The lion’s big heart has for millennia denoted courage, self-denial and self-sacrifice. So it was for Andreas Mouratis, a “lion of a player” with a soul to match his heart.
He was born ready to throw himself into the thick of it, to do battle at the frontline —because the “lion” wasn’t interested in hanging around at the backfield. No, he loved to take the fight to the opponents, and when he ran up the field, the whole team followed.
That was as true of the battles he fought off the field as well—since his life was one of constant struggle, of which there were many. The hero of the Reds was born on September 14, 1926, to parents who had come to Greece as refugees from Asia Minor, seeking to set down new roots in a new land.
An imposing man, Andreas Mouratis was an Olympiacos icon.
The “lion” of the Piraeus team, he was first into the fray every time the Legend that is Olympiacos sought to “bathe” in still more glory.
Two nicknames captured the essence of the man and were just two of many. “Murat Aslan” (meaning ‘Murat the lion’ in Turkish) was bestowed on him by Turkish football fans who, having seen him play for Greece against their national team in Istanbul, sought to highlight his strength and self-sacrifice on the field.
Another was “Missouri”, which was what many Olympiacos fans started to call him after he stayed on the field after a nasty collision left him with a bandaged head and the laurel-wreathed youth, the emblem on his jersey, spattered in blood.
It was their way of comparing him with the USS Missouri, a powerful American battleship docked off the port of Piraeus at the time.
He refused to leave the pitch, refused to leave the field of battle, because for Mouratis every game was a battle fought with a single goal: victory for Olympiacos.
He made history with his playing style and was a defender made of steel. But it wasn’t just his physique that made Mouratis stand out and make a difference. It was also, to borrow the simple but singularly apt words of a great Greek poet, Kostis Palamas: “The fire aglow deep within his heart…” because Mouratis has so much heart, even the rocks would yield to him.
The debut
Mouratis put on the Olympiacos jersey for the first time in 1945, shortly after the end of the German occupation, and he would stay at the Club for a decade. He still figures in the chants that millions of red-and-white fans sing to this day.
The team delivered fairytale triumphs, and it’s undeniable that the “Lion” embraced the ideals off the field that were a perfect fit for the red-and-white jersey he wore on it.
The refugee kid who was destined to make history with Olympiacos was raised in the same poor Piraeus neighborhoods where the Olympic Association of Piraeus Fans was born in March 1925.
He fought, dug his heels in, was pushed back onto his back foot, won and triumphed, without ever losing his humility. And he remained a faithful Olympiacos trooper from the day he donned the red and white until his last breath.
In his 10 years of playing for Olympiacos, he tasted glory and a greatness he could never have imagined, but it didn’t change him—he remained a humble player prepared to throw himself into battle whenever he was needed. Let’s not forget, the Lion always leads the charge.
The “Lion”, standing first from the left, top row, in a photograph after another trophy is won.
Championships and Cups
Andreas Mouratis was a leading figure at Olympiacos in the decade he played for the team. What’s more, everyone recognized his greatness.
Because he was a great man as well as a great player, and the common sense with which he was so well-endowed caused many an educated man to reflect on their learning and ask whether they truly deserved their degrees.
Mouratis celebrated a good many titles with the Piraeus team and actually came up with a style of play that had his stamp on it. Everyone wanted to be like Andreas, but the lionheart was one of a kind. Because you either have it, or you don’t.
The Mouratis years were a golden era in the history of Olympiacos, with six championships won, five Cups and numerous Piraeus championships.
His legendary decade with the Red and Whites at an end, he played with a lesser Club for two years, then retired as a player. However, his lifelong relationship with Olympiacos continued—and he wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“As if I could stay away from Rentis?” was the Lion’s proud answer if anyone asked if he’d be going to the Club’s training ground the following day.
He remained close to Olympiacos until his death in 2000, working hard at that same training ground every day and being there for generations of players.
The Tochouroglou incident
One story is typical, one that took place at Olympiacos’ training ground in 1998.
It’s afternoon and there was a press conference at the Rentis training center. After the practice had started Mouratis was loading up with water bottles for the players.
Goalkeeper Kyriakos Tochouroglou runs up to him and says: “Kyr Andrea, leave the water. I’ll carry it. You shouldn’t be carrying heavy stuff.” Mouratis’ answer shows his love for Olympiacos: “You guys have a game tomorrow, so focus on how Olympiacos is going to win—just that,” and he left with the water bottles.
But that wasn’t all he bore upon his shoulders—he carried the sufferings and burdens of a life that would have broken others.
From the playing fields to the Νational Resistance, Mouratis was a symbol of tenacity, courage and selflessness
The Resistance and the friendship with Godas
Mouratis fought many battles in his life, and many had nothing to do with football. However, they all had something in common, though, because when Andreas Mouratis fought, he fought for justice. This is why he fought against the German with the courage of a lion during the wartime occupation of mainland Greece (April 1941-October 1944).
Together with his friend and Olympiacos teammate, Nikos Godas, they bravely took on the invaders and occupiers and could speak with pride of the Greek people’s struggle for liberation.
Mouratis also had something to say about the battles he fought against the occupiers with his friend Dionysis Georgatos at his side, and how they battled with all their might to vanquish the temporary conquerors.
He was a leader on the pitch, but he also led others fighting for their rights—as he did in 1953, when the Greek national team failed to pay certain agreed to bonuses the countrys football federation had promised its internationals.
He demanded the money on behalf of all his teammates, and the federation punished him with a two-year ban—though they would rescind the decision after just 10 months.
Everyone knew Mouratis was right, and the lion would never back down when his cause was righteous.
It was a major issue for Greek football at the time. There was even a film made about the incident, entitled “Experts on the Football Field”, but later renamed “Sunday’s Heroes”. A film in which Greek internationals starred — alongside Mouratis, who played himself.
Andreas Mouratis passed away on December 10, 2000, but the lion’s roar will never cease to remind the world of the Legend’s strength.
Mouratis will always occupy a special place in the hearts of Olympiacos fans and in the port city of his birth, which has named a street off a main boulevard near the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium after the iconic player.
As Olympiacos celebrates its centenary, Mouratis’ lion-hearted courage lives on at the Rentis training ground, at the Karaiskakis Stadium, and everywhere the Club is known and loved.
As he said himself in one of his rare interviews: “My life has been filled with Olympiacos. I’ve lived my whole life in these 500 meters; everything leads to Olympiacos.”
