The “Pillar” of PAOK, a man who has remained competitively loyal to the sign of the “Two-Headed North” and honored it, like a few, from almost all positions for 45 years, yesterday began his great journey. The death of Stavros Sarafis (he suffered a severe stroke last month) at the age of 72 is a blow to Greek football, which has lost one of its iconic figures.

The first goalscorer in PAOK history with 170 goals, Caesar, not being a centre-forward, but an Eight, had an excellent quality – the ability to score goals with his head. For the national team, he scored 7 goals in 32 matches (1969-77), and with Thessaloniki he won the championship (1975-76) and two Greek Cups (1971-72, 1973-74).

The flags on the Toumba have been at half mast since yesterday, the PAOK players will have a minute of silence before morning training as a minimal tribute, and on Monday in the derby against Olympiacos, the players of both teams will wear black armbands. Statements of condolence were issued by EPO, Superliga, Panathinaikos, Aris and Iraklis among others. “It was a great loss for a man who has served Greek football for decades through his presence in PAOK and the national team,” the Greens said. “He wrote golden pages in Greek football as the top scorer in the history of PAOK. His participation in PAOK’s infrastructure divisions over the years leaves an indelible mark on Stavros Sarafis in new generations,” the organizer emphasized.