Background
Stelios Manolas was born in Naxos in 1961 and was meant to be one of the few football players who played professionally for a single team
Stelios Manolas was born in Naxos in 1961 and was meant to be one of the few football players who played professionally for a single team
He joined AEK at the age of 15 and in January 1980, he signed a professional contract, beginning his career with the team, which lasted up to May 1998. Arguably the best Greek defender of his time, Manolas is a product of Football Club"s youth academy. Manolas, being the top defender not only in AEK"s history, but also in the history of Greek football, became a leader early on as a young player.
Owing to his solid technical training, his dynamism and perception, as well as a winning spirit, he was able to offer both in the team"s defense and attack.
He was the mastermind of the defense and at the same time the one who influenced the whole team more than any other person, boosting the confidence of his teammates. He was a stopper and a libero, although he was first recognised as a right-back, a position assigned to him Miltos Papapostolou.
He made his debut in a match against Kastoria (1-1) on 3 February 1978 and became a mainstay in the AEK defensive until his retirement. Stelios Manolas" last match was against Skoda Xanthi, a match that earned him his 700th cap.
He was Football Club"s captain for 19 years.
Manolas had been targeted by Porto and Monaco but he stated: I will never leave the club I love and I want to retire at. His top moment among thousands of others in his career was when he used his head to block a shot by Lajos Détári in front of AEK"s goal line in the crucial game against Olympiacos in OAKA, ending with AEK winning the Championship title in 1989. During his glorious career, Manolas often attracted the interest of Greek and international clubs, but chose never to change his shirt.
After his retirement, he became a certified coach and worked for many clubs, as well as for the Greek National Under-21 Team.
Foreign some time (2008-2009), he held the post of technical director in AEK, and he is currently the coach of AEK"s U-20 team
Overall, he played for the National Team in 71 matches from 1982 to 1994 and scored 6 goals He was also a member of the National Team when it made its first appearance in the World Cup in 1994 in the United States.