Thomas Mavros

At the age of 11 Mavros joined the infrastructure departments of the club and began his intensive involvement with football. A bad circumstance related to the disappointment of his own from his brother's exclusion in the teenage section brought him to do some training with Olympiacos. There, Elias Yfantis immediately recognized his value and asked him to join the team. Panionios' refusal to grant the card prevented the transfer but disappointed the teenager Thomas to the point of abstaining from Panionios' activities. The gap was bridged by the curator of the team Papidas after a visit to the house of the Mavros family and a promise to 14-year-old Thomas for participation in the youth team. There he met with Detzo Butzak at the beginning and -mainly- Joe Mallet then distinguished and cultivated the inexhaustible talent of little Thomas, becoming at the age of 16 the youngest player to have played in a Greek Championship match as well as the youngest scorer when at 17/1/1971 scored the only goal in the 65th minute against Pierikos on 1-0 victory. He was also capped by the Greek national football team at a very young age whilst playing for one of the less glamorous Greek clubs. On 16 September 1971, he made his debut in continental competitions against Atlético Madrid. His appearance made him the then youngest player of a Greek football club to have ever played in a European competition. Initially Mavros played as a left winger and later as a striker, where he showed his abilities to score, provoking the interest from the big teams of Greek football.[1]

In 1975, AEK Athens' president Loukas Barlos wanted to sign the young striker but Panionios board refused to trade his team's best player. The expression of interest from AEK in the summer of 1975 clashed with the uncompromisingly negative attitude of the people of Panionios. AEK was about to live again the adventures of Kostas Nestoridis' 1955 transfer. Thomas' thirst to play for the great AEK of the time as well as his unlimited appreciation in the person of Loukas Barlos were impossible to bend the inexplicable and obsession of the president of Panionios, Tsolakakis to cancel the transfer. It was then revealed that when Mavros signed his contract with Panionios he was still underage, thus making the contract invalid. Panionios still blocked the transfer leading to a litigation between the two sides which lasted for the entire 1975–76 season. During this time, Mavros was unable to play for either side. After the dispute was resolved Mavros was finally transferred to AEK Athens in June 1976.[2][3]

The happy ending of the case brought on the one hand the joy and satisfaction to Barlos and Mavros who have since adapted a "father-son" relationship.[4] Barlos enriched the potential of AEK with an incredibly agile footballer with a unique ability to read the game and always be in the right place to shoot the opponent's goalpost. Mavros seems to have a unique relationship with scoring while the extra personal training that often followed with weights, sand running and other original methods for the season, make him the most difficult obstacle for even the best defenders. He immediately became an integral part of the team helping them reach the 1976–77 UEFA Cup semi-finals, winning 2 Championships and 2 Cups. He was also top scorer 3 times (1978 with 22 goals, 1979 with 31 goals, 1985 with 27 goals). In 1979, he was also the second goalscorer in Europe, 3 goals behind AZ's player, Kees Kist. He, as a striker, and Bajević, as a creator were the club's best scoring couple and one of the best in Europe. The AEK Athens fans loved him because he was one of the few players who stayed with the club after Barlos left and because of his tendency to score against rivals Olympiacos. They named him "The God" (Greek: Θεός), the lexicographer, Faidon Konstantoudakis came up with the nickname "Theomas"(Greek: "Θεωμάς")[5] (paraphrase of his first name to resemble the Greek word for God) and whenever he scored the whole stadium chanted "Who, who, who? Mavros the God" (Greek: "Ποιος, ποιος, ποιος; Ο Μαύρος ο Θεός").

The era after the departure of Barlos finds the club in an administrative instability, where presidents are changing at a fast pace, the coaches are changing faster, the transfers of players do not have the shine and glamor of the Barlos era at all, and the team is getting weaker in every season. And while everything seems to be falling apart, Mavros was always "present". He seems to be the only one to take AEK by the hand and move it through the history, refusing to compromise with its competitive weakness. He is left alone to defend the names and honors of the club, to create the new fans of the team, to terrorize opponents simply by his presence. He passes on to the youngsters of the team, everything he lived in the club's and glory days. He constantly sends the message to the world of the team that no matter what happens, he will take care of the club. The pride of an entire fanbase is on his shoulders. He hates losing and fights with all his strength to ensure it. Sometimes he manages to do so, as of the Cup of 1982-83 season with the 2-0 victory at Olympic Stadium against PAOK with his and Vlachos' goals. In addition, the qualification at the expense Olympiacos, in the quarter-finals by 2 wins and his goal in the victory with 0-1 at Karaiskakis Stadium. Milestone of the recognition of his value even by rival fans was that in that game where, in the counterattack of AEK that led to the goal, Mavros got the ball at the center of the field and dribbled to the opposite area and many Olympiacos' fans started leaving the stadium confident of the upcoming Mavros' goal and the consequent exclusion of their team. On 22 June 1984, Mavros had the honour to be called to join World's XI alongside his countryman Vasilis Hatzipanagis and other legends like Franz Beckenbauer, Ruud Krol, Johan Neeskens, Peter Shilton, Kevin Keegan, Mario Kempes, Hugo Sánchez and Felix Magath.[6][7] 20,000 Greek fans were in Giants Stadium to watch World's XI playing against New York Cosmos in a 3–1 win. In fact, according to his statement, in the game, Beckenbauer told him "At last, you came.", meaning the constant interest of his team, New York Cosmos for Mavros.[8] On 27/1/1985 Mavros also became one of the nine Greek players in history of who have scored 5 goals in a match against Egaleo in a 5-2 win.[9] In 1987, AEK' manager Nikos Alefantos asked the club's president Andreas Zafiropoulos not to renew Mavros' contract as he thought the player was "too old" to play for a team of that level. All the above were confirmed on April 11, 1987 in the home match against Apollon Kalamarias, when Alefantos subed off Mavros at the 80th minute, being booed by all AEK fans. Zafiropoulos agreed to the coach's request and Mavros was released from the club and returned to his former club, Panionios.

Mavros proved wrong AEK Athens' coach and administation, with his return in Nea Smyrni. With Panionios, he finished top scorer in Greek Championship in 1990, at the age of 36, being the oldest player in Greece to ever achieve that. Mavros lived the greatest moment of his career when on October 28, 1989 on his return in Nea Filadelfeia with Panionios' jersey as an opponent of AEK. In the 27th minute, doing what he knows best, tied for Panionios. Mavros didn't celebrate the goal. Thousands of AEK's fans on the podium begun to paralyze, stood on their feet and chanted his name as if he had just scored for AEK, showing their love and appreciation to his face,[10][11] forcing Mavros to applaud them and send them kisses, wiping away a tear of joy. Before retiring in 1991, Mavros managed to score a total of 51 goals in 89 matches on his second spell at the club and surpassed his former teammate at AEK Athens, Mimis Papaioannou as the all-time top scorer in the Greek Championship.

On November 14, 1993 he hung up his shoes in the friendly match where Greece faced AEK, which was organized in his honor. The match ended 4–2 for AEK and Mavros scored three goals in the last game of his glorious career, playing with both teams.[12]