Kostas Davourlis facts for kids

Kostas Davourlis (Greek: Κώστας Δαβουρλής) was a famous Greek football player. He was born on January 4, 1948, in Agyia, Patras. People often called him The Black Prince.

Kostas Davourlis played as an attacking midfielder. He was known for being very skilled and talented. A Greek sports magazine, "Ethnosport," even named him one of the 50 best Greek football players ever!

He became very well-known while playing for Panachaiki FC. He was the team's creative playmaker, helping them score goals. In 1973, he led Panachaiki to a huge achievement. They became the first football club from outside a big city in Greece to play in a European competition, the 1974 UEFA Cup.

Davoulis was famous for his amazing ball control and clever passes. He also had a very powerful shot. He was a great leader on the field. Plus, he was excellent at taking free kicks, scoring many goals from far away.

Even though his career ended a bit sadly, fans in the Peloponnese region still love him. The Panachaiki Stadium was named after him in 1992. This was after he passed away from a heart attack.

Playing for Football Clubs

Starting Out: Panionios Patron and Panachaiki (1962–1971)

Kostas Davourlis was born in Patras, a city in Greece. A former Panachaiki player, Spyros Voulgarakis, discovered him. Kostas started playing football at just 14 years old. He joined a team called Panionios Patron, which was part of Panachaiki.

Two years later, he moved up to the main Panachaiki team. He helped them try to reach the top Greek football league, called Alpha Ethniki. He achieved something special during this time. He was the first Greek player ever chosen for the national team while playing for a second-division club.

Finally, in 1969, Panachaiki made it to the "big" league. Davourlis's talent really shined there. However, the team faced a problem and went back down to a lower division. Luckily for Kostas, they returned to the top league a year later. The Black Prince of Patras then led Panachaiki to amazing success.

Panachaiki and Olympiacos (1971–1978)

In the 1972 season, Davourlis scored 15 goals for Panachaiki. The team finished in sixth place. But even better things were coming! In the amazing 1973 season, he scored 15 goals again. This included scoring three goals in one game (a hat trick) against PAOK.

With Davourlis's help, Panachaiki did something no other team from the Greek countryside had done. They qualified for a European competition, the 1974 UEFA Cup. In 1974, Davourlis was still playing very well. But there were many rumors about him moving to another team. Panachaiki finished sixth again.

At the end of that season, Davourlis moved to Olympiacos. He had scored 11 goals in the league and one in the UEFA Cup. His transfer fee was 9.25 million Drachmas. This was the highest transfer fee in Greek football history at that time!

At Olympiacos, Davourlis was one of the best players. He played alongside stars like Georgios Delikaris and Yves Triantafyllos. His team won one Greek Championship title in 1975. They also reached two Greek Cup finals in a row. They won in 1975 thanks to his goal, but lost in 1976.

Returning to Panachaiki (1978–1985)

In 1978, Davourlis returned to Panachaiki. But the team was not as strong as it had been. Davourlis's presence made the team better. However, their results were still not great. The club was moved down to the Second Division in 1981 and again in 1985.

He finished his playing career with Korinthos FC in 1986. After he stopped playing, he worked for Panachaiki as a scout. He helped find many new talented players. One of the most famous players he discovered was Grigoris Georgatos. Kostas Davourlis continued this work until he passed away in 1992.

Playing for Greece

International Matches for Greece

Kostas Davourlis played for the Greek national team. He earned his first "cap" (meaning he played his first game) on July 23, 1969. He came into the game as a substitute in the 75th minute. This was a friendly match against Australia.

If Davourlis had played more years for one of Greece's biggest teams, he would likely have played for the national team even more times.

Here are the games he played for the Greek national team:

• 1. 23 July 1969: Australia – Greece 2–2 (came in at 75’) – friendly match
• 2. 18 June 1971: Greece – Malta 2–0 (played 90 minutes) – scored in the 60’ – 1972 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying
• 3. 6 July 1971: Mexico – Greece 1–1 (came in at 45’) – scored in the 86’ – friendly match
• 4. 30 September 1971: Greece – Μexico 0–1 (played 90 minutes) – friendly match
• 5. 1 December 1971: Greece – England 0–2 (came in at 73’) – 1972 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying
• 6. 16 February 1972: Greece – Holland 0–5 (came in at 45’) – friendly match
• 7. 19 November 1972: Yugoslavia – Greece 1–0 (came in at 73’) – 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification
• 8. 6 May 1976: Greece – Poland 1–0 (played 90 minutes) – friendly match
• 9. 22 September 1976: Greece – Ιsrael 0–1 (played 90 minutes) – friendly match
• 10. 9 October 1976: Greece – Hungary 1–1 (came in at 58’) – 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
• 11. 26 January 1977: Ιsrael – Greece 1–1 (came in at 85’) – friendly match

Amazing Achievements

Kostas Davourlis had a very successful career. Here are some of his key achievements:

• He won 1 Greek Championship Title in 1975.
• He won 1 Greek football Cup in 1975.
• He scored a total of 95 goals during his career.
• He scored 22 goals from free kicks. This is the second-best record in Greece, only behind Kostas Frantzeskos.