Greek Players In Premier League History
Many people around the world consider the Premier League to be the best domestic football league ever.
Several Greek players have made appearances in the English Premier League over the years with varying degrees of success.
Greece’s Euro 2004 success offered its professionals a unique chance to thrive at the elite level, which saw the beginnings of Greek football aces in the Premier League.
In this text, we look at some of those well-known Greek players who have made a mark in the Premier League over the years.
Theodoros Zagorakis
Theodoros is best known for leading the Greek national team to victory in the UEFA Euro 2004 Championship and serving as president of PAOK Club.
Prior to success in the Euros, he had a 3-year spell at Leicester City between 1998 to 2000, scoring three goals in each season. Zagorakis was primarily used as a right-sided defensive midfielder. He later moved to AEK Athens, a period in which he shone brightly and was voted the best male player in Greece.
For the national team and for his club, he was known for regularly adorning jersey number 7. A photo of him graced the front of the Greek publication of FIFA 2001.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos
Sokratis is a Greek pro footballer for Olympiacos in the Super League. His influence on the Borussia Dortmund defense between 2013 to 2018 had been a major for the club’s relative success during the period. He moved to Arsenal in 2018 and quickly established himself as an important part of their defense.
The impact of certain players and the overall form of teams is now a factor taken into account when recommending sports betting strategies like the Poisson Distribution. Online platforms and comparison sites are there to help by reviewing bookmakers and offering reliable betting tips. Also, you can also find plenty of articles to read to aid in betting on your favorite sports.
His outstanding knowledge of the game offered a great experience to the Gunners’ defensive line. With this, Arsenal was able to clinch a top-6 finish in the Premier League even with high odds of a mid-table finish at several online sportsbooks.
Nikos Dabizas
Nikos Dabizas split his time between helping out at his dad's business and playing football. At the age of 21, he got his big break in the industry and started playing professional football. His teams included Pointioi Verai, Olympiacos, Newcastle United, Leicester, and Athlitiki Enosi Lemesou (AEL).
His period at Newcastle was more of a success, as he recorded 11 goals in 130 appearances between 1998 to 2003, quite impressive for a center back.
Stelios Giannakopoulos
Stelios Giannakopoulos is known for pushing himself to the limit. He was versatile, and comfortable playing either the striker or wing positions owing to his great dribbling ability and keen sense of goal. For Bolton, he showed this off excellently, most notably by scoring 12 goals in the 2005 - 2006 EPL season.
After demonstrating his goal-scoring prowess under Sam Allardyce, the Greek attacker moved to Hull in 2008. Unfortunately, injuries and poor play limited him to just two games for the Tigers before their 2009 relegation. In the following season, Giannakopoulos returned to Greece to play for AEL.
Jose Holebas
Despite spending his formative years in Germany, Jose Holebas decided to play for Greece, his mother's birth country. Watford saw his talents and acquired him from Roma in 2015 as their ideal left back.
Holebas, who does well both in the air and on the field, became an indispensable member of the Vicarage Road defense. His authoritative demeanor aided The Hornets in staying organized as they rose from potential relegation candidates to reliable regulars in the league's middle tier.
Giorgos Donis
Giorgos Donis made history as the first Greek footballer to play in the English Premier League when he joined Blackburn in 1996. Popularly called George Donis, his career at the club was not so impressive as he was able to net just twice in 21 games.
Upon retiring from active football, he transitioned into coaching. He has recorded a more illustrious career as a manager, winning the Best Manager in Greece award with Atromitos in the 2011-2012 season.
