The whole PAOK squad wished him a happy birthday full of health. He has been lacking it, but his inner strength is there. Konstantinos has been confined on a wheel chair since the age of 10. His body cannot follow his sharp mind.

In the last five years, Konstantinos has been on mechanical ventilation and that has deprived him of his favourite pastime, going to the stadium. However, even from afar, his love for PAOK is a source of motivation.

“After setting up the ventilator, he fell twice into a coma. PAOK helped him overcome the hurdles – and I am not exaggerating”, his mother told us.

He cannot attend matches at Toumba Stadium, but Konstantinos is keeping informed about PAOK through the radio. He spends his time reading Greek and English books, he values life’s little joys and puts aside the problems troubling his body.

Friday was a special day for Konstantinos. He came to Toumba with his family, blew out the candles on his birthday cake, got to have his photo taken with his idol Stefanos Athanasiadis and the rest of PAOK squad and attended the training session wearing the signed jersey they gave him as present.

“He was very excited. PAOK is his whole life and he still can’t believe coming to the stadium and having his favourite team sing to him for his birthday”, his mother said. “That will boost him for a long time. He told us it was the best present of his life”.