Kostas Nestoridis, the veteran legend of AEK, passed away today, Tuesday.
His son announced the news of the 93-year-old's death in a post on Facebook.
"Have a nice trip, Dad... you had an unequal fight. O Mimi is waiting.. and O Stelios..." he wrote in his post.
AEK's announcement on the death of Kostas Nestoridis
"The AEK family and Greek football mourn the loss of one of the greatest figures in our country's history of the sport. Kostas Nestoridis passed away at the age of 93, having struggled with serious health problems for the last time. One of the leaders in the history of AEK, a legend of Greek football who "marked" an entire era, left for his last journey, plunging into sadness all those who managed to witness his footballing greatness and the younger ones who grew up with his myth. Kostas Nestoridis was one of the greatest virtuosos who appeared on our courts.
He was initially from Pontus and was born on March 15, 1930, in Drama, but during the years of occupation, he followed his family to Athens. At 15, he joined the Greek club Moschatos, and in the late 40s, he found himself in Panionios. In 1955, it was time to transfer to AEK. He preferred AEK because of its refugee origin, but the management of Panioni refused to grant him. Thus, according to the regulations in force, he came to the "Union" with a "two-year ban". Until 1957, he only participated in friendly matches, but from 1957-58, he was free to compete in AEK and official matches. Until 1965, in competitions of the Athens Championship, Greek Championship and Cup and European Cups, he scored 228 goals, of which 141 were in the First National Team.
In the 1958-59 season, he won the title of top scorer in the Greek Championship for the first time with 21 goals in 18 matches. This was followed by the establishment of the First National Team, where he was the top scorer in the first four seasons (1959-63) with 33, 27, 29, and 24 goals, respectively. In other words, he was the top scorer in five consecutive Championships! He had once scored a "five-pointer" (with Iraklis 5-0 in 1963), a "frame", and twelve hat-tricks, while the goals he scored with corner kicks have remained unforgettable! He was the goal man recognised and adored by the fans for his achievements even many decades after the end of his football career. His top moment was winning the championship from AEK in 1963, the team's first post-war title and the first at A National level. He left AEK in 1966 and later, as a coach, sat on their bench in 15 Championship matches in 1983 and 1984. Kostas Nestoridis takes with him the love and recognition of all of us. PAE AEK expresses its sincere condolences to the relatives of the deceased and participates in their mourning."
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