# Nikos Alefantos

Nikos Alefantos (Greek: Νίκος Αλέφαντος, 3 January 1939 – 23 June 2020) was a Greek professional footballer and football coach. He is regarded as one of the most innovative football managers of the 20th century, known in Greece for his phlegmatic personality, short temper and famous quips. He is often regarded as the greatest Greek manager never to have won one of the two major domestic titles (Alpha Ethniki and Greek Cup). In his 35-year managerial career he managed 28 different teams, most notably Olympiacos (1983–84, 1994, 2004) and Iraklis, whom he guided from the relegation zone to a 4th place finish in 1985–86, after what was dubbed the "Play-off of Shame" in Greece.
Raised in Athens during the Second World War, Alefantos' talent led him to embark on a football career aged just 13 at Rouf, beginning as a midfielder. He was a key member of Olympiacos' Double winning 1958–59 season aged just 20 years of age. Afterwards, he'd help Atromitos Piraeus to its singular promotion to the newly created First Division in 1960 before shifting to an attacker in his later years after leaving Atromitos, most prominently at Panegialios, before retiring with Vyzas Megaron aged 30 to pursue a managerial career. He never featured for the Greek national football team, but had played in the national youth team in 1959.
Alefantos became a prominent manager on the Greek football stage in the 1970's, achieving promotions to the Alpha Ethniki with PAS Giannina and Pierikos, quickly gaining a reputation for his idiosyncratic character and tactical innovations – inspired by his future mentor Ernst Happel – and having various spells in the top division before taking charge of former club Olympiacos in 1983. His relationships with club executives and fans were often strained; he had notoriously frequent short spells, including at Kastoria, Kalamata and Fostiras, where he was fired before completing more than one official match. His stint at AEK Athens in 1987 also ended in acrimony after falling out with star player Thomas Mavros and assaulting a journalist after his sacking.
Despite attaining only the Cypriot Cup with APOEL in 1997, Alefantos had successful spells at Olympiacos, Panionios, Iraklis and Ionikos, achieving promotion with the latter, becoming a cult figure and gaining admirers and critics for his uncompromising attitude, which led him being imprisoned twice, in 1979 and 1987, the latter following his AEK Athens tenure. His teams suffered no relegation with him in charge, earning reputation as a relegation specialist. At his final managerial role at Olympiacos in 2004, his team controversially failed to stop rivals Panathinaikos from completing a domestic double, which invoked a feud between him and referee Giorgos Douros, ending Alefantos' career.
Outside of football, he became a prominent TV host in the final two decades of his life and died in 2020 aged 81, prompting an outpouring of grief across Greece's football scene. He was buried in the First Cemetery of Athens. Some of Alefantos' quotes have entered popular culture in Greece, which he acknowledged in his 2013 autobiography Τα Πάντα Όλα ("All and everything").

## Career

After playing football in the streets in the years of WWII and the Greek Civil War, his talent was spotted by Asteras Exarchion, the club from which he would later start his long and memorable managerial career. He would sign for P.A.O. Rouf at age 13 and embarked on a 16–year footballing career which included being one of roughly 30 players who have appeared for both eternal enemies, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. At the latter, the club he supported for all his life, he played a vital role in the club's Double in the 1958–59 season. After noteworthy spells at other clubs, he retired in 1969 aged 30 and immediately embarked on a lengthy career in managemenent.
Alefantos managed several clubs in the Greek Super League, including Olympiacos during 2004. He also had brief spells leading AEL in 1975 and 1990.
Alefantos gained notoriety for his unusually short tenure as the manager of Fostiras in 2002. He was appointed manager of the club, replacing Vlachos in September 2002. One of Fostira's players, Dimitrios Moutas, immediately refused to train with Alefantos, and then Alefantos resigned later that day after failed contract negotiations. Eventually Alefantos appeared in ART channel of Greece, participating in a sport TV program called "Dokari Kai mesa" presented by Giannis Karatzaferis.
He died from a heart attack on 23 June 2020, aged 81.

## Managerial statistics

| Team | From | To | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Team | From | To | G | W | D | L | Win % |
| Asteras Exarchion | 28 July 1969 | 6 June 1970 | 40 | 21 | 9 | 10 | 052.50 |
| P.A.O. Rouf | 6 June 1970 | 8 June 1973 | 114 | 51 | 38 | 25 | 044.74 |
| PAS Giannina | 29 July 1973 | 25 June 1974 | 42 | 29 | 7 | 6 | 069.05 |
| Pierikos | 4 July 1974 | 30 June 1976 | 72 | 32 | 22 | 18 | 044.44 |
| OFI | 8 August 1976 | 18 November 1977 | 45 | 18 | 9 | 18 | 040.00 |
| Kastoria | 14 Μarch 1978 | 27 March 1978 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.00 |
| Pierikos | 2 January 1979 | 26 June 1979 | 22 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 072.73 |
| PAS Giannina | 5 July 1979 | 4 December 1979 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 040.00 |
| Korinthos | 8 December 1979 | 30 June 1980 | 26 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 042.31 |
| OFI | 1 July 1981 | 26 October 1981 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 033.33 |
| Doxa Drama | 3 February 1983 | 30 June 1983 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 038.10 |
| Olympiacos | 30 November 1983 | 12 March 1984 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 064.29 |
| Panionios | 7 May 1984 | 5 April 1985 | 28 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 039.29 |
| Iraklis Thessaloniki | 8 October 1985 | 30 June 1986 | 31 | 17 | 6 | 8 | 054.84 |
| AEK Athens | 30 December 1986 | 7 May 1987 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 042.86 |
| Iraklis Thessaloniki | 7 October 1987 | 7 January 1988 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 040.00 |
| PAOK | 29 January 1989 | 9 April 1989 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 030.77 |
| Apollon Kalamarias | 22 June 1989 | 4 July 1989 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 075.00 |
| Doxa Drama | 5 July 1989 | 22 January 1990 | 20 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 025.00 |
| Apollon Kalamarias | 26 March 1990 | 23 April 1990 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 000.00 |
| AEL | 25 October 1990 | 4 December 1990 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 000.00 |
| Ionikos | 18 April 1991 | 7 May 1991 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 000.00 |
| Ionikos | 1 July 1991 | 28 September 1992 | 47 | 22 | 17 | 8 | 046.81 |
| Kalamata | 1 July 1993 | 25 July 1993 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | !— |
| Skoda Xanthi | 6 December 1993 | 19 December 1993 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 066.67 |
| Olympiacos | 27 January 1994 | 16 September 1994 | 19 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 057.89 |
| Panionios | 27 November 1995 | 29 January 1996 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 028.57 |
| APOEL | 28 February 1997 | 31 May 1997 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 035.71 |
| ILTEX Lykoi | 2 February 1998 | 23 February 1998 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 033.33 |
| Ethnikos Piraeus | 25 March 1998 | 4 May 1998 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 000.00 |
| Proodeftiki | 26 November 1998 | 27 September 1999 | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 040.00 |
| Panachaiki | 1 January 2000 | 14 February 2000 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 016.67 |
| Ethnikos Asteras | 1 July 2001 | 4 February 2002 | 23 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 039.13 |
| Fostiras | 11 September 2002 | 11 September 2002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | !— |
| Olympiacos (caretaker) | 19 March 2004 | 15 June 2004 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 070.00 |
| Total | Total | Total | 706 | 323 | 181 | 202 | 045.75 |

### Olympiacos managerial statistics

| Club | From | To | Competition | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Club | From | To | Competition | P | W | D | L | Win % |
| Olympiacos (first tenure) | 30 November 1983 | 12 March 1984 | Alpha Ethniki | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 058.33 |
| Olympiacos (first tenure) | 30 November 1983 | 12 March 1984 | European Cup | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | !— |
| Olympiacos (first tenure) | 30 November 1983 | 12 March 1984 | Greek Football Cup | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Olympiacos total (first tenure) | Olympiacos total (first tenure) | Olympiacos total (first tenure) | Olympiacos total (first tenure) | 14 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 064.29 |
| Olympiacos (second tenure) | 27 January 1994 | 16 September 1994 | Alpha Ethniki | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 060.00 |
| Olympiacos (second tenure) | 27 January 1994 | 16 September 1994 | Greek Football Cup | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 066.67 |
| Olympiacos (second tenure) | 27 January 1994 | 16 September 1994 | European Cup | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | !— |
| Olympiacos (second tenure) | 27 January 1994 | 16 September 1994 | UEFA Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.00 |
| Olympiacos (second tenure) | 27 January 1994 | 16 September 1994 | European Cup Winners' Cup | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | !— |
| Olympiacos total (second tenure) | Olympiacos total (second tenure) | Olympiacos total (second tenure) | Olympiacos total (second tenure) | 19 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 057.89 |
| Olympiacos (third tenure, caretaker) | 19 March 2004 | 15 June 2004 | Alpha Ethniki | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 085.71 |
| Olympiacos (third tenure, caretaker) | 19 March 2004 | 15 June 2004 | Greek Football Cup | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 033.33 |
| Olympiacos (third tenure, caretaker) | 19 March 2004 | 15 June 2004 | UEFA Champions League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | !— |
| Olympiacos (caretaker) total (third tenure) | Olympiacos (caretaker) total (third tenure) | Olympiacos (caretaker) total (third tenure) | Olympiacos (caretaker) total (third tenure) | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 070.00 |
| Totals | | Totals | | Totals | | Totals | | 43 | 27 | 9 | 7 | 062.79 |

## Honours
### As a player
#### Olympiacos

* Panhellenic Championship: 1958–59
* Greek Cup: 1958–59

### As a coach
#### APOEL

* Cypriot Cup: 1996–97

#### PAS Giannina

* Beta Ethniki: 1973–74 (Group 1)

#### Pierikos

* Beta Ethniki: 1974–75 (Group 3)