Alexandros Tziolis facts for kids
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Tziolis with Greece in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 13 February 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Katerini, Greece | ||
| Height | 1.90 m | ||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–2002 | Apollon Litochorou | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2005 | Panionios | 63 | (3) |
| 2005–2009 | Panathinaikos | 84 | (5) |
| 2009 | → Werder Bremen (loan) | 15 | (1) |
| 2009–2011 | Siena | 13 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | → Racing Santander (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Racing Santander | 12 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Monaco | 3 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | → APOEL (loan) | 30 | (0) |
| 2013–2017 | PAOK | 66 | (3) |
| 2014 | → Kayserispor (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2017 | Heart of Midlothian | 16 | (1) |
| 2017–2019 | Al-Fayha | 54 | (3) |
| Total | 381 | (16) | |
| National team | |||
| 2001–2005 | Greece U21 | 13 | (3) |
| 2006–2018 | Greece | 75 | (2) |
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Alexandros Tziolis (born on February 13, 1985) is a Greek former professional footballer. He played as a defensive midfielder, a player who helps protect the defense and start attacks.
He played for the Greek national team from 2005 until he retired from international games in 2018. He played 75 matches for his country and scored two goals. Tziolis also played in two World Cups (in 2010 and 2014) and the Euro 2008 tournament.
Contents
- Club Career: Alexandros Tziolis's Journey in Football
- International Career: Representing Greece
- Style of Play: What Kind of Player Was He?
- Honours: Trophies and Awards
- Images for kids
- See also
Club Career: Alexandros Tziolis's Journey in Football
Panionios: Starting His Professional Path
Alexandros Tziolis began his football journey as a teenager. He played for a local team called Apollon Litochorou for about seven years. In 1995, a scout from Panionios noticed his talent. Tziolis then moved to Athens to join Panionios.
He was a very important player for Panionios for three seasons. During this time, he played 61 matches and scored three goals. His great performance led to Panathinaikos, a bigger club, signing him.
Panathinaikos: Becoming a Key Player
Tziolis quickly became a regular player for Panathinaikos during the 2006–07 season. In April 2007, he scored a goal that helped his team win a game in the Superleague Greece. This win also helped them reach the Greek Cup final.
Towards the end of the 2007–08 season, it looked like Tziolis might leave Panathinaikos. However, the new manager, Henk Ten Cate, decided to keep him. Even though he didn't start many games at the beginning of the 2008–09 season, he returned to the team in November. He was named "Man of the Match" in a 3–0 win against Werder Bremen in the UEFA Champions League, where he scored a goal. He continued to play well, working closely with teammates Gilberto Silva and Simao Mate Junior. Overall, he played 113 matches for Panathinaikos, scoring six goals.
Werder Bremen: A Loan Spell and a Trophy
On January 7, 2009, Tziolis joined the German team Werder Bremen on a loan deal for half a season. He quickly became a regular player in Bremen's midfield. He helped the club reach the UEFA Cup final in May 2009. Although they lost the final, Tziolis came close to scoring an equalizing goal.
Tziolis also played in Bremen's 1–0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the German Cup final that same season. This win was his first ever trophy in professional football!
AC Siena: A Move to Italy
On January 29, 2010, Tziolis moved to the Italian club AC Siena in Serie A. He made his first appearance for Siena in February 2010. Tziolis played regularly for Siena, but the team was later moved down to a lower league, Serie B.
Racing Santander: Back to Top-Flight Football
In August 2010, Tziolis moved to the Spanish team Racing Santander on a one-year loan. In October 2010, he unfortunately broke his leg during a game. This meant he had to recover for several months.
After playing well in the second half of the season, Racing Santander decided to sign him permanently from Siena.
Monaco: A Short Stay in France
In January 2012, Tziolis joined AS Monaco, a club in France.
APOEL: Becoming a Champion in Cyprus
On August 31, 2012, Tziolis went on a season-long loan to APOEL, a team in Cyprus. During his time at APOEL, he achieved a big milestone: he became a league champion for the first time in his career! He played in almost all of the league matches, helping his team win the Cypriot First Division.
PAOK: Returning to Greece
On June 25, 2013, Tziolis signed a three-year contract with PAOK, a Greek team in the Superleague Greece. He made his league debut in August with a 3–0 home win. In December 2013, he scored his first goal for the club. He was a key player for PAOK in the first part of the 2013–14 season.
At the start of the 2014–15 season, Tziolis returned to PAOK. He played 34 games and scored one goal in the Greek Cup. In November 2015, Tziolis reached a milestone of 400 appearances for all his clubs in all competitions. His contract with PAOK ended in January 2017, after he had played 111 matches for the club.
Kayserispor: Another Loan Spell
On January 31, 2014, Tziolis signed a six-month loan contract with Kayserispor, a Turkish team. He made his debut in the Süper Lig nine days later.
Heart of Midlothian: Playing in Scotland
On January 30, 2017, Tziolis joined Heart of Midlothian, a club in the Scottish Premiership. He made his debut in a 4–1 win against Rangers. On February 4, 2017, Tziolis scored his first goal for Hearts in a 3–0 victory. He left the club at the end of the season.
Al-Fayha: Finishing His Career in Saudi Arabia
On August 4, 2017, Tziolis signed a two-year contract with Al-Fayha, a team in the Saudi Professional League. In November 2017, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 home win. He played 58 matches for Al-Fayha, scoring three goals. On August 30, 2019, he ended his contract with the club.
International Career: Representing Greece
After playing 13 times for the Greek Under-21 team, Alexandros Tziolis made his first appearance for the senior Greek national team on January 21, 2006. This was in a friendly match against South Korea.
He was part of the team that played in the UEFA Euro 2008. He played once in that tournament, coming on as a substitute in a game against Spain. He also played in four qualifying matches for the tournament.
Tziolis was chosen for the 2010 FIFA World Cup squad. He played every minute of the tournament for Greece, including their first ever World Cup win against Nigeria on June 17, 2010.
Two years later, the Greek coach, Fernando Santos, did not include Tziolis in the final squad for UEFA Euro 2012. However, Tziolis had a great season in 2014 with PAOK and Kayserispor. This strong performance led to him being called up again by Santos for the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad.
Style of Play: What Kind of Player Was He?
Alexandros Tziolis is a tall defensive midfielder. He is good at winning headers in the air and has powerful long-range shots. He often played a "silent" role in games, meaning he did a lot of important work without always being in the spotlight. He was more of a deep-lying playmaker, helping to start attacks from deep in his own half, rather than just stopping opponents.
Honours: Trophies and Awards
Werder Bremen
- German Cup: 2008–09
- UEFA Cup: runner-up 2008–09
Panathinaikos
- Greek Cup: runner-up 2006–07
APOEL
- Cypriot League: 2012–13
Individual
- Greek Young Footballer of the Year: 2004
Images for kids
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Tziolis with the Greek National Team
See also
In Spanish: Alexandros Tziolis para niños
