Kostas Katsouranis facts for kids
Katsouranis with PAOK in 2013
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Konstantinos Katsouranis | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 21 June 1979 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Patras, Greece | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder, Defender | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| –1996 | Doxa Chalandritsa | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 1996–2002 | Panachaiki | 123 | (14) | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2006 | AEK Athens | 110 | (29) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Benfica | 80 | (10) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Panathinaikos | 88 | (18) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | PAOK | 47 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| 2014 | Pune City | 14 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Atromitos | 22 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2015 | Heidelberg United | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 484 | (85) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Greece U21 | 22 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2015 | Greece | 116 | (10) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Kostas Katsouranis (born 21 June 1979) is a Greek former professional footballer. He was a very flexible midfielder who could play in different positions. He won the Super League Greek Footballer of the Year Award twice, in 2005 and 2013. He also received the Cosme Damião Award for Footballer of the Year in 2008.
Katsouranis played for the Greece national football team from 2002 to 2015. He was part of the team that won the Euro 2004. He also played in the Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012, and 2014 World Cup tournaments. With 116 games played, he is one of the few Greek players to have played more than 100 matches for the national team.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Panachaiki
Kostas Katsouranis started his professional football journey at just 16 years old. In 1996, he made his first appearance for Panachaiki, a club based in Patras. In his first season, the team reached the semi-finals of the Greek Football Cup, which was their best result ever in that competition. The next year, Katsouranis played in the 1997 UEFA Intertoto Cup and even scored a goal. By his third season, he was a regular player for the team.
In 2002, when his contract with Panachaiki ended, Katsouranis almost joined Panathinaikos or Olympiacos. However, the president of AEK Athens convinced him to sign a three-year contract with their club instead.
Success with AEK Athens
Katsouranis quickly became a key player for AEK Athens. He played mostly as a central midfielder but could also play on the wings. In his first season, he played very well in the UEFA Champions League group stage. He even scored a memorable goal against Real Madrid at their famous Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. He also scored the winning goal against Olympiacos in a league match.
In 2004, Katsouranis stayed with AEK Athens despite many offers from other clubs. He signed a new three-year contract. That season was one of his best, as he scored 10 goals in 28 games from midfield. He was voted the best Greek footballer of the championship. AEK Athens finished third in the league, even with a smaller budget.
In the 2005–06 season, Katsouranis helped AEK Athens finish second in the league, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League. After this season, he decided to move to a bigger club abroad. He joined Benfica in Portugal.
Moving to Benfica
On 22 June 2006, Katsouranis signed a four-year contract with the Portuguese club Benfica. He joined his former coach Fernando Santos and his Greek teammate Giorgos Karagounis there. He quickly became a very important player for Benfica, scoring crucial goals and even captaining the team sometimes. He was considered one of the best new players in the 2006–07 Portuguese Liga.
Even though big clubs like Valencia, Tottenham, and Juventus were interested in him, Benfica did not want to sell him. In 2007, Katsouranis extended his contract with Benfica for two more years. In 2009, he was named "Benfica Player of the Year."
Returning to Panathinaikos
On 1 July 2009, Katsouranis returned to Greece and signed a four-year contract with Panathinaikos. He had always said this was the team he supported since he was a child. In his first season, he helped Panathinaikos win both the league title (Super League Greece) and the 2009–10 Greek Cup. He was the team's second-highest scorer in the league with eight goals.
In October 2012, his contract with Panathinaikos was ended. This happened because of the team's poor performance at the start of the 2012–13 season.
Joining PAOK
On 11 December 2012, Katsouranis joined PAOK. He wanted to show that he could help the club become champions. He quickly became a favorite player for the team. He made his debut on 6 January 2013 and scored his first goal for PAOK in a cup match on 24 January. He also scored his first league goal for PAOK in March 2013. He formed a strong defense with his teammate Gordon Schildenfeld, which helped PAOK concede fewer goals.
In the next season, he became the vice-captain of the club. On 27 February 2014, he was sent off in a UEFA Europa League match against Benfica. The Benfica fans gave him a standing ovation as he left the field, showing their appreciation for his time at the club.
Playing in India with Pune City
In September 2014, Katsouranis signed with Pune City in India. He became the first player and captain from that year's FIFA World Cup to play in the ISL. He played his first match for the club against Delhi Dynamos, which ended in a 0–0 draw.
Katsouranis scored his first goal for Pune City in a 2–0 home win against FC Goa. He scored a beautiful goal against Atlético de Kolkata, which was later named the "goal of the season" for the ISL's first year. He scored four goals in the season, becoming the league's second-highest scorer.
Short Stays at Atromitos and Heidelberg United
On 26 December 2014, he signed a six-month contract with Atromitos in Greece. He played his first match for them in January 2015. Although he hoped to return to the national team, Atromitos decided not to keep him after his contract ended.
On 15 September 2015, Katsouranis signed a one-match contract with NPL Victoria club Heidelberg United in Australia.
Retirement and Beyond
On 29 September 2015, Kostas Katsouranis officially announced his retirement from professional football.
After retiring, he became the Technical Director of Football League club Panachaiki in August 2016, but he resigned in November 2018. He also taught football master classes.
In November 2017, Katsouranis was named an Ambassador for the United Nations. This role involved promoting the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, showing how sports and athletes can help achieve peace and human rights. From April to June 2021, he was the sporting director for the Greek club Niki Volos. He has also worked as a football commentator and analyst on TV and YouTube.
International Career
Katsouranis played his first international match for Greece on 20 August 2003 against Sweden. He scored his first goal for Greece against Kazakhstan in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
He was a very important player in Greece's big win at UEFA Euro 2004. He became a regular starter after the first game of the tournament. His strong performances helped Greece win the final against Portugal in Lisbon. Winning the trophy was the highlight of his national team career.
Katsouranis was a regular player for Greece in their UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers, helping them qualify for the tournament. He also played a key role in Greece's first-ever World Cup win against Nigeria (2–1) in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
On 17 October 2012, Katsouranis played his 100th match for Greece in a 1–0 win against Slovakia. He became the fourth Greek player to reach 100 appearances.
At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Katsouranis was the stand-in captain for Greece. On 19 June 2014, he became the first Greek player in World Cup history to receive a red card in a group match against Japan.
After the draw for UEFA Euro 2016, Katsouranis felt confident that Greece could reach the finals. However, Greece finished last in their qualifying group.
How He Played
Katsouranis was a very versatile player, meaning he could play in many different positions on the field. He was known for his good technique, speed, and strength. Even though he was a midfielder, he was good at scoring goals. He was also a good passer of the ball and strong in the air.
Defensively, he had excellent positioning. But what made him truly valuable was his natural attacking style. He could often get into the opponent's penalty box even while playing in a deeper midfield role. Throughout his career, he scored many important goals. He was a true "box-to-box" midfielder, meaning he could contribute both in defense and attack.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Panachaiki | 1996–97 | Superleague Greece | 14 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 1 | 19 | 4 |
| 1997–98 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | ||
| 1998–99 | 28 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 32 | 3 | ||
| 1999–00 | 27 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 30 | 6 | ||
| 2000–01 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2 | ||
| 2001–02 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 27 | 3 | ||
| AEK Athens | 2002–03 | Superleague Greece | 26 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 8 | 2 | 36 | 9 |
| 2003–04 | 27 | 7 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 6 | 0 | 36 | 8 | ||
| 2004–05 | 28 | 10 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 8 | 2 | 38 | 13 | ||
| 2005–06 | 29 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 4 | 0 | 37 | 8 | ||
| Benfica | 2006–07 | Primeira Liga | 29 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 12 | 1 | 43 | 8 |
| 2007–08 | 27 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 42 | 3 | ||
| 2008–09 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 34 | 4 | ||
| Panathinaikos | 2009–10 | Superleague Greece | 28 | 8 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 2 | 46 | 10 |
| 2010–11 | 32 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | 40 | 6 | ||
| 2011–12 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | 32 | 4 | ||
| 2012–13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| PAOK | Superleague Greece | 18 | 4 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 24 | 5 | |
| 2013–14 | Superleague Greece | 29 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 1 | 46 | 3 | |
| Pune City | 2014 | Indian Super League | 14 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 4 |
| Atromitos | 2015 | Superleague Greece | 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 23 | 3 |
| Heidelberg United | 2015 | National Premier Leagues Victoria | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Career total | 484 | 85 | 50 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 96 | 10 | 636 | 107 | ||
International Goals
- Scores and results list Greece's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Katsouranis goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 November 2004 | Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece |  Kazakhstan |
3–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 2 | 7 October 2006 | Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece |  Norway |
1–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier | |
| 3 | 11 October 2006 | Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
4–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier | |
| 4 | 22 August 2007 | Toumba Stadium, Thessaloniki, Greece |  Spain |
2–3 | Friendly | |
| 5 | 6 February 2008 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus |  Finland |
2–1 | Friendly | |
| 6 | 19 May 2008 | Pampeloponisiako Stadium, Patras, Greece |  Cyprus |
2–0 | Friendly | |
| 7 | 11 October 2008 | Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece |  Moldova |
3–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier | |
| 8 | 25 May 2010 | Stadion Schnabelholz, Altach, Austria |  North Korea |
2–2 | Friendly | |
| 9 | 11 November 2011 | Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece |  Russia |
1–1 | Friendly | |
| 10 | 7 June 2014 | Red Bull Arena, Harrison, United States |  Bolivia |
2–1 | Friendly |
Awards and Achievements
Benfica
- Taça da Liga: 2008–09 (League Cup winner)
Panathinaikos
- Super League Greece: 2009–10 (League Champion)
- Greek Cup: 2009–10 (Cup Winner)
Greece National Team
- European Championship: 2004 (Winner)
Individual Awards
- Super League Greece Greek Footballer of the Year: 2004–05, 2012–13
- Cosme Damião Awards – Footballer of the Year: 2008
- Greek Best Young Player of the year: 2000 (Panachaiki FC)
- Indian Super League goal of the season: 2014
See also
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
