The 31-year-old Greek international, a naturalized Englishman, was found lifeless in the swimming pool of his villa in Glyfada (Athens)
Carlo Tagliagambe
9 October 2024 (modified 10 October 2024 | 01:12) – MILAN
Greek football mourns George Baldock. The 31-year-old full-back of the Hellenic national team and Panathinaikos was found lifeless on Wednesday afternoon in the swimming pool of his apartment in Glyfada, a suburban neighborhood south of Athens. According to initial information gathered by local news agencies, it was the footballer’s wife (who is in England with the couple’s son) who raised the alarm after trying in vain to contact him throughout the day . Mrs. Baldock then contacted the homeowner who, having also received no response, entered the villa and found the player lying in the pool water. At that point the emergency services intervened but, for Baldock, there was nothing that could be done. At the scene, Greek state TV ERT reports, a “bottle attributable to a spirit” was also found.
WHO WAS BALDOCK
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Right-back, 31 years old, Baldock took his first steps in the English lower divisions and, after a loan in Iceland, reached the Premier League with the Sheffield United shirt, with which he made over 200 appearances. In 2022 he accepted the call-up to Greece, made possible by his paternal grandmother’s Greek passport. With the “Ethniki Omada” shirt he took the field on 12 occasions: in the summer he also decided to move to Panathinaikos. He made just 4 appearances with the Athens Greens before the tragedy: the last on Sunday 6 October, the derby against Olympiacos (0-0 final) in which he remained on the pitch for 75 minutes.
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THE CLUBS’ CONDORENCE
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“We are shocked, we are shocked by the loss of our George” writes (with much repetition) Panathinaikos on their account own social media accounts, normally colored green. The Greek Football Federation did the same, greeting Baldock with “deep sadness and immense pain”, asking for silence and respect for the moment and offering its condolences “to his family on behalf of what was now his second family (i.e. national, ed.)”. Sheffield United also dedicated a post to their former player: “We are shocked and saddened by the death of George Baldock who left the club in the summer after 7 years in which he was sincerely appreciated by the fans, staff and teammates who wore our shirt with him.”
