Dimitrios Konstantopoulos facts for kids
Konstantopoulos playing for Middlesbrough in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dimitrios Konstantopoulos | ||
| Date of birth | 29 November 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Thessaloniki, Greece | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1996 | Iraklis Ampelokipi | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1996–2000 | Kalamata | 7 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | Egaleo | 3 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Kalamata | 5 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | Farense | 0 | (0) |
| 2003–2007 | Hartlepool United | 117 | (0) |
| 2007–2010 | Coventry City | 24 | (0) |
| 2008 | → Nottingham Forest (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | → Swansea City (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2009 | → Cardiff City (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Kerkyra | 30 | (0) |
| 2011–2013 | AEK Athens | 39 | (0) |
| 2013–2019 | Middlesbrough | 98 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Hartlepool United | 0 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | Thornaby | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 333 | (0) | |
| National team | |||
| 1998–1999 | Greece U21 | 9 | (0) |
| 2011 | Greece | 1 | (0) |
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Dimitrios Konstantopoulos (born November 29, 1978), often called Dimi, is a Greek former professional football player. He played as a goalkeeper.
Dimi started playing amateur football with Iraklis Ampelokipi. In 1996, he signed his first professional contract with Kalamata. He also played for Egaleo in Greece and Farense in Portugal. In 2003, he moved to England and joined Hartlepool United.
After playing 117 league games for Hartlepool, Dimi moved to Coventry City in 2007. He then had loan spells at Nottingham Forest, Swansea City, and Cardiff City. In 2010, he returned to Greece to play for Kerkyra and then AEK Athens.
In 2013, Dimi joined Middlesbrough. He played many important games for them and helped them get promoted to the Premier League. He later had a second spell at Hartlepool United and played for Thornaby. Dimi also played nine games for the Greek under-21 team and one game for the senior Greek national team in 2011.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting in Greece
Dimi Konstantopoulos began his professional football journey with Kalamata in 1996. Before that, he played amateur football for Iraklis Ampelokipi. He played seven games for Kalamata over four seasons. From 2000 to 2001, he played for Egaleo, appearing in three matches. He then went back to Kalamata for another season. Before moving to England, he also played in Portugal for SC Farense.
Time at Hartlepool United
In October 2003, Dimi joined Hartlepool United after a trial. He spent his first season mostly playing for the reserve team. His first game for Hartlepool was in the League Cup in August 2004. He became the main goalkeeper later that year.
Dimi played 37 games in the 2004–05 season. He helped Hartlepool reach the fourth round of the FA Cup in 2005. In the 2005–06 season, he kept 25 clean sheets, meaning he didn't let the other team score in those games. He was a key player for the team during this time.
Moving to Coventry City
Dimi signed with Coventry City on June 30, 2007. He played his first game for Coventry in a 4–1 win against Barnsley. He was a regular player for the first half of the season. However, after another goalkeeper joined, Dimi became the third-choice goalkeeper. He played his last game for Coventry that season in February 2008.
Loan Spells Away
- Nottingham Forest: In March 2008, Dimi went on loan to Nottingham Forest. Sadly, he got a serious injury on his first day of training there.
- Swansea City: In October 2008, Dimi joined Swansea City on a short loan. He played his first game for them in November and even saved a penalty! He played a few more games for Swansea, and the manager wanted to keep him. He briefly returned to Coventry but then rejoined Swansea. In total, he played five games for Swansea.
- Cardiff City: Just a few days after returning to Coventry, Dimi was loaned out again, this time to Cardiff City. He played six games for Cardiff. He had some tough moments, including an own goal. After getting a foot injury, he didn't play again for Cardiff that season.
Back at Coventry City
Dimi stayed with Coventry City for the start of the 2009–10 season. He played his first game for the club in a year in August 2009. He also came on as a substitute in October and helped the team keep a clean sheet. He played a few more games, but his contract ended, and he left the club in 2010. He had played 27 games for Coventry in total.
Return to Greece
After seven years playing abroad, Dimi went back to Greece to play for Kerkyra in the Greek Super League. He played his first game for them in August 2010. His good performances led to him being called up to the Greece national football team. He played his only senior international game for Greece in June 2011. He played 30 games for Kerkyra that season.
Playing for AEK Athens
On July 13, 2011, Dimi signed a two-year contract with AEK Athens. He suffered a back injury in a Europa League match in August. He had surgery a few weeks later. He became the main goalkeeper for AEK Athens in March 2012. He played 24 games in the 2012–13 season. After AEK Athens was moved down to a lower league, Dimi left the club. He had played 39 league games for them.
Time at Middlesbrough
2013–14 Season
On August 16, 2013, Dimi signed a short-term deal with Middlesbrough. This deal was later extended. He made his first appearance for Middlesbrough in January 2014 in an FA Cup game. He made his first league start in March 2014 in a 2–0 win. Dimi became Middlesbrough's main goalkeeper. In May 2014, he signed a new one-year contract after playing 13 games.
2014–15 Season
Dimi remained the main goalkeeper for the 2014–15 season. He was very important to Middlesbrough's good form. In January 2015, Middlesbrough's coach said Dimi was a "perfect" team member. He had only let in 12 goals in 23 games and kept 13 clean sheets. Middlesbrough had the fewest goals scored against them in the Championship league. Dimi extended his contract with Middlesbrough in February 2015.
In May 2015, Middlesbrough played Brentford in the Championship play-offs and won. Dimi made an amazing save that stopped the ball from going into the net. On May 25, 2015, Dimi played in the Championship play-off final at Wembley. However, Norwich City won the game 2–0, and Middlesbrough did not get promoted that season.
2015–16 Season
In December 2015, Middlesbrough's coach said Dimi was a big part of the team's strength. Dimi had played 20 league games and kept 15 clean sheets. He even kept eight clean sheets in a row! He was part of the team that set a new club record by keeping nine clean sheets in a row.
On April 29, 2016, Dimi played his 100th game for Middlesbrough. On May 7, 2016, Middlesbrough drew 1–1 with Brighton. This result meant they were promoted back to England's top league, the Premier League, after seven years! Dimi kept 22 clean sheets this season, which was a new club record.
Later Seasons at Middlesbrough
After promotion to the Premier League, Dimi became the third-choice goalkeeper. He made his first appearance of the 2016–17 season in an FA Cup game in January 2017.
In June 2017, Dimi signed a new one-year contract with Middlesbrough. He remained the second-choice goalkeeper and did not play any league games that season.
In 2018, Dimi signed another one-year contract. On January 5, 2019, he became the oldest player to ever play for Middlesbrough in an FA Cup game. He left Middlesbrough at the end of the 2018–19 season.
Later Career
In December 2019, Dimi rejoined Hartlepool United for a second time. He played one game for them in the FA Trophy. At 41 years and 15 days old, he became the oldest player to ever play for Hartlepool. In August 2020, Dimi signed with Northern Football League side Thornaby for the 2020–21 season.
International Games
On November 17, 2010, Dimi was called up to the Greece national football team. On April 6, 2011, he played his only game for the national team against Malta in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match.
Coaching Career
In August 2021, Dimi became the goalkeeper coach for Hartlepool United. He left the club in June 2022.
In June 2022, Dimi became the goalkeeper coach at Panetolikos in Greece. He also worked as an assistant manager there. In June 2023, Dimi moved back to the UK and took on a dual role as first team and goalkeeper coach at Ayr United.
Personal Life
In 2016, Dimi opened a Greek restaurant in Middlesbrough called Great Greek Modern Restaurant. However, the restaurant closed down in January 2020.
Honours
Hartlepool United
- Football League Two runners-up: 2006–07
Middlesbrough
- Championship runners-up: 2015–16
See also
In Spanish: Dimitrios Konstantopoulos para niños
