The beginning of the 1930’s saw a huge rise in the popularity of the Panhellenic Championship throughout Greece. The last of the remaining founding players of Olympiakos, including most of the famous Andrianopolous brothers, had recently retired, but they were replaced by a generation of exciting new players. These included Yannis Vazos, the clubs second highest scorer of all time, Theologos Symeonidis, who later became the clubs manager, Spiros Dodonitis who later became a fighter pilot in the Korean War, and Vangelis and Yiannis Helmis, the iconic brothers.

 

Olympiakos at this time was spearheaded by a fearsome trio of attackers comprising of Symeonidis, Vazos and Christoforos Raggos. Vazos alone represented the club for 18 years and scored 450 goals in 364 games, a phenomenal record. Olympiakos won the Greek title on five occasions in this era (1932-33, 1933-34, 1935-36, 1936-37, 1937-38). This means that by 1940, they had already won 6 out the first 11 seasons of the Hellenic Championship. Their last two championship titles in this decade were won without a single defeat. Olympiakos had less success in the Greek Cup, never managing to win it despite a massive record-setting 6-1 win over Panathinaikos, the largest winning margin in the history of the “Derby of Eternal Enemies”. 

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On the 28th of October 1940, Fascist Italy invaded Greece, and a number of Olympiakos players joined the Hellenic Army to fight the Axis invaders. Raggos was heavily injured in the leg and never played football again, one of the Adrianopolous brothers suffered severe frostbite in the Albanian front and almost lost his life, and Nikos Grigoratos was badly injured in the Battle of Klisura. When the Germans occupied Greece, other Olympiakos players joined the Greek Resistance, fighting fiercely against the Nazis. Any further progression for Olympiakos was brought to a halt by the German occupation and the ensuing Greek Civil War. One of the clubs icons, Nikos Godas became captain of the Greek People’s Liberation Army, battling the Germans on several fronts. He was eventually captured and executed in his Olympiakos kit. His last wish was “Shoot me and kill me with my Olympiakos shirt on. Do not blindfold me. I want to see the colours of my team before the final shot.” 

Achievements: Greek Football Championship – Champions x6
                         Piraeus FCA Championship – Champions x4

Star player: Nikos Godas DOB 1921, Ayvalik, Turkey

Godas and his family were resettled in Pireus as a result of the Greek-Turkish War. His father ran a successful tavern on the ground floor of his home, where Godas worked. He played football for a local factory team, and just after the start of WWII he joined Olympiakos, the club which became his passion in life. He became a member of the Greek Communist Party and joined the Greek People’s Liberation Army, fighting against the Germans and Italians. Godas became the leader of his company and fought in several battles including the Battles of Athens and Pireus while undertaking guerrilla warfare and sabotage activities against the occupiers. He was eventually captured and sent to prison where he played for the prison’s football team. He was then sent to death row for three years, all the while refusing to sign a declaration denouncing his political beliefs which would have saved him. Godas was executed as a communist in November 1948, wearing his Olympiakos shirt in accordance with his last wish.