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WHAT HAPPENED IN ATHENS ON 28 APRIL 1971
‘I’m positive the match was fixed’
T. Dragojevic | 11. 10. 2007. - 08:00h | Comments 0
The statement by Despina Papadopoulos, widow of the former Greek dictator Georgios Papadopoulos, that the semi-final European Cup match between Red Star and Panathinaikos in 1971 was fixed, has been corroborated by Mile Novakovic, Red Star defender at the time. The Belgrade side won the first leg 4-1 ahead of 100,000 ecstatic fans at home but lost the return game 3-0 – just enough for the team from Athens to qualify for the Wembley final against Ajax.
- “I’m convinced and I claim justifiably that the match was fixed. Even after 36 years I’m sure we were drugged – we walked on the pitch as if in a dream. I’ll never forget what we went through once we returned to Belgrade,” says Novkovic.
What happened in Athens, starting from your arrival to Hilton Hotel onwards?
- “We arrived in Greece on a Sunday – three days ahead of the match – and to say that our stay in Athens until Wednesday was peculiar would be an understatement. We didn’t sleep for nights; we just couldn’t, thanks to some drums that kept beating as, I guess, a warm welcome by the hosts. Fifteen minutes before the match kicked off, a helicopter flew in, landing onto the pitch (that would turn into a real plough-land during the game) a local beauty queen. She gave presents to us – a copy of the Bible and a black-and-white TV set. It used to be common practice for clubs to exchange gifts before a game – typically briefcases and the like. After the game the same girl spent a night with the Panathinaikos goalkeeper, out of gratitude for the great feat, I suppose. She later stated it had been a token of appreciation to the keeper for leading the team to the European Cup final. All sorts of strange affairs were going on there; I believe we were given food during our stay that contained some substances that made us dizzy, but the lemonade at half time was definitely the last straw.”
What do you mean ‘the last straw’?
- “We conceded the first goal after only 30 seconds into the match, as a result of a mistake by Klenkovski, who returned the ball to goalkeeper Dujkovic on two metres, which is simply never done. Then their striker, the 2-metre tall Amtoniadis, just stole the ball and scored. I didn’t even see the goal. We went to the interval with the one-goal deficit. Boss Miljanic was so furious that he wanted to give us all a slap on the face. He couldn’t believe it was us out there and that we were losing 1-0 to a second rate team. We had just agreed to attack them and break them in the second half when a short Greek guy came into our locker room and brought us refreshments. We naturally drank up the lemonade and that’s the last I remember of the match.”
What happened then? - “I only remember we were singing and laughing on the plane on our way back. Yes – singing and laughing! I didn’t “wake up” until we landed in Belgrade and I arrived home only to have my father slap me on the face. My mother wouldn’t speak to me for six months and my best friends wouldn’t talk to me. They all accused us of “selling” the game. People in our country had it tough and couldn’t cope with the defeat. I will never understand why it has been kept a secret for so long and why no one has dared speak up about it. There was no place for saying it out loud. It was all agreed on a much higher level than the players and the staff,” concludes Mile Novkovic.
- “I’m convinced and I claim justifiably that the match was fixed. Even after 36 years I’m sure we were drugged – we walked on the pitch as if in a dream. I’ll never forget what we went through once we returned to Belgrade,” says Novkovic.
What happened in Athens, starting from your arrival to Hilton Hotel onwards?
- “We arrived in Greece on a Sunday – three days ahead of the match – and to say that our stay in Athens until Wednesday was peculiar would be an understatement. We didn’t sleep for nights; we just couldn’t, thanks to some drums that kept beating as, I guess, a warm welcome by the hosts. Fifteen minutes before the match kicked off, a helicopter flew in, landing onto the pitch (that would turn into a real plough-land during the game) a local beauty queen. She gave presents to us – a copy of the Bible and a black-and-white TV set. It used to be common practice for clubs to exchange gifts before a game – typically briefcases and the like. After the game the same girl spent a night with the Panathinaikos goalkeeper, out of gratitude for the great feat, I suppose. She later stated it had been a token of appreciation to the keeper for leading the team to the European Cup final. All sorts of strange affairs were going on there; I believe we were given food during our stay that contained some substances that made us dizzy, but the lemonade at half time was definitely the last straw.”
What do you mean ‘the last straw’?
- “We conceded the first goal after only 30 seconds into the match, as a result of a mistake by Klenkovski, who returned the ball to goalkeeper Dujkovic on two metres, which is simply never done. Then their striker, the 2-metre tall Amtoniadis, just stole the ball and scored. I didn’t even see the goal. We went to the interval with the one-goal deficit. Boss Miljanic was so furious that he wanted to give us all a slap on the face. He couldn’t believe it was us out there and that we were losing 1-0 to a second rate team. We had just agreed to attack them and break them in the second half when a short Greek guy came into our locker room and brought us refreshments. We naturally drank up the lemonade and that’s the last I remember of the match.”
What happened then? - “I only remember we were singing and laughing on the plane on our way back. Yes – singing and laughing! I didn’t “wake up” until we landed in Belgrade and I arrived home only to have my father slap me on the face. My mother wouldn’t speak to me for six months and my best friends wouldn’t talk to me. They all accused us of “selling” the game. People in our country had it tough and couldn’t cope with the defeat. I will never understand why it has been kept a secret for so long and why no one has dared speak up about it. There was no place for saying it out loud. It was all agreed on a much higher level than the players and the staff,” concludes Mile Novkovic.
Statement of Despina Papadopoulos
Despina-Foti Papadopoulos, widow of the general Georgios Papadopoulos, leader of the military junta that once controlled Greece, claims Red Star let Panathinaikos win the game and the place in the 1971 European Cup final. The aged lady of impeccable memory, Despina Papdopulous talks to a Greek TV station of the history and tradition of Panathinaikos European challenges, among which she singles out one particular tie. On 28 April 1971 the return leg between Red Star and Panathinaikos was played in Athens, after the Serbian side had won the first match emphatically 4-1. She claims the two teams fixed the match and that Red Star intentionally allowed the Greeks to claim a victory in the second leg. In order to qualify for the Wembley final against Ajax Amsterdam, PAO needed at least a 3-0 win at home – which is exactly what happened on the night. What helped them do it, as Ms Papadopoulos argues, was money, not a flawless performance. - “Panathinaikos was playing really well that year. Still, after the huge defeat from Belgrade, we needed to win 3-0 in the return match, which seemed impossible at the time. When I took my seat in the stadium box ahead of the match, I said to the club chairman I was really worried about the outcome of the semi-final. My husband, who was sitting next to me, reassured me by saying: ‘Do you honestly think we would leave a matter of national importance to chance? Red Star will let us win and they’ll get money for that.’” The leading people of Panathinaikos as well as the Yugoslav ambassador in Greece confirmed the information to the widow of general Papadopoulos. - “Their ambassador was sitting really close to us and I think he overheard us talking, but my husband had told me earlier the man didn’t know a word of Greek. All the same, during the interval the Yugoslav ambassador approached me and told me in fluent Greek I needn’t worry as the result was already decided at a higher level,” says Despina Papadopoulos. T. D. |
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