Aleko Yordan

Aleko Yordan — Biography

Aleko Yordan (born Alekos Iordanou; Greek: Αλέκος Ιορδάνου) was a centre-back who was born in Istanbul, played for the Turkey national team and spent the best years of his career in Greece with AEK. With AEK he won the Greek league and the cup, and afterwards he worked as a player-manager in Phocis.

After three years at Beyoğluspor he signed a professional contract with Beykoz in 1959, in the newly founded Süper Lig, and stayed three seasons. He won three caps for Turkey; coach Sandro Puppo insisted on keeping him, as he did Lefter Küçükandonyadis, in the squad. He turned down offers from Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray and chose AEK; in 1964 he moved for 50,000 lira plus the receipts of two matches, after a delay caused by legal appeals against the Greek federation's ban. He settled in at once; AEK refused Bayern Munich's interest, and in 1968 he in turn turned down a move to Beşiktaş. With the club he reached the 1967 Balkans Cup final and the 1969 European Cup quarter-finals.

In summer 1969 he left AEK in Branko Stanković's overhaul and joined Egaleo, whom he helped to a fourth-place finish in 1970-71, then signed for Koropi in 1971. As player-manager of Fokikos he won three local cups, then managed Asteras Itea and settled in Itea. He died on 21 September 2019.