Nikos Alefantos (Greek: Νίκος Αλέφαντος, 3 January 1939 – 23 June 2020) was a Greek professional footballer and footballcoach. He is regarded as one of the most innovative football managers of the 20th century, known in Greece for his phlegmatic personality, short temper and famous quips. He is often regarded as the greatest Greek manager never to have won one of the two major domestic titles (Alpha Ethniki and Greek Cup).[1] In his 35-year managerial career he managed 28 different teams, most notably Olympiacos (1983–84, 1994, 2004) and Iraklis, whom he guided from the relegation zone to a 4th place finish in 1985–86, after what was dubbed the "Play-off of Shame" in Greece.[2]
Raised in Athens during the Second World War, Alefantos' talent led him to embark on a football career aged just 13 at Rouf, beginning as a midfielder. He was a key member of Olympiacos' Double winning 1958–59 season aged just 20 years of age. Afterwards, he'd help Atromitos Piraeus to its singular promotion to the newly created First Division in 1960 before shifting to an attacker in his later years after leaving Atromitos, most prominently at Panegialios, before retiring with Vyzas Megaron aged 30 to pursue a managerial career. He never featured for the Greek national football team, but had played in the national youth team in 1959.
Alefantos became a prominent manager on the Greek football stage in the 1970's, achieving promotions to the Alpha Ethniki with PAS Giannina and Pierikos, quickly gaining a reputation for his idiosyncratic character and tactical innovations – inspired by his future mentor Ernst Happel – and having various spells in the top division before taking charge of former club Olympiacos in 1983. His relationships with club executives and fans were often strained; he had notoriously frequent short spells, including at Kastoria, Kalamata and Fostiras, where he was fired before completing more than one official match. His stint at AEK Athens in 1987 also ended in acrimony after falling out with star player Thomas Mavros and assaulting a journalist after his sacking.
Despite attaining only the Cypriot Cup with APOEL in 1997, Alefantos had successful spells at Olympiacos, Panionios, Iraklis and Ionikos, achieving promotion with the latter, becoming a cult figure and gaining admirers and critics for his uncompromising attitude, which led him being imprisoned twice, in 1979 and 1987, the latter following his AEK Athens tenure. His teams suffered no relegation with him in charge, earning reputation as a relegation specialist. At his final managerial role at Olympiacos in 2004, his team controversially failed to stop rivalsPanathinaikos from completing a domestic double, which invoked a feud between him and referee Giorgos Douros, ending Alefantos' career.
Outside of football, he became a prominent TV host in the final two decades of his life and died in 2020 aged 81, prompting an outpouring of grief across Greece's football scene. He was buried in the First Cemetery of Athens. Some of Alefantos' quotes have entered popular culture in Greece, which he acknowledged in his 2013 autobiography Τα Πάντα Όλα ("All and everything").
Career
After playing football in the streets in the years of WWII and the Greek Civil War, his talent was spotted by Asteras Exarchion, the club from which he would later start his long and memorable managerial career. He would sign for P.A.O. Rouf at age 13 and embarked on a 16–year footballing career which included being one of roughly 30 players who have appeared for both eternal enemies, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. At the latter, the club he supported for all his life, he played a vital role in the club's Double in the 1958–59 season. After noteworthy spells at other clubs, he retired in 1969 aged 30 and immediately embarked on a lengthy career in managemenent.
Alefantos managed several clubs in the Greek Super League, including Olympiacos during 2004.[3] He also had brief spells leading AEL in 1975 and 1990.[4]
Alefantos gained notoriety for his unusually short tenure as the manager of Fostiras in 2002. He was appointed manager of the club, replacing Vlachos in September 2002. One of Fostira's players, Dimitrios Moutas, immediately refused to train with Alefantos, and then Alefantos resigned later that day after failed contract negotiations.[5] Eventually Alefantos appeared in ART channel of Greece, participating in a sport TV program called "Dokari Kai mesa" presented by Giannis Karatzaferis.
He died from a heart attack on 23 June 2020, aged 81.[1]
^Matches during Alefantos' second tenure at Pierikos are counted by pitch performances and not by the court ruling which relegated Pierikos in the 1978–79 season.
^Includes matches played during Alefantos' 25 day prison sentence in October 1979.
