# Aleko Yordan

Aleko Yordan (born Alekos Iordanou; Greek: Αλέκος Ιορδάνου; 10 January 1938 – 21 September 2019) was a Turkish professional footballer who played as a center back and a later manager.

## Club career

Yordan from a very young age showed his football talent playing at Prasina Poulia, where he was noticed by a former AEK Athens legend, Kleanthis Maropoulos, who had also played in the Messinian team. At the age of 17, he moved to Turkey to play for Beyoğlu (also known as Pera Club), where for three years had very good performances, that caused the interest of Beykoz, which at the time were in the top positions of the league. In 1959 he signed a professional contract with Beykoz in the newly founded Turkish Süper Lig. His amazing performances at the club, as well as the Turks intention to prevent him from playing for Greece, resulted in his call-up from Turkey at the age of 18. He played at Beykoz for three seasons, until he was offered to return to Greece and play for AEK Athens, who were the continuation of Pera Club for the old Constantinopolitans. At the same time, he had offers from Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray, but his desire was play for the yellow-blacks of Greece.
He agreed to sign for AEK in 1962 despite the ban from the HFF, as at that time it was forbidden for a professional footballer to compete in the first division, thus he was forced to wait for the appeals and legal disputes to end. It was once again Maropoulos, now an agent of the club, who did everything possible in order for Yordan to play in the team. He adapted immediately, putting in some terrific performances, which attracted the interest of Bayern Munich, who asked AEK for signing him. AEK's demands were exorbitant, they rejected the Germans twice as they did with Beşiktaş in 1965. Yordan did not want to return to Turkey and in 1968 he again refused a transfer to Beşiktaş, even though he was already 30 years old, he wanted to continue playing for AEK. He was one of their key players at AEK and won 2 Championships. 2 Greek Cups and was a member of the squad that reached the Balkans Cup final in 1967, as well as the quarter-finals of the European Cup in 1969.
He left the club at the behest of Branko Stanković in the summer of 1969 as part of the Yugoslavian manager's radical overhaul and at the age of 32 he moved to Egaleo, which he led to a stunning 4th place finish in the 1970–71 league. He ended his huge career competing in the lower divisions of Greece, with the complaint that he was not called to play for Greece.

## International career

At the age of 18 Yordan became an international with Turkey, where he played 3 times, despite the hostile atmosphere from his teammates. However, the manager, Sandro Puppo ignored the whole situation and wanted the Greek players such as him and Lefter Küçükandonyadis in the national team at all costs.

## Managerial career

Yordan took over as player-coach of Fokikos, where he won three local cups. He then took over as coach of Asteras Itea, where he had settled permanently, even after the end of his football career.

## Personal life

After Yordan retired from football, he lived in Itea, Phocis with his family. He had a son named Diamantis, who was also a footballer. On 21 September 2019, he died after a long battle with cancer.

## Honours

AEK Athens
* Alpha Ethniki: 1962–63, 1967–68
* Greek Cup: 1955–56, 1963–64, 1965–66
Fokikos
* Phthiotis FCA League: 1973–74, 1975–76
* Phthiotis FCA Cup: 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77