Greece has lost one of its greatest footballers after Mimis Domazos passed away at 83 years old.
The Panathinaikos icon had been hospitalised earlier this week with a cardiac arrest, officially passing on Friday morning (Greek time).
The loss will be felt by heavily by his family, friends, Panathinaikos supporters and many Greeks across the globe.
Domazos, known as the “General” (Στρατηγός), is regarded as one of Greece’s greatest ever footballers with an extensive career that began in 1959 and ended in 1980.
He primarily spent his years with Panathinaikos, starring in the attacking midfield position and captaining the side for many years to great success.
The “General” won nine league titles, three Greek Cups, and a Balkans cup during his time with the Greens, with the icon still their most capped player in club history and among its top scorers.
His greatest moment in Green colours arguably was leading the side that played in the final of the UEFA European Cup (now known as the Champions League) in 1971 against Ajax at Wembley Stadium.
It remains to this day the only time a Greek club has made it to the final of the competition, with the legacy of that team having only grown in the 54 years since.
Outside of his Panathinaikos career, Domazos also spent one and a half seasons with AEK during which he won a tenth league title in the 1978/79 campaign.
While adored by Panathinaikos supporters, Domazos came to be loved by all of Greece through the National Team (for which he played 50 times, scored four goals and served numerous years as its captain).
His last match came on 11 November 1980 at “Leoforos” Stadium (home of Panathinaikos) in a friendly against Australia.
The game, which finished 3-3, honoured the “General” for his many years of service and contribution to the “Ethniki” and Greek football in general.
He even scored in the contest to make him the oldest player to score for Greece, coming just three months before his 39th birthday.
The Panathinaikos legend was voted in 2003 the second-best Greek footballer by the Hellenic Football Federation, and was also selected in the IFFHS’ All Time Greece Men’s Dream Team in 2021.
As a small tribute of honor and recognition to everything he offered to Greek football, Domazos was chosen to be one of the last torchbearers who carried the Olympic Flame into the Olympic Stadium for the opening of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Funeral of Andreas Stamatiadis to be held on Sunday (25/1)
Domazos was the second Greek football icon to pass this week after AEK legend Andreas Stamatiadis, who died on 23 January at the age of 89.
His body will be laid at the Holy Trinity Church in Nea Filadelfeia, opposite “Agia Sophia” Stadium, at 9.30am so that AEK fans and the general public can bid him farewell and offer their condolences to his family.
The funeral service will begin at 10:30 and the burial will take place immediately afterwards at the Melissia Cemetery.
