The chronicle of the greatest tragedy in the history of Greek sports
Today marks 43 years since the fateful day of February 8, 1981, which plunged the whole of Greece into grief.
This is the day that went down in history for its tragedy Door 7 and the unjust loss of 21 people, the greatest tragedy in the history of Greek sports.
THE Olympic had welcomed AEK in Karaiskaki and the Red and Whites had won 6-0. Everyone in the stadium was celebrating the great victory of Piraeus. Everyone was floating in a sea of happiness. Everyone was cheerful and happy. But also unsuspecting about what would happen that fateful day. A few minutes before the end of the match, Olympiakos fans rushed to the steps of gate 7, heading for the locker room.
When they reached the exit, however, the doors were closed.
They had never been opened. Absolutely no way out for the people who were running towards the locker room, impatiently, to see their indalams up close. The crowd rushed to the doors, which, however, were closed, causing one to fall upon another.
Chants and shouts of joy gave way to sirens and shouts.
The chronicle of the tragedy
17:03 Some constables manage to tear out one of the turnstiles and free a lot of people.
17:15 The dead and injured are being transported by patrol cars and 13 ambulances of the EKAV to the Tzanios hospital in Piraeus, while there has been a general mobilization in the police and hospitals.
17:30 Several sports fans gather outside Zaneio with anxiety painted on their faces.
17:50 The television networks (ERT and YENED) broadcast the event and appeal to doctors to come to Zaneio, in order to reinforce the on-duty staff, but also for blood donors. Additional personnel are being mobilized to Piraeus State Hospital where some seriously injured are being transported.
18:20 The Minister of Social Services Mr. Doxiadis and the Deputy Ministers Mr. Tsoukandas and Apostolatos, while orders are given for an even greater mobilization of doctors and blood donors.
18:30 The Immediate Action Center asks the crews of the patrol cars and the police, volunteer blood donors to rush to the two hospitals. Hundreds of police officers donate blood.
18:50 The Minister of Public Order, Mr. Davakis, the Under-Minister of the Government Presidency, Mr. Achilleas Karamanlis, senior Police officers and officials of Olympiakos and A.E.K. arrive in Tzanio.
19:00 By order of the director of the KAB, Mr. Karavas, the KAB is also requested to be put on alert, to receive injured people who need neurosurgery.
19:15 Hundreds of people are gathering outside Zaneio and are anxiously asking to know the names of the dead and injured.
19:30 The attendance of doctors and blood donors is overwhelming, while dozens of women faint from agony.
19:40 The Minister, Mr. Doxiadis, informs the Prime Minister, Mr. Ralli, who orders the necessary measures to be taken and informs the President of the Republic, Mr. K. Karamanlis.
19:45 MAT forces need to block Tzanio, in order to move people away from the main entrance to make access to doctors and blood donors easier.
20:00 Scenes of alienation take place in Zaneio by the relatives. The first three victims are identified. They are Yiannis Kanellopoulos, Yiannis Dialynas and Vassilis Machas. Unfortunately, others followed and the death toll reached 21.
20:15 The officers of the 7th Police Department begin the examination at GATE 7, looking for the causes of the tragic event.
20:30 Prime Minister Georgios Rallis arrives in Tzanio, while the seriously injured are taken to the General State Hospital of Piraeus and the KAT. Doctors and nurses come out with bloody shirts in the corridors and call out the names of the wounded. Several of the relatives faint.
20:50 The radio and television networks begin to broadcast mourning music, while at the same time as a sign of mourning they have interrupted their program.
21:00 Around 300 to 400 people with wild moods try to enter the Karaiskakis stadium and find those responsible. They are moving away from a MAT platoon.
21:15 The commander of Tzanios, Mr. Apergis, goes out into the hallway and appeals to people to move away from the entrance of the hospital because their presence is blocking the traffic of patrol cars and ambulances, while appeals for the same reason are also made by television networks.
22:00 People start moving away from the two hospitals little by little…
The 21 victims of Gate 7:
Panagiotis Toumanidis, 14 years old
Kostas Sklavounis, 16 years old
Ilias Panagoulis, 17 years old
Gerasimos Amitsis, 18 years old (AEK fan)
Yannis Kanellopoulos, 18 years old
Spyros Leonidakis, 18 years old
Yannis Spiliopoulos, 19 years old
Nikos Filos, 19 years old
Yannis Dialynas, 20 years old
Vasilis Mahas, 20 years old
Efstratios Loupos, 20 years old
Michalis Kostopoulos, 21 years old
Zografoula Hairatidou, 23 years old
Spyros Andriotis, 24 years old
Kostas Karanikolas, 26 years old
Michalis Markou, 27 years old
Kostas Bilas, 28 years old
Anastasios Pitsolis, 30 years old
Antonis Kouroupakis, 34 years old
Christos Hatzigeorgiou, 34 years old
Dimitrios Adamopoulos, 41 years old
The moving video of PAE Olympiacos
In the “red and white” post, the monument that exists in “Georgios Karaiskakis” in memory of the 21 victims can be distinguished, while the chilling video is accompanied by the caption “We will never forget you.”
