Spyros, always with us

APS Napoli Patron play with only one goal in mind, making their former captain, who passed away suddenly last November, proud of them

Every time APS Napoli Patron hits the sand in Nazaré, there’s a image of a young man hanging, very visibly, from the stands. It is this image that the players turn and run to when they celebrate scoring a goal. It is also this image that they stand before and salute after every game is over. 

The man in the picture is Spyros Avramis, captain of the Greek team who passed away 26th of November last year, leaving his friends and family completely broken. Life is difficult to understand sometimes, and seeing that young healthy man, loved by hundreds of people in his hometown Patras, depart for no apparent health reason is a sobering concept. 

His best friend, Vasileios Papazafaeris, cannot hold back tears when the final whistle of each game finishes and he walks to his friend’s picture to dedicate the performance to him. 

“Spyros was my best friend, and he always will be. For the rest of my life. We play with the intention that he, wherever he is, is proud of us”. 

“He was the spirit of the team, the soul of the squad, and he is truly missed. Especially in moments like this, because you cannot help remembering him on this same pitch, just last year, doing what he loved the most”, he recalls.  

Number seven will never be in the back of another APS Napoli Patron shirt. “This was his number. It is his number. And no one will wear it again”, another teammate points. 

No matter whether they win or lose, they will always give everything on the pitch. Just as Spyros would have done. Just as he did every single game until that terrible day. The 26th of November is a date they all have stamped on the chest of their shirts to remember the man who was taken away from them far too soon.