So in the first and in the last Charalampidis ,next Fratsescos with both teams,then Delgado at the black and white,next with greens,then you see Samaras first with OFI,then with Panathinaikos.(The very last twice by a mistake.
I know that many of you are expecting from me to give you more photos and more details from Hersonissos,but this blog is being writen with my heart as a pencil.Allow me then to introduce you one of the biggest crimes in world football,the biggest of Greek football for sure.
The double ownership of F.C.O.F.I. and F.C.Panathinaikos
In 1978,OFI was for his 3rd season in the 1st Division of Greek football,which was at this time in an amateur or half-proffesional base.The family Vardinogiannis,one of the reachest in Greece,which is coming from Crete also,had aproach the administrative council of F.C.OFI,in order to buy the team.For reasons that never had been known the council had answer negative to the powerfull family.Two years later,economic problems led the chairman of OFI,Douloufakis,in prison for two months.Very soon, the council of F.C.OFI knocked the Vardinogiannis door.Vardinogiannis family even though they had become even reacher and powerfull, never forgot their home-country ,Crete.Often they are helping Cretans that were facing serious health problems and in the late 80s they had sponsored the making of Opthalmologic Clinic of the Univercity of Crete,one of the best in Europe.So they agreed to buy OFI.Of course ,it helped that Theodoros Vardinogiannis ,"the mind"of the family in bussiness,was a great fan of OFI.But in the meanwhile the family had bought also F.C.Panathinaikos,one of the biggest teams in Greece,something that didnt prevent them from buying OFI.They put some people of their trust,Myriokefalitakis and Sarris,to control everything in the team,so they overtook the greek laws that didnt allow?a double ownership.
The double ownership of F.C.O.F.I. and F.C.Panathinaikos
In 1978,OFI was for his 3rd season in the 1st Division of Greek football,which was at this time in an amateur or half-proffesional base.The family Vardinogiannis,one of the reachest in Greece,which is coming from Crete also,had aproach the administrative council of F.C.OFI,in order to buy the team.For reasons that never had been known the council had answer negative to the powerfull family.Two years later,economic problems led the chairman of OFI,Douloufakis,in prison for two months.Very soon, the council of F.C.OFI knocked the Vardinogiannis door.Vardinogiannis family even though they had become even reacher and powerfull, never forgot their home-country ,Crete.Often they are helping Cretans that were facing serious health problems and in the late 80s they had sponsored the making of Opthalmologic Clinic of the Univercity of Crete,one of the best in Europe.So they agreed to buy OFI.Of course ,it helped that Theodoros Vardinogiannis ,"the mind"of the family in bussiness,was a great fan of OFI.But in the meanwhile the family had bought also F.C.Panathinaikos,one of the biggest teams in Greece,something that didnt prevent them from buying OFI.They put some people of their trust,Myriokefalitakis and Sarris,to control everything in the team,so they overtook the greek laws that didnt allow?a double ownership.
The truth is that in the age that Theo.Vardinogiannis,was runing F.C.OFI,the team had its best ages.Something basic for that was the Dutch trainer Egen Geralds,that came 5 years later,in 1985.The Dutch had all what he wanted.A good atmospair in the team.supporting fans and no economical problems of course.For many years OFI was playing the nicest football in Greece,but achieved only one title,the Cup in 87.Many people say today that OFI was not supposed to be higher than Panathinaikos,that would have caused problems inside the Vardinogiannis family, the Athens fans would not be satisfied if the"little brother"was above their team.
Anyway,eventhough there were complains sometimes from fans of OFI for this doubleownership,the priority didnt say so much.You see,they were the results and the good football that didnt allowed them.More complains had been in the transfers periods,especialy winter,but in summer also,that very often the best players of OFI were transfering in Panathinaikos in one night,something that had made even Eg.Geralds to complain in the family and in the Press.The national players of OFI,Noblias,J.Samaras(father of todays player of Manchester City George)Konstantinidis,Vasileiou,Alexoudis,Kiassos,Kyrgiakos(he left before he played with OFI,from the summer training becouse a defensive player of "the big brother" got injured.
That was the story between 1985-1996.It is fair to say that in those years were following the opposite way many good players. G.Charalampidis,K.Fratzescos, were the best that had come,J.Samaras ,even though he never weared the jersey of Panathinaikos,everybody knew that he belonged in the greens.But J.Samaras is another circumstance,he came to OFI,belonging to Panath.,he had a great career in Iraklion,he went back to Athens,crying as the story says,came back after 3-4 years and finished his player career here,having played all the position in sthe starters,he become a couple years later ass.trainer,nd soon trainer(manager),the most difficult year of OFI in 1st Division,he saved the team with the help of the fans' next year OFI lost Europe in the last game,but in the summer,he resigned.Becouse of misunderstandings with the ...council.
They were lots of players that were following the same direction from both ways.Vasileiou(the constructor),Delgado,an artist from Chile,twice,and many other that ...not to mention.
Anyway,from this times, i ll write something last.It was a year that we were playing,no doubts about it,the most spectacular football in the league,the coming of Fratzescos from Panath,or anath,had helped for sure.Great player but he transfered in F.C. PAOK ,in this year that we could have won the champion,if he had stayed.
Before that,in 1996,something bad had happened.Theodoros Vardinogiannis,dyed ,by heart attack,in his midle 40s,if i remember well....
That goes to long,so we continue in the next part...above are some photos of players that played in both teams and soon i continue...
