On 4 April 1968, at the packed Kallimarmaro Stadium in Athens, AEK Athens wrote a golden page in the history of Greek sport. In front of 80.000 spectators – one of the biggest crowd for a basketball game in Europe – the “Union” won the European Cup Winners’ Cup, defeating Slavia Prague 89-82. It was the first European club title in the history of Greek basketball.

This night was not just a final. It was a celebration of faith, pride and dreams. It was the moment when a Greek club proved that it could stand up to the best in Europe. Nikos Milas’ players – among them Trontzos, Zoupas, Amerikonos, Larentzakis – played with passion, with heart, with self-denial. And the crowd, like a unified voice, pushed them on every shot, every defense, every breath.

The game had all the elements of a great epic. Turnovers, intensity, great baskets and a Slavia that proved to be a worthy opponent. But AEK had something more with them: the heart of a people who wanted to believe. And they did.

The team’s captain, George Americannos, had said: “We weren’t just playing for AEK that night. We were playing for Greece. For every kid who played basketball in a courtyard and dreamed. And we made that dream come true.” Similarly, Larentzakis recalls. We couldn’t hear the coach or the noise. It was us and our mission.”

The image of the captain lifting the trophy in awe, in front of tens of thousands of Greeks, is one of the most moving moments in the country’s sporting memory. It was the first time that a Greek stadium experienced such an apotheosis for a team that made it in Europe. It was the beginning of an era when Greek sport looked up and dreamed.

It is worth noting that AEK fans had begun to gather by midday. With flags, songs, enthusiasm and excitement. The Kallimarmaro was buzzing with pulse, while thousands more were watching outside the stadium, on the radios, in the neighborhoods of Athens. It was a moment of unity. A sporting event that transcended the boundaries of the club and became a matter of national pride.

In 1968, AEK Athens did not just win a cup. It won the hearts of Greeks. It became a symbol of faith, struggle and collective transcendence. And that night, illuminated by the lights of the Kallimarmaro and the voices of thousands of fans, was forever etched as the night when AEK Athens lifted Europe on its shoulders.