Kostas Katsouranis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kostas Katsouranis

Katsouranis with PAOK in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Konstantinos Katsouranis
Date of birth	(1979-06-21) 21 June 1979 (age 46)
Place of birth	Patras, Greece
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	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)
International career
2000–2002	Greece U21	22	(1)
2003–2015	Greece	116	(10)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Greece UEFA European Championship Winner 2004
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Kostas Katsouranis (Greek: Κώστας Κατσουράνης) is a former professional footballer from Greece. He was born on June 21, 1979. Kostas was a very flexible midfielder, meaning he could play in different positions.

He won the award for the best Greek Footballer of the Year twice. This happened in 2005 and again in 2013. He also won the Cosme Damião Award for Footballer of the Year in 2008.

Kostas played for the Greece national football team from 2002 to 2015. He helped them win the Euro 2004 tournament. 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 over 100 times for his country.

Club Football Journey

Starting at Panachaiki

Kostas Katsouranis started his professional football career very young. He was not even 17 when he first played for Panachaiki in 1996. This club is based in Patras, Greece. In his first season, Panachaiki reached the semi-finals of the Greek Football Cup. This was a great achievement for the team.

The next season, Kostas played in the 1997 UEFA Intertoto Cup. He even scored one goal in this European competition. By his third season, he was a regular player for Panachaiki. He spent six seasons with the club before moving on.

Playing for AEK Athens

In 2002, Kostas joined AEK Athens. He quickly became a very important player for the team. He played mostly as a central midfielder. However, he could also play on the sides of the field.

In his first season, he played alongside Thodoris Zagorakis. They formed a strong midfield partnership. Kostas played very well in the UEFA Champions League group stage. He even scored a memorable goal against Real Madrid in their famous stadium. He also scored a winning goal against Olympiacos in a local derby.

In 2004, Kostas stayed with AEK Athens despite other offers. He signed a new contract. That season was one of his best with the club. He scored 10 goals in 28 games, even though he was a midfielder. He helped AEK Athens compete for the league title. He was also voted the best Greek footballer of the championship.

In the 2005–06 season, Kostas helped AEK Athens finish second in the league. This 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.

Time at Benfica

Kostas Katsouranis signed a four-year contract with Benfica in Portugal on June 22, 2006. He joined his former coach, Fernando Santos, and his Greek teammate, Giorgos Karagounis. He said that Benfica was one of Europe's top clubs. He believed joining them would help his international career.

He quickly became a key player for Benfica. He scored important goals and sometimes even captained the team. In his first season, he played in 29 league matches and scored six goals. He was considered one of the best new players in the Portuguese league that year.

Other big clubs like Valencia and Juventus were interested in him. However, Benfica did not want to sell him. In September 2007, Kostas extended his contract with Benfica for two more years. In March 2009, he was named "Benfica Player of the Year."

Return to Panathinaikos

On July 1, 2009, Kostas returned to Greece. He signed a four-year contract with Panathinaikos. He said that Panathinaikos was the team he had supported since he was a child. He scored his first goal for them in a Champions League match.

In his first season with Panathinaikos, he helped the team win the Greek league title. They also won the 2009–10 Greek Cup. Kostas was the team's second-highest scorer in the league. He scored eight goals from his midfield position.

In October 2012, his contract with Panathinaikos ended. This happened after some difficult times for the team.

Joining PAOK

On December 11, 2012, Kostas joined PAOK. He wanted to show he could help the club become champions. He also wanted to work with people who trusted him. He quickly became a favorite player for his new coach.

He played his first game for PAOK in January 2013. He scored his first goal for them in a cup match later that month. In March 2013, he scored his first league goal for PAOK. He formed a strong defensive partnership with another player. This helped PAOK concede fewer goals.

In the next season, he became the team's vice-captain. He believed PAOK needed time to make big changes. He said the club had a plan to sign many Greek international players. He hoped they would stick to this plan to build something great. In February 2014, he received a standing ovation from Benfica fans. This was during a UEFA Europa League match against his old club.

Playing in India with Pune City

In September 2014, Kostas signed with Pune City in India. This team also had famous players like David Trezeguet. Kostas became the first player and captain from the 2014 FIFA World Cup to play in the ISL.

He played his first match for Pune City in a 0-0 draw. He scored his first goal for the club in a 2-0 home win. He scored a beautiful goal in an away match against Atlético de Kolkata. This goal was named the best goal of the ISL's first season. He scored four goals in total that season. He became the league's second-highest scorer.

Short Spell at Atromitos

On December 26, 2014, Kostas signed a six-month contract with Atromitos in Greece. He was a very important signing for the club that winter. He hoped to return to the Greek national team. He played his first match for Atromitos in January 2015. However, the club decided not to keep him for the next season.

One Game for Heidelberg United

On September 15, 2015, Kostas signed a special one-match contract with Heidelberg United. This club plays in Australia. The coach said it was amazing that a player who played for Benfica would come to their club.

Retirement from Football

On September 29, 2015, Kostas Katsouranis officially announced he was retiring from professional football.

After retiring, he became a Technical Director for his old club, Panachaiki, in August 2016. He left this role in November 2018. He also taught football master classes at institutes in Athens. In November 2017, Kostas was named an Ambassador for the United Nations. He helped spread information about the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. He also worked as a football commentator and analyst on TV and YouTube.

Playing for Greece

Katsouranis with Greece in 2013

Kostas Katsouranis first played for the Greek national team on August 20, 2003. He scored his first goal against Kazakhstan in a World Cup qualifier. He was a key player when Greece won UEFA Euro 2004. He became a regular starter during that tournament. He was a very important part of the midfield. Winning the Euro 2004 trophy was the highlight of his national team career.

He played regularly for Greece in their qualifying games for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He also helped Greece qualify for UEFA Euro 2008. Greece did not do well in the Euro 2008 tournament.

Kostas was chosen for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification. He helped Greece get their first-ever World Cup win against Nigeria.

On October 17, 2012, Kostas played his 100th game for Greece. He became only the fourth Greek player to reach this milestone.

He was the stand-in captain for Greece at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This was because the regular captain was older and played less. In a group match against Japan, Kostas received a red card. He was the first Greek player to get a red card in World Cup history.

After the draw for UEFA Euro 2016, Kostas felt confident Greece could reach the finals. He said there were no "powerhouses" in their group. However, Greece finished last in their qualifying group.

How He Played

Kostas Katsouranis could play in many different positions on the field. This was because he had good technique, speed, and strength. He was known for being a midfielder who could also score goals. He was a good passer of the ball. He was also strong in the air and had excellent defensive positioning.

His natural attacking style made him a very valuable player. He could often get into the penalty box to score, even though he usually played in a deeper midfield role. Throughout his career, he scored many important goals. He was a "box-to-box" midfielder. This means he could help both in defense and attack without missing a beat.

Career Numbers

Club Games and Goals

International Goals

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

List of international goals scored by Kostas Katsouranis

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 Trophies

Benfica

• Taça da Liga: 2008–09 (League Cup)

Panathinaikos

• Super League Greece: 2009–10 (Greek League Champions)
• Greek Cup: 2009–10

Greece National Team

• European Championship: 2004

Individual Awards

• Super League Greece Greek Footballer of the Year: 2005, 2013
• 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

More to Explore

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps

See also

In Spanish: Kostas Katsouranis para niños