Kostas Eleftherakis facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kostantinos Eleftherakis | ||
| Date of birth | 18 July 1950 | ||
| Place of birth | Kingdom of Greece | ||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1962–1968 | Fostiras | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1968–1980 | Panathinaikos | 308 | (85) |
| 1980–1981 | AEK Athens | 23 | (5) |
| 1981–1982 | Fostiras | 25 | (5) |
| Total | 356 | (95) | |
| International career | |||
| 1969–1977 | Greece | 34 | (5) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Kostas Eleftherakis is a famous former Greek football player. He was born on July 18, 1950. People often called him "the Deer" because he was very fast and graceful on the field. He played as a midfielder, which means he helped both attack and defend for his team.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Early Career and Panathinaikos
Kostas Eleftherakis started his football journey in 1964. He played for a team called Fostiras, which was in the second division of Greek football. In 1968, he moved to a bigger club, Panathinaikos. This was a major step in his career.
European Cup Final Appearance
When he was just 21 years old, Kostas played in a very important match. This was the 1971 European Cup Final in 1971. His team, Panathinaikos, played against Ajax Amsterdam at Wembley Stadium in London. To help his team reach this final, Kostas scored two important goals during the competition.
Interest from Big Clubs
After the European Cup Final, some of the biggest football clubs wanted to sign Kostas. Real Madrid from Spain and Everton from England were very interested. Real Madrid even offered a huge amount of money for him. However, a government official in Greece at the time stopped him from leaving. This was during a period when Greece had a military government. The same thing happened when Everton tried to sign him.
Playing for the World XI
Kostas Eleftherakis was so good that he was invited to play for the World XI. This is a special team made up of some of the best football players from all over the world. It shows how talented he was.
Injury and Retirement
In May 1977, Kostas got an injury that kept him away from football for six months. After that, he found it hard to get back to his best form. Five years later, he decided to retire from playing football. He finished his career playing for his first club, Fostiras, once again. Throughout his career, he played 331 games in Greece's top football league. Most of these games, 308 of them, were with Panathinaikos. He scored 88 goals in these matches.
Playing for Greece
National Team Appearances
Kostas Eleftherakis also played for his country, the Greece national football team. He represented Greece in 34 matches. He played for the national team between 1969 and 1977.
Achievements and Awards
Honours with Panathinaikos
Kostas Eleftherakis won many important titles with Panathinaikos:
- Greek First Division (Alpha Ethniki):
- 1968–69
- 1969–70
- 1971–72
- 1976–77
- Greek Football Cup:
- 1968–69
- 1976–77
- Greater Greece Cup: 1970
