The Ecumenical Patriarchate officially welcomed a delegation from AEK this morning at the Phanar. The purpose of the visit was to present the 2025–26 Championship Trophy to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
The Patriarch received the AEK delegation with joy and deep emotion, speaking warmly about the club’s sporting achievements, as well as what AEK represents and symbolizes for the Hellenism of Constantinople and for the Greek refugee community as a whole.
During the visit, the Patriarch held a video call with AEK’s owner, Mr. Marios Iliopoulos.
The Ecumenical Patriarch congratulated Mr. Iliopoulos on AEK’s championship triumph and emphasized the joy and pride that this achievement had brought to the Hellenism of Constantinople.
Mr. Iliopoulos thanked the Patriarch for the affection he expressed toward the entire AEK family and, among other things, reaffirmed both his own and AEK’s unwavering commitment to the principles of fair play.
The head of the AEK delegation, Mr. Nikos Pantermalis, a member of the Board of Directors of AEK FC, thanked the Ecumenical Patriarch for the warm reception and for the enduring bond of affection and shared journey between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and AEK.
In his address, AEK’s owner, Mr. Marios Iliopoulos, stated:
Good morning, Your All-Holiness.
You have the privilege of leading Orthodoxy and of being here in Constantinople, the heart of Christendom. And we have the privilege of being Greeks, of being Christians, and of having You as our Patriarch. As You know, I never mince my words, nor do I flatter. Everything I say, I mean sincerely, because it comes from my heart. It comes naturally and genuinely from within me.
We are deeply grateful that we can share with You the same Values, Principles, Ethics, and Culture, because today, as the years pass, we are unfortunately drifting away from our Principles and Values, as other things increasingly dominate our lives.
Madness prevails. Wars prevail. We are now witnessing two terrible wars that have created enormous global instability. And because money now governs so much of the world, we need Leaders like You to inspire us, to give us courage and strength, and to provide us with everything we need spiritually so that we may continue moving forward, raise our children properly, and guide them along a path that will one day make both us and society proud.
One of the most critical areas in which we must secure the best possible future is Sport, because sport is an integral part of Education. If a country wishes to have a future, especially for its young people, it cannot move forward without Education, without Sport, and without Health. Nor can it hope for a better future for the generations to come.
What AEK achieved this year carries profound symbolism. Beyond winning the Championship, AEK had to fight against practices and systems that had dominated for many years. The struggle was truly immense.
Our weapons were Patience, Perseverance, Faith, and Passion. Together, we succeeded in showing everyone the Path of the Victor, a path founded upon Principles, Dignity, and Fair Play, ideals first taught to humanity by our ancestors in Ancient Greece. Sadly, however, the true meaning of fair play has today been distorted, drifting far beyond the boundaries that once defined it.
This Trophy, therefore, is a Trophy of Dignity. It is a Trophy of Strength. It is a Trophy of Faith, Passion, Patience, and Perseverance. It is also a Trophy of Remembrance, because where You stand today are the memories of the refugees who, through extraordinary courage, transformed ashes into hope. They turned the ashes of destruction, hardship, and loss into opportunity and into guiding principles for countless young people.
This, then, is the Trophy of Fair Play and the Path of the Victor.
Without taking up too much of Your time, I simply wish to tell You how deeply we honour and love You. Every day I strive to send positive messages to society, and especially to our young people. I want to ignite within them the spark of Inspiration, the spark of Love, and the spark of Optimism. I want them to become socially aware, to learn how to pursue their goals in life, and to understand that, using only the strength of their own minds and character, far removed from violence, they can overcome adversity.
They must learn that life is not easy. They must set goals, have vision, dream boldly, and through self-knowledge pursue those dreams with dignity, integrity, and competitive passion. In doing so, they will make themselves proud, but above all, they will make their parents proud, because that is the natural cycle of life.
We ourselves must be proud of who we are because we strive not only for our own benefit, but with less selfishness and greater selfless love. We must raise our children in such a way that they make us proud, so that through this process we preserve Christianity, our traditions, our customs, our culture, and everything that keeps our Values, our Principles, and selfless Love alive.
I would also like to thank You for the love You have always shown toward everything I have spoken about, and toward AEK, a club which, without exaggeration or empty words, embodies all those ideals that make You proud as well. We must never forget. We must never lose sight of our roots. They must always come first, because otherwise we lose our way and no longer know where East or West, North or South truly lies.
Thank You very much. You have our love. Please enjoy this Trophy. Touch it. Feel it. I hope that even a small part of everything I have said about Fair Play, the principle we have adopted as our guiding ideal for the years ahead, will be conveyed through it. This commitment is not only for Greek football, but also for every sport represented by AEK’s amateur divisions and, indeed, for Greek sport as a whole.
Thank You very much for listening to me.
For his part, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew stated:
Thank you very much, Mr. President.
I listened carefully and with great interest to everything you said. From your words, I conclude that we walk the same path and uphold the same Ideals and Values. Indeed, something that originates from this City, with its centuries-old tradition, could not fail to continue teaching these very Principles and Ideals that we both share.
I remember my official visit to the Holy Metropolis of Nea Ionia and Philadelphia, during which you so generously hosted all of us who came from Constantinople, showering us with your hospitality and gifts. I also remember our more recent meeting. I closely follow your work and your many activities, all of which are founded upon Fair Play, as you rightly emphasized. Behind those two simple words, Fair Play, lie all the Ideals and Principles in which we believe, both as the Mother Church of Constantinople and as AEK.
You may also remember that I once said AEK is an Idea, and Ideas never die. Not only do they endure, but they also win trophies, continue to compete, achieve victory, and bear witness to our Faith and our Nation. For all these reasons, I congratulate you, because behind every one of these successes lie your own efforts, your hard work, and your dedication.
As the Mother Church, I congratulate the entire AEK Family and all its supporters, wherever they may be. Here in Constantinople, where your roots and AEK’s roots lie, the Pera Athletic Club continues a tradition spanning many decades. Its President, Mr. Mouhlidis, together with his associates, does everything possible with the limited means at their disposal to preserve AEK’s glorious legacy.
Today, as both those who live here and those who have come from Athens gather at the Sacred Centre of Orthodoxy, we have the joy of sharing this great achievement with pride and with the affectionate satisfaction of a spiritual father. We thank you for the pride you have given us through your triumph in winning the 2026 Championship. May there be many more to come.
I wish every blessing and every success to your colleagues there. Please convey my greetings to my brother, the Metropolitan of Nea Ionia and Philadelphia, your dynamic Shepherd. During my visit to Athens in May, when I was honoured by the Hellenic Red Cross, I also had the opportunity to admire the Ionian Centre established by Metropolitan Gabriel. In the years and decades ahead, it will undoubtedly host numerous activities of the highest standing, bringing honour both to Romiosyne and to Orthodoxy.
I bless you wholeheartedly and pray that God grants you every good gift. To you personally, Mr. President, I wish good health, many years, and continued success. Axios.
