Tzolis standing out with impressive PAOK performances
In the Super League playoffs, Christos Tzolis has provided PAOK with plenty of cheer, catching the eye with his impressive performances.
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Tzolis has burst onto the scene in emphatic fashion. In the Super League regular season, the 18-year-old forward wasn’t included in the squad for a single match by Abel Ferreira, but he was given a chance in the championship playoffs when making an appearance as a substitute against Olympiacos. He was then left on the bench in a 0-0 draw at Panathinaikos a week later.
His big moment would arrive on matchday three against OFI at the Toumba Stadium.
With PAOK trailing at the time, Tzolis came to the rescue for the 2018/2019 Greek champions, lashing Dimitris Giannoulis’ cross beyond the goalkeeper just three minutes after being introduced to proceedings. Tzolis was subsequently placed in the starting line-up for the games against Olympiacos, Aris and AEK by Ferreira.
In those three particular matches, Ferreira put Tzolis on the right flank, with the teenage attacker possessing enough technical ability to beat his man and provide a significant threat. Furthermore, Tzolis does his bit defensively too, often tracking back to good effect when the opponents are in possession. His flexibility and willingness to play anywhere across the forward line must also be noted.
At the Karaiskakis Stadium in the second leg of the Greek Cup semi-final, Tzolis gave Olympiacos left-back Konstantinos Tsimikas a real run for his money, displaying plenty of skill and confidence in a game of high importance:
Tzolis deserved his opportunity with the seniors. In the 2019/2020 U19 Super League, Tzolis starred for the PAOK youth team with Pablo Garcia in charge, registering 19 goals in just 23 appearances as the Dikefalos tou Vorra claimed the domestic crown. It’s worth noting that Tzolis has also participated in three games with the under 19 Greek national team and bagged six goals in nine matches with the under 17 side.
The gifted forward moved to PAOK at the age of eight from Doxa Pentalofou. Five years later, he began to attract attention by scoring 11 goals at a youth competition for PAOK in Sweden, before he decided to move abroad to Germany in 2016. However, after an underwhelming German spell with Rosenhole Offenbach and SV Alemannia Königstädten, Tzolis returned to PAOK in the summer of 2018 and promptly scored 27 goals in 25 U17 Super League matches in the ensuing season.
Reports are now suggesting that Sporting Lisbon are heavily interested in Tzolis. As it stands, his contract includes a release clause of two million euros and is due to expire in 2022, but PAOK are eager to renew his deal in a bid to ensure he remains in Thessaloniki.
