Yiorgos Vardinogiannis
Yiorgos Vardinogiannis | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1936 (age 87–88)[1] Episkopi, Rethymno, Crete, Greece[1] |
| Alma mater | Hellenic Naval Academy |
| Occupation(s) | Shipowner, businessman |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Office | 35th president of Panathinaikos FC (1979–2000) |
| Predecessor | Jack Nikolaidis |
| Successor | Angelos Filippidis |
| Board member of | SEKA Bunkering Stations |
| Relatives | Vardis Vardinogiannis (brother) |
Yiorgos Vardinogiannis (Greek: Γιώργος Βαρδινογιάννης; born 1936) is a Greek businessman and a shipping magnate, former owner and president of the Panathinaikos football club. He was born in Episkopi, Rethymno. He is the brother of oil and shipping tycoon Vardis Vardinogiannis.
Career
[edit]Seafaring career
[edit]He completed his maritime studies at Southampton before embarking on a seafaring career. He managed to be promoted to the rank of captain and then along with his brothers found the family ship and oil business.
Rhodesian sanction busting
[edit]Yiorgos Vardinoyannis was captain of the oil tanker MV Arietta Venezelos which in February 1966 was located in the Persian Gulf. The Greek government, reacting to concerns that oil it was taking on board was destined for Rhodesia gave instructions to the owners, Venezelos SA to divert the ship to Rotterdam rather than South Africa and forbade the delivery of oil to Rhodesia.[2] However, Vardinogiannis continued to sail for Beira in Mozambique, then a colony of Portugal. Here the pipeline would allow oil to be pumped to landlocked Rhodesia.[3]
Football
[edit]On 17 July 1979, Vardinogiannis family acquired the majority stake of Greek football club Panathinaikos FC and Yiorgos Vardinogiannis was appointed president of Panathinaikos. He served in this position for 21 years (1979–2000) and had the nicknames Kapetanios (Captain) and Ringo.[4] The latter nickname was ginen to him due to his habit of carrying a gun.[5]
During his reign as club president, Panathinaikos won six greek championships (1983-84, 1985-86, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1994-95, 1995-96) and nine greek cups (1981-82, 1983-84, 1985-86, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1990-91, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95).
References
[edit]- ^ a b Επίτομο Γεωγραφικό Λεξικό της Ελλάδος (Geographical Dictionary of Greece) by Μιχαήλ Σταματελάτος, Φωτεινή Βάμβα-Σταματελάτου, Ermis, Athens 2001.
- ^ Rhodesia News Summary Southern Africa News Bulletin, week of 7–13 April 1966
- ^ Hot cargoes, Time magazine
- ^ Μοσχος, Σωκράτης; Χαρτζουλάκης, Στέλιος. "Παναθηναϊκός: 32 χρόνια Βαρδινογιάννηδες". Sport24. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ Γεωργιάδης Κώστας, Ασημακόπουλος Νίκος (1988). Μυστική Επιχείρηση Ποδόσφαιρο. Αθήνα: Σύγχρονη Εποχή. p. 69.
- Living people
- 1936 births
- Panathinaikos A.O.
- Panathinaikos F.C.
- Panathinaikos F.C. presidents
- Greek football chairmen and investors
- Greek businesspeople in shipping
- Greek billionaires
- People in the petroleum industry
- People from Lappa, Rethymno
- Vardinogiannis family
- European business biography stubs
- Greek people stubs