The Limassol Municipality honoured the memory of AEL’s great footballer, Sevim Ebeoglu

“Sevim Ebeoglu is not only remembered as one of the most iconic footballers and an excellent athlete, but is also known for his love of his city and home country”, the Mayor of Limassol, Nicos Nicolaides, said yesterday during an event held in memory of the footballer.
 
The Mayor welcomed our “Turkish Cypriot compatriots and fellow citizens, and especially the family of the footballer” who passed away last November at the age of 87, at a ceremony held at the Town Hall, in cooperation with the AEL Veterans Football Association.

In his greeting, Mr Nicolaides mentioned that the Municipality, in the framework of preserving and promoting the sports history of the city, has proceeded to organise a number of events in memory of important athletes and sportsmen of our city.  Sevim Ebeogly, whose "death has unfortunately deprived us of the great joy of honouring him alive" is one of them.

“Tonight’s event” he added, "constitutes a memorial to our late fellow citizen". He further stated that he was moved by the fact that Ebeoglu’s fellow footballers Andreas Papadimas, Panikos Krystallis, Kristis Venis and Panikos Papadopoulos – "football legends themselves” – attended the event.

“Sevim Ebeoglu was one of the greatest Cypriot athletes”, Nicos Nicolaides said, highlighting the fact that “he singled out for his rare talent and incomparable ethics and values in sports,  excelled as a football player of AEL and of the Mixed Football Team of Cyprus and was loved by both Greek and Turkish Cypriot football fans”.  

“His football career”, he said, “has been identified with solidarity, team spirit and fair play”.

At the same time, he noted that Sevim Ebeoglu was not only an excellent athlete, since in addition to his golden football history “he will remain in our memory as one of the greatest and most loved footballers of this city.”

Saying that Ebeoglu was above all a conscious Cypriot, “a Cypriot patriot”, the Mayor of Limassol underlined that “our country needs today more than ever bright examples to lead the way, such as that of Sevim”. “Examples of love for the common homeland, without intolerance and fanaticism, which can give us the power to look into the future of this country with hope”, he proceeded to add.  

The Limassol Municipality and all Limassolians honour tonight Sevim’s double legacy (his football excellence and the love for his homeland), concluded Mr Nicolaides.

The former captain of AEL and Honorary President of the AEL Veterans Football Association, Panikos Papadopoulos and the Chairman of the Youth and Sport Committee of Limassol, Loizos Mavroudes addressed the public during the event.

His teammates Andreas Papadimas and Panikos Krystallis spoke a few words about him, while the chairman of the Cyprus Sports Organisation, Andreas Michaelides also addressed the public.

Sevim Ebeoglu’s family received honorary brass plaques as well as an AEL jersey with the signatures of its footballers.