Queens-born Vago Tzoros has returned home to New York from the trip of a lifetime, where he got the chance to attend the opening ceremony of AEK Athens new stadium, and a few days later watch the first game ever played there.

Vago, who is somewhat of a celebrity among AEK supporters around the world, was among a handful of Greek Americans that made the trip over for the opening of the Agia Sophia (Opap Arena).

It was a momentous occasion for AEK fans, who had to endure watching their team play away from their traditional home stadium in Nea Philadelphia for almost two decades. The stadium had been demolished in 2003 following structural damage caused by a devastating earthquake in 1999.

The significance of the occasion was not lost on Vago, a lifelong AEK fan popular on Instagram for his full-of-energy videos at sporting events in New York and Greece. 

“It was super important for me to be here in Athens, in our home stadium for this moment, this special moment in time that we will always remember,” Vago told The Pappas Post upon his return to New York. “I feel blessed that I was able to be here and live this moment with more than 30,000 fellow AEK fanatics.”

He says the new stadium means everything to AEK supporters, including the thousands of fans the club has in the United States.

“It means hope, it means future success, legendary nights, amazing goals and hopefully championships.”

When he is not in Athens, Vago gathers with his fellow supporters of the AEK Fan Club USA to watch games.

“We all gather every weekend (and weekday when we play) and we watch our team play,” he says. “We support them from afar but still feel the emotion of the entire match.”

While in Athens Vago also had the opportunity to meet his favorite AEK player, Argentinian striker and captain of the club Sergio Araujo.

“I love his passion and his skill and his will to always try his very best on the pitch,” Vago says. “I was also so lucky to have met him when I was in Athens and he’s such a great person as well.”