Angelos Charisteas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Angelos Charisteas
Άγγελος Χαριστέας

Charisteas in 2008
Personal information
Date of birth	(1980-02-09) 9 February 1980 (age 45)
Place of birth	Strymoniko, Greece
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Aris (sporting director)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–2002	Aris	87	(19)
1998–1999	→ Athinaikos (loan)	7	(1)
2002–2005	Werder Bremen	66	(18)
2005–2006	Ajax	31	(12)
2006–2007	Feyenoord	28	(9)
2007–2010	1. FC Nürnberg	57	(8)
2009	→ Bayer Leverkusen (loan)	13	(1)
2010	Arles-Avignon	6	(0)
2011	Schalke 04	4	(1)
2011–2012	Panetolikos	24	(4)
2013	Al-Nassr	7	(1)
Total		330	(74)
International career
2001–2011	Greece	88	(25)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Greece UEFA European Championship Winner 2004
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Angelos Charisteas (born on February 9, 1980) is a famous Greek former footballer. He played as a forward, which means he was usually trying to score goals. Since 2019, he has been working as a sporting director for Aris, a football club in Greece.

During his career, Charisteas played for many clubs. Some of the well-known ones include Aris Thessaloniki, Werder Bremen in Germany, and Ajax in the Netherlands. He achieved great success with these teams.

One of his biggest achievements was winning the German league (Bundesliga) and the German Cup (DFB-Pokal) with Werder Bremen in 2004. He also won the Dutch Cup and Dutch Super Cup with Ajax.

For his country, Greece, he played 88 times and scored 25 goals. He was a key player in the Greek team that surprisingly won the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament. He scored three goals in that competition, including the winning goal in the final against Portugal. This victory is considered one of the greatest moments in Greek sports history. He also played for Greece in UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

In 2019, Charisteas also became involved in politics. He was elected as a deputy in the region of Central Macedonia in Greece.

Club Career Highlights

Angelos Charisteas started his professional football journey in Greece.

Starting with Aris Thessaloniki

Charisteas began his professional career with Aris Thessaloniki in Greece. In his first season, 1997–98, he helped Aris win the Greek second division by scoring two goals in nine matches. He quickly became known for his skills.

He scored twice in a big local derby match against PAOK. He also made his European debut at just 19 years old in a UEFA Cup game. By the 2000–01 season, he was scoring regularly, netting seven goals for Aris.

Success with Werder Bremen

In January 2002, Charisteas moved to Germany to join Bundesliga club Werder Bremen. He signed a four-year contract. The club's sporting director, Klaus Allofs, praised him, saying he was good at heading the ball, very fast, and tactically smart.

He had a very successful time at Werder Bremen. In the 2003–04 season, his team won both the Bundesliga league title and the German Cup. This was a fantastic achievement, winning two major trophies in one season! He scored four goals in 24 league games that season.

Moving to Ajax in the Netherlands

In December 2004, Charisteas moved to the Netherlands to play for Ajax. He joined the club hoping to get more playing time. He made his debut for Ajax in January 2005 and scored his first goal a few days later.

During the 2005–06 season, he scored eight goals for Ajax. He also helped the team win the Dutch Cup and the Dutch Super Cup. However, under a new coach, he found himself as the fifth-choice striker, meaning he didn't play as much as he wanted.

Playing for Feyenoord

On August 31, 2006, Charisteas made a surprising move to Feyenoord, a big rival of Ajax. This move caused some upset among Feyenoord fans, who didn't want a player from their rival club. Despite the protests, he played his first game for Feyenoord on September 10.

He scored his first goal for Feyenoord in his tenth game. Even though he tried his best, he never had a great relationship with the fans. He played 28 games for Feyenoord and scored nine goals that season.

Time at Nürnberg and Leverkusen

On July 6, 2007, Charisteas signed a four-year deal with 1. FC Nürnberg in Germany. He scored his first two goals for them in a big 6–0 win against a smaller club.

In February 2009, he was loaned to Bayer Leverkusen until the end of the season. He helped Leverkusen reach the final of the German Cup that year. He returned to Nürnberg for the 2009–10 season and scored a crucial goal that helped them avoid being relegated from the top league.

Short Stays at Arles-Avignon and Schalke 04

In August 2010, Charisteas joined Arles-Avignon in France. He played seven games there but didn't score any goals before his contract ended in November 2010.

In January 2011, he moved back to Germany to play for Schalke 04. In his very first match for Schalke, he scored a goal just 52 seconds after coming onto the field! He also helped Schalke reach the semi-finals of the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League and won the German Cup with them in May 2011.

Later Career: Panetolikos and Al-Nassr

In July 2011, Charisteas joined Panetolikos, a team newly promoted to the Greek Super League. He scored his first goal for them in September 2011, which was the winning goal in a 1–0 home game.

His last club was Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he signed a contract in February 2013. He played his debut in a cup final.

International Career for Greece

Angelos Charisteas was a very important player for the Greek national team.

Early International Games

He played for the Greek Under-21 team before making his debut for the senior national team in February 2001. In that first game against Russia, he scored two goals, showing his talent right away. His goals helped Greece qualify for the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament.

Winning UEFA Euro 2004

Charisteas scores for Greece in the UEFA Euro 2004 Final against Portugal on 4 July

The UEFA Euro 2004 tournament was the biggest highlight of his career. Greece, who were not expected to win, shocked everyone by becoming champions of Europe! Charisteas scored three crucial goals in the tournament:

• One goal in the group stage against Spain.
• One goal against France in the quarter-finals.
• The winning goal in the final against the host country, Portugal, on July 4.

This victory was a huge moment for Greece and is remembered as one of the greatest upsets in football history. Charisteas's amazing performance earned him a spot in the Euro 2004 All-star Team. He was also nominated for the 2004 Ballon d'Or award, which is given to the best player in Europe.

He once said that winning Euro 2004 was an unbelievable experience he wouldn't trade for anything. He knew that people would remember his winning goal for many years to come.

Later International Appearances

Charisteas continued to play a key role for Greece. He scored three goals in the qualifying rounds for UEFA Euro 2008, helping Greece qualify easily. He also scored Greece's only goal in the Euro 2008 tournament itself.

He scored four goals during the qualifying matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was part of the squad that went to South Africa for the World Cup, where he played one game.

In October 2011, he scored another important winning goal against Georgia, which sent Greece automatically to UEFA Euro 2012. This goal made him the only Greek player to score in three European Championship qualifiers and three World Cup qualifiers. He is also the second-highest goal scorer for the Greek national team with 25 goals.

Playing Style

Angelos Charisteas was known for playing as a "target man." This means he was often the main forward who would receive long passes, hold up the ball, and create chances for his teammates or score himself. He was strong and good in the air.

Life After Football

After retiring from playing, Charisteas has stayed involved in football and even entered politics.

Working as a Sports Director

On August 29, 2019, Charisteas became the sporting director for his former club, Aris Thessaloniki. In this role, he helps manage the club's football operations, like signing new players and working with the coaching staff. He also got coaching certificates to help him in this role.

Involvement in Politics

In 2019, Charisteas was elected to the Regional Parliament of Central Macedonia in Greece. He was re-elected in 2023. He has served in important roles, including Deputy Regional Governor of Digital Policy and currently as Deputy Regional Governor for Volunteering and Youth Affairs. This shows he is committed to helping his community.

Personal Life

During his time as a footballer, Angelos Charisteas was known for playing the Bouzouki in his free time. The bouzouki is a traditional Greek musical instrument, similar to a mandolin.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

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

List of international goals scored by Angelos Charisteas

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	28 February 2001	Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium, Heraklion, Greece	Russia	2–3	3–3	Friendly
2				3–3
3	28 March 2001	Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece	Germany	1–1	2–4	2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
4	6 October 2001	Old Trafford, Manchester, England	England	1–0	2–2	2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
5	2 April 2003	Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland	Northern Ireland	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifier
6				2–0
7	11 June 2003	Leoforos Alexandras Stadium, Athens, Greece	Ukraine	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifier
8	3 June 2004	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	2–0	2–0	Friendly
9	16 June 2004	Estádio do Bessa, Porto, Portugal	Spain	1–1	1–1	UEFA Euro 2004
10	25 June 2004	Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal	France	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2004
11	4 July 2004	Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal	Portugal	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2004
12	17 November 2004	Karaiskákis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece	Kazakhstan	1–0	3–1	2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier
13				2–0
14	30 March 2005	Karaiskákis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece	Albania	1–0	2–0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier
15	11 October 2006	Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier
16	6 June 2007	Pankritio Stadium, Heraklion, Greece	Moldova	1–0	2–1	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier
17	13 October 2007	Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1–0	3–2	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier
18	6 February 2008	GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus	Finland	1–1	2–1	Friendly
19	18 June 2008	Wals Siezenheim Stadium, Salzburg, Austria	Spain	1–0	1–2	UEFA Euro 2008
20	6 September 2008	Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg	Luxembourg	3–0	3–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
21	11 October 2008	Karaiskákis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece	Moldova	1–0	3–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
22				3–0
23	15 October 2008	Karaiskákis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece	Switzerland	1–1	1–2	2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
24	25 May 2010	Stadion Schnabelholz, Altach, Austria	North Korea	2–1	2–2	Friendly
25	11 October 2011	Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia	Georgia	2–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier

Trophies and Awards

Angelos Charisteas won many important trophies during his football career.

Werder Bremen

• Bundesliga: 2003–04 (German League Champions)
• DFB-Pokal: 2003–04 (German Cup Winners)

Ajax

• Dutch Cup: 2005–06
• Dutch Super Cup: 2005–06

Bayer Leverkusen

• DFB-Pokal runners-up: 2008–09 (Reached the German Cup Final)

Schalke 04

• DFB-Pokal: 2010–11 (German Cup Winners)

Al-Nassr

• Crown Prince Cup runners-up: 2012–13 (Reached the Saudi Cup Final)

Greece National Team

• European Championship: 2004 (Champions of Europe!)

Individual Awards

• UEFA Euro 2004: UEFA Team of the Tournament (Recognized as one of the best players in the tournament)

See also

In Spanish: Angelos Charisteas para niños