Former Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis honors footballer Antonis Antoniadis in Xanthi

Former Greek prime minister Kostas Karamanlis spoke at an event organized by the Municipality of Xanthi to honor retired footballer Antonis Antoniadis. The tribute coincided with the release of a book by journalist Kostas Bliatkas titled "The General and the Cannonier - The Short One and the Tall One," which chronicles the careers of Antoniadis and teammate Mimis Domazos.

Speaking in Xanthi, the home region of Antoniadis, Karamanlis recounted childhood memories of the striker's goals for Panathinaikos against European clubs including Everton, Red Star Belgrade, and Ajax. He praised the attacking partnership formed by Antoniadis and playmaker Domazos, describing their on-pitch coordination as precise and harmonious.

“Sports fans, football lovers, without team blinders, honor today a great footballer, a great man, a fighter on the pitches and in life, Antonis Antoniadis.”

Karamanlis also discussed club history, recalling how the Panathinaikos administration expelled both players in 1977. He noted that club president Giorgos Vardinogiannis rectified the decision two years later by bringing both footballers back to the team. Karamanlis concluded by characterizing their playing era as a romantic period in Greek football, pointing to their sportsmanship and role as models for younger generations.