10.6.13

Andrianopoulos Brothers - Olympiacos C.F.P.


In the Greek port of Piraeus there was a great deal of activity amongst the local football clubs in the middle of the 1920s. Foundations, mergers and dissolutions abounded. Out of this in 1924  a club arose known as Olympiacos Omilos. The following year this club evolved into Olympiacos C.F.P (Olympiacos Syndesmos Filathlon Piraios-  Olympiacos Club of Fans of Piraeus). 
The club enjoyed a great deal of popularity with a largely proletarian support and they won the regional championship in 1925, 1926 and 1927.

Instrumental in the foundation of Olympiacos was Yiannis (Ioanis) Andrianopoulos. Born in 1900 he had played in the Greek side that had  lost 9-0 to Sweden at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics.  Yiannis was Olympiacos' first manager (as player coach from 1925-27) and was later president of the club (1929–1932).





Remarkably Yannis had four brothers who also played for Olympiacos and Greece:

Giorgios (b 1903), 5 caps 2 goals (1929-31)
Dinos (Ntinos) (b 1905)   6 caps 1 goal
Vasilis (b 1908) played for Olympiacos from 1929-33, 7 caps 2 goals (1929–31)
Leonidas (b 1911) played for Olympiacos from 1927–36, 11 caps 3 goals (1929–35). Leonidas captained Greece and represented them in the Balkan Cup.

When Greece played their first official international against Italy B on 07.04.29,  Vasilis (outside right), Dinos (inside right) and Giorgios (center forward) were in the team together, with Giorgios as captain.
In Greece's next match, away to Bulgaria on 30.06.29, Leonidas (outside left) joined his 3 brothers in the national team.
In addition to these 5 stars of Olympiacos and Greece there were 2 other brothers who played for minor clubs in Piraeus; Stelios (who died at the age of 22) and Aristides.