Stefanos Athanasiadis: The kid who fulfilled his dreams
“Emotional but a realist as well, he is trying to mend the bridge between his heart and his mind, between his PAOK and real football. He wants to be appreciated as a person and remembered as a player. He is engaged in a constant inner battle, in search of a long-time dream. To win a title with PAOK”.
That was the intro of his interview conceded to Toumba Magazine in February 2016. Just before reaching the 100-goal milestone with PAOK. Before becoming the club’s leading scorer in European competition. Before winning silverware with the club of his life. Everything was so fitting and indicative of the battle inside him.
The silverware became a reality on the worst season of his career. What an irony! Klaus was there though –as he has been in everything that happened at PAOK in the last 20 years. He was there to lift the trophy first, although the protocol didn’t dictate it. It was the acknowledgement for his contribution to PAOK.
When he crossed “silverware with PAOK” off the list of his unfulfilled dreams, Stefanos Athanasiadis was finally free to let his heart obey his mind. Life as he knows it is over now and a new chapter begins. The No 33 shirt will become green and bear the crest of Maccabi Haifa FC.
Some things though never fade. Like his tattoos that earned him criticism. Even there, PAOK prevails, marked on his skin forever. The fans’ memories of Klaus are also indelible. He got where he wanted. To leave a legacy as a player, one of the most significant players in PAOK’s history.
Let’s remember some of Klaus’s highlights in the videos compiled by PAOK TV.
