Greek footballer and manager
Tryfon Tzanetis
(
Greek
:
Τρ?φων Τζανετ?? 1918 ? 8 September1998
) was a
Greek
footballer
and a later manager. He was best known as a great figure for
AEK Athens
during the 30's and 40's, partnering
Kleanthis Maropoulos
in AEK's front line.
[1]
Tzanetis also contributed to AEK by coaching the club during the 50's and 60's.
Early life
[
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Tzanetis was born in 1918 in
Smyrna
, from
Naxian
parents. After the
Asia Minor disaster
, his family moved to
Athens
and installed at the district of
Nea Ionia
.
Club career
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]
Tzanetis started playing football in 1932 at
Eleftheroupoli
. In 1933, people of
AEK Athens
scouted him and he signed a sport's card with the club. He started from the youth departments of AEK and he was promoted to the men's team in 1935, alongside
Maropoulos
and participated in an official match.
He was a member to the great team of the yellow-blacks in the late 30s, having teammates, such as Kleanthis Maropoulos,
Spyros Sklavounos
and
Spyros Kontoulis
. He started his career as a
striker
, but later in his career he became a
central defender
, when the then coach,
Jack Beby
relocated him, in the
WM system
that he applied since he came to
Greece
in 1948. His presence was imposing. He was insightful, extremely fast, creative and team and in addition to being an aggressive midfielder, he was also distinguished by his inhibitions. With AEK he won 4 times the
FCA Championship
, 2 consecutive
Panhellenic Championships
and 3
Greek Cups
, including the first domestic double by a Greek club in 1939.
[2]
International career
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He wore once the jersey of
Greece
on 25 May 1949, against
Italy B
in a 2?3 defeat, with Tzanetis coming from the bench on the 46th minute.
[3]
[4]
Managerial career
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In 1950 after his playing days were over, Tzanetis took up coaching
Egaleo
in the first division of Athens for a season before returning to AEK Athens.
He found himself as the coach of AEK in many periods in the 50s and 60s (1951, 1954, 1956, 1961 and 1965), leading the club to the Greek Cup in
1966
.
[5]
Tzanetis also coached
Apollon Athens
which was the last club of his career. He was also a selector of the Greece military national football team, where he won the
World Military Cup
in 1962.
[6]
From 1960 to 1964 (in two different periods) he was the coach of Greece with a record of 5 wins, 1 draw and 5 losses.
He identified on the pitch and in life with Kleanthis Maropoulos, with whom he remained friends and partners in a sporting goods store in the center of Athens, until the end of the latter's life, in 1991. Seven years later, Tzanetis died.
[7]
Honours
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As a player
[
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]
AEK Athens
As a coach
[
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]
AEK Athens
Greece military
See also
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References
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Tryfon Tzanetis managerial positions
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