Takis Loukanidis
{{short description|Greek footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Takis Loukanidis
| fullname = Panagiotis Loukanidis
| image = LoukanidisDSC12235.jpg
| caption = Loukanidis in 2009
| birth_date = {{birth date|1937|9|25|df=y}}
| birth_place = Paranesti, Greece
| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|1|11|1937|9|25|df=y}}
| death_place = Athens, Greece
| position = Midfielder
| youthyears1 = 1953–1956 | youthclubs1 = M.G.C. Α.Ε. Κomotini
| years1 = 1956–1961 | clubs1 = Doxa Dramas | caps1 = 50 | goals1 = 13
| years2 = 1961–1969 | clubs2 = Panathinaikos | caps2 = 142 | goals2 = 59
| years3 = 1969–1971 | clubs3 = Aris | caps3 = 45 | goals3 = 8
| totalcaps = 237 | totalgoals = 80
| nationalyears1 = 1958–1967
| nationalteam1 = Greece
| nationalcaps1 = 23
| nationalgoals1 = 3
| nationalyears2 = 1960
| nationalteam2 = Greece Olympic
| nationalcaps2 = 4
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| club-update =
| nationalteam-update =
| manageryears1 = 1991 | managerclubs1 = Panserraikos
}}
Takis Loukanidis ({{langx|el|Τάκης Λουκανίδης}}, 25 September 1937 – 11 January 2018) was a Greek footballer of the 1950s–60s.
Club career
Born in Paranesti, a village in the broader area of Drama, Loukanidis' father was killed by Bulgarian armed forces and soon after he was placed in an orphanage at age 10.{{cite web|publisher=Evrytania News|author=Kolokotsios, Lambros|script-title=el:Αθλητικοί Φάκελοι (Λουκανίδης)|trans-title=Sporting Capsules (Loukanidis)|url=http://www.evrytanika.com/article.php?id=328|language=Greek|date=10 May 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018132628/http://evrytanika.com/article.php?id=328|archivedate=18 October 2011}} He began playing football with the youth side of AEK Komotini, and joined the senior team of Doxa Drama F.C. in 1955.
He soon attracted the interest of major clubs in Greece and abroad, including Juventus FC{{Cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.gr/stili/afierwmata/article/1183954/takis-loykanidis-o-anthropos-poy-zoyse-panta-mesa-ston-thanato-pics-vid|title = Τάκης Λουκανίδης: Ο άνθρωπος που ζούσε πάντα μέσα στον θάνατο|website=gazzetta.gr}} Finally, Antonis Mantzevelakis brought him to Panathinaikos via APOEL in Cyprus. Takis Loukanidis made his debut on 28 March 1962 against AEK Athens (score: 2-3). In the following match, on 1 April 1962, he scored his first goal with Panathinaikos, helping them beat Proodeftiki 5–0.{{cite web|url=http://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=12443 |title=PLAYER: Takis Loukanidis |publisher=Eu-football.info |date=1937-09-25 |accessdate=2012-01-11}} He ended his career at Aris Thessaloniki, where he won the Greek Cup in 1970.
International career
Loukanidis made 23 appearances and scored three goals for the Greece national team from 1958 to 1967. He made his debut in a 1-7 1960 European Nations' Cup qualifying defeat to France on 1 October 1958.{{cite web|website=RSSSF|author=Mastrogiannopoulos, Alexander|title=Greece - International Matches 1948-1960|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesg/grk-intres48.html|date=25 September 2004}}
Death
Loukanidis died on 11 January 2018 in Athens due to a myocardial infarction.{{Cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.gr/football/ellada/article/1183921/pethane-o-aittitos-takis-loykanidis-pics-vid|title=Πέθανε ο "αήττητος" Τάκης Λουκανίδης! (Pics & vid) | Gazzetta}} He was 80.
Panathinaikos released a statement on their official website, paying tribute: {{blockquote|It is a sad day for the Panathinaikos family, as Takis (Neotakis) Loukanidis, one of the club’s legendary figures, passed away in his 81st year. Takis Loukanidis, perhaps one of Greece’s leading footballers of all time, remains a symbol for the history of Panathinaikos and Greek football in general. In his great career, alongside Panathinaikos, Loukanidis wore the shirt of Doxa Dramas and Aris Thessaloniki and of course the national team. Loukanidis won the respect and recognition of both players and fans.[https://www.newsbeast.gr/sports/arthro/3187394/o-spoudeos-anthropos-ke-athlitis-takis-loukanidis-pou-emathe-na-epivioni-sta-diskola O σπουδαίος άνθρωπος και αθλητής, Τάκης Λουκανίδης που έμαθε να επιβιώνει στα δύσκολα][http://www.contra.gr/Soccer/Hellas/panathinaikos/panellhnia-sygkinhsh-sto-teleytaio-antio-ston-loykanidh.5026791.html Πανελλήνια συγκίνηση στο τελευταίο αντίο στον Λουκανίδη]}}
Honours
;Panathinaikos
- Alpha Ethniki: 1961–62, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1968–69
- Greek Cup: 1966–67, 1968–69
;Aris
- Greek Cup: 1969–70
References
{{Reflist}}
- {{cite book|publisher=Center for European Publications|last=Loukanidis|first=Takis |author2=Patsis, Haris S. |author3=Patsis, Haris Tzo |script-title=el:Εγώ, ο Τάκης Λουκανίδης|trans-title=I, Takis Loukanidis|year=2004|pages=304|isbn=978-960-7988-55-3}}
External links
- {{FIFA player|53215}}
{{Doxa Drama F.C.}}
{{Panserraikos F.C. managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loukanidis, Takis}}
Category:Greek men's footballers
Category:Greece men's international footballers
Category:Super League Greece players
Category:Doxa Drama F.C. players
Category:Panathinaikos F.C. players
Category:Aris Thessaloniki F.C. players
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Panserraikos F.C. managers
Category:Greek football managers
Category:People from Drama (regional unit)