Alexandros Tziolis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alexandros Tziolis

Tziolis playing for the Greek national team in 2013
Personal information
Date of birth	(1985-02-13) 13 February 1985 (age 40)
Place of birth	Katerini, Greece
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	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)
International career
2001–2005	Greece U21	13	(3)
2006–2018	Greece	75	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alexandros Tziolis (born 13 February 1985) is a former professional football player from Greece. He played as a defensive midfielder, a position that focuses on protecting the team's defense.

Tziolis was a key player for the Greek national team from 2006 until he retired from international football in 2018. During his time with the team, he played in 75 matches and scored two goals. He represented Greece in two FIFA World Cups (2010 and 2014) and at Euro 2008.

Club career

Starting in Greece

Alexandros Tziolis started his football journey at a local team called Apollon Litochorou. When he was a teenager, a scout from the professional club Panionios saw his talent and brought him to Athens. Tziolis played for Panionios for three seasons, appearing in 61 matches and scoring three goals.

His great performance caught the attention of one of Greece's biggest clubs, Panathinaikos. They paid Panionios €650,000 to sign him. At Panathinaikos, he became an important player. One of his best moments was scoring a key goal against Werder Bremen in a UEFA Champions League match. In total, he played 113 games for the club.

Playing in Germany and Italy

In 2009, Tziolis moved to Germany to play for Werder Bremen on loan. He helped the team reach the final of the 2009 UEFA Cup. That same year, he won his first major trophy when Werder Bremen won the German Cup.

The next year, he signed with the Italian club Siena in Serie A. He played regularly for the team.

Moving to Spain and France

In August 2010, Tziolis went on loan to the Spanish club Racing Santander. Unfortunately, he had a serious leg injury that kept him from playing for several months. After he recovered, Racing Santander decided to sign him permanently.

In 2012, Tziolis joined AS Monaco in France. Later that year, he was loaned to the Cypriot club APOEL. With APOEL, he won the Cypriot First Division league title, which was the first league championship of his career.

Return to Greece with PAOK

In 2013, Tziolis returned to Greece and signed a three-year contract with PAOK. He quickly became one of the team's most important players. During his time at PAOK, he also had a short loan spell at the Turkish club Kayserispor. He played over 100 games for PAOK before leaving the club in 2017.

Final Years of His Career

In January 2017, Tziolis joined Heart of Midlothian in Scotland for the rest of the season. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 win against Motherwell.

Later that year, he moved to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Fayha FC. He played there for two seasons, scoring three goals in 58 games, before leaving the club in 2019. This was the final club of his professional career.

International career

Tziolis with the Greek National Team

Tziolis was a proud member of the Greek national team. Before playing for the main team, he represented Greece 13 times at the Under-21 level. He made his first appearance for the senior team in 2006.

He was part of the Greek squad for UEFA Euro 2008. Two years later, he played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where he was on the field for every minute of Greece's matches. This included their first-ever World Cup victory against Nigeria.

Although he was not selected for UEFA Euro 2012, his excellent form at his club earned him a spot in the squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This was his second World Cup, where he once again represented his country on the world's biggest stage.

Style of play

Tziolis was known for being a tall and strong defensive midfielder. His height made him very good at winning the ball in the air. He also had a powerful long-distance shot. In games, he often played a quiet but important role, helping to control the game's pace and create plays from a deep position on the field.

Career statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Greece's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Tziolis goal.

List of international goals scored by Alexandros Tziolis

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	7 June 2011	Citi Field, New York City, United States	Ecuador	1–1	1–1	Friendly
2	7 October 2017	GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus	Cyprus	2–1	2–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

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

See also

In Spanish: Alexandros Tziolis para niños