Were Actually…Seven

Giannis Vazos: The Olympiacos Legend who Crossed the Sea from Smyrna

Achilleas Grammatikopoulos – The ‘Zamora’ of Piraeus

Nikos Godas – The Legend of the Resistance

Vangelis and Giannis Helmis – Making History

The Team of Six Consecutive Championships That Made Olympiacos a Legend

Andreas Mouratis: A ‘Lion’ and a Piraeus Icon

‘If You Didn’t See Him Play, You’ll Never Know What You Missed…’

The Many Images of Savvas Theodoridis

The Spanoudakis Brothers – Travelers from a Bygone Era

Takis Ventikos: the ‘Patriarch’ of Track & Field

When The Bells Toll…

Santos and Pele Still Remember You!

Giorgos Sideris – The Striker Who Couldn’t Be Brought Down…

Bukovi’s Great Team

‘In There, Gioutsos…!’

Vasilis Botinos – The ‘Red Torpedo’

Dimitris Karydis – The ‘Boy Wonder’ Who Became a Mentor to Champions

Giannis Gaitatzis: The One-Shoe ‘Iron Man’

Panagiotis Kelesidis – ‘The Greek Gordon Banks’

Greece’s ‘Patriarch’ of Basketball…

An Invincible Super-Team That Set the Basketball Court on Fire

French Finesse…

Giorgos Delikaris – Sunday Afternoon Dreams

Captains Who Dropped Anchor in the Right Port

Julio Losada – ‘Make Way, He’s Passing…’

Leonidas Theodorakakis – The ‘Human Computer’

Nikos Goulandris’ Glorious 3-Year Tenure

Michalis Kritikopoulos – Linked With the Team Forever

Stavros Daifas – A Foot Soldier and a General

‘Brothers, You Live – You’re the light That Guides Us!’

Tasos Koumplis – A Player Symbol

Alketas Panagoulias – A philosophy of simplicity

Vangelis Kousoulakis – Ahead of his time

Tasos Mitropoulos – Greek Football’s ‘Rambo’

Nikos Anastopoulos – A Star Who Needs No Director

Down by the Water

Thanasis Moustakidis – ‘Avanti, maestro!’

A trumpet for life

‘The Barren Years’

Lajos Détári – Even the Gods have gone mad

Georgios Dragovits – The beginning and end

Looking Down From the Heights

Koulis Karataidis – A Player Who United Two Generations

Vassilis Karapialis – A ‘poem’ in motion

The Great Yugoslavian School in Water Polo

Socratis Kokkalis – An Entire Era

The ‘Shipowners’!

Evangelos Marinakis: ‘Never Give Up – At Every Summit We Reach We Have the Opportunity to Gaze Even Higher’

Giannis Ioannidis – ‘We’ll Love You Forever’

Žarko Paspalj – The Forerunner

Red Towers

Dušan Bajević – the Reformer

Alekos Alexandris – The ‘Hitman’

Grigoris Georgatos – A football genius

Dušan’s Way…

Giorgos Salonikis – Uncompromising

Predrag Djordjevic – Profession: Champion!

Giovanni – When imagination calls the shots

Christian Karembeu – The Ambassador

Giorgos & Panagiotis Angelopoulos – ‘Music’ on the court (and) dreams

Dušan Ivković – Simply the Best…

Luciano Galetti – La Plata Confidential

The Red Gloves

The Cup Final of the Century

We rule this land

Tango in the Port

Dynasty

‘Returning the love’

Airport … Stars

Aquatic Dreams

Ernesto Valverde – Football… squared

Takis Lemonis – Forever Present