Giorgos Gonios
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 22 December 1946 | ||
| Place of birth | Ilisia, Athens, Greece[1] | ||
| Date of death | 16 April 2026 (aged 79) | ||
| Place of death | Athens, Greece | ||
| Position(s) | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| –1968 | Agios Ierotheos | ||
| 1968–1979 | Panathinaikos | 253 | (26) |
| 1979–1988 | A.O. Vouliagmeni | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Giorgos Gonios (Greek: Γιώργος Γονιός; 22 December 1946 – 16 April 2026) was a Greek footballer who played as a defender. He is considered an important figure in the history of Greek football club Panathinaikos.[2][3]
Gonios started his career as a forward at Agios Ierotheos, where he caught the attention of both Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. He eventually chose Panathinaikos, who he signed for in the summer of 1968.[1] In his first season, he scored 20 goals for Panathinaikos,[1] including 18 in the Alpha Ethniki.[4] Later on, he started being played as a defender.[1]
He was part of the Panathinaikos team that reached the 1971 European Cup final against Ajax,[1] but he only played in one European Cup match that season, being a 5–0 win against Jeunesse Esch in the first round.[5] He later captained the team when they won the 1977 Balkans Cup against Slavia Sofia.[1] In total, he played 310 matches for Panathinaikos, scoring 31 goals, including 26 goals in 253 matches in the Alpha Ethniki.[1]
Gonios left Panathinaikos in 1979, and joined A.O. Vouliagmeni, where he retired in 1988 at the age of 42.[1] Following his retirement, he began running a sporting goods store in Athens.[6]
Death
Gonios died on 16 April 2026, at the age of 79.[1] His funeral was held two days later at the Zografou Cemetery, and was attended by some of his former teammates, including Antonis Antoniadis and Vasilis Konstantinou.[2][7]