Loukas Vyntra facts for kids

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Loukas Vyntra

Vyntra with Greece in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Loukas Vyntra
Date of birth	(1981-02-05) 5 February 1981 (age 44)
Place of birth	Město Albrechtice, Czechoslovakia
Height	1.84 m
Playing position	Defender
Youth career
1998–1999	Almopos
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1999–2003	Paniliakos	67	(4)
2000–2001	→ Veria (loan)	24	(0)
2003–2013	Panathinaikos	227	(10)
2013–2015	Levante	75	(2)
2015–2016	Hapoel Tel Aviv	25	(0)
2016–2019	Omonia	70	(4)
2019–2022	Lamia	52	(0)
Total		540	(20)
National team‡
1997–2003	Greece U21	20	(3)
2004	Greece U23	3	(0)
2005–2015	Greece	57	(0)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 25 May 2022. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 June 2015

Loukas Vyntra (born on February 5, 1981) is a former professional footballer from Greece. His birth name was Lukáš Vydra. He was a very versatile player, meaning he could play in many different positions on the field. He was mainly a central defender, but he could also play as a right back, left back, or even a defensive midfielder.

Early Life of Loukas Vyntra

Vyntra was born in Město Albrechtice, which was part of Czechoslovakia at the time. His father was Czech, and his mother was Greek. When he was young, he moved to Greece, his mother's home country.

Loukas Vyntra's Club Career

Playing for Paniliakos

Loukas Vyntra signed his first professional football contract in 1999 with a team called Paniliakos. He first played in a senior game while on loan with Veroia in the 2000–01 season. After returning to Paniliakos, he quickly became a key player. He helped his team get promoted to the top Greek league, the Alpha Ethniki, in the 2002–03 season. Vyntra played in the first 15 games of the 2003–04 season in Greece's top league.

Time at Panathinaikos

Greek football giants Panathinaikos noticed Vyntra's talent and brought him to their club in Athens in 2004. He quickly made a big impact and became a very important player for Panathinaikos. He was a flexible defender, playing both on the right side and in the center of the defense.

On September 29, 2004, he played his first European club game in the UEFA Champions League. He scored two memorable goals during the 2004–05 season. One was against Arsenal in the Champions League, and the other was against Sevilla in the UEFA Cup.

In 2007, a German team, Hertha BSC, wanted to sign him. However, Panathinaikos did not want to sell him unless they could find another good defender. Even though he worked hard and was often chosen to start games, some fans criticized him.

For the 2008–09 season, the new manager, Henk ten Cate, started using Vyntra mainly as a central defender. During the 2009–10 season, Vyntra was one of the team's most important players. He helped Panathinaikos win both the league and the cup that year. He also played in 50 European club games. He scored two important goals against rival team PAOK FC on February 8, 2009.

After Henk ten Cate left Panathinaikos, he was asked which player he would recommend to a big European club. He said, "Only one: Vyntra. He can play in many positions, he is fast, good in the air, and has good technique for a defender. He is also mentally strong because he played for many years under unfair criticism." On October 16, 2010, Vyntra scored the winning goal against PAOK.

Moving to Levante

In early 2013, Vyntra faced some criticism from fans and was not always in the starting team. He asked his manager to help him find a team outside Greece. He eventually signed a contract with the Spanish team Levante in La Liga. He later extended his contract.

On January 19, 2014, Vyntra scored his first goal for Levante in a 1–1 draw against Barcelona. He headed the ball into the net. A few days later, on January 25, 2014, Levante had an exciting 3–2 win against a strong Sevilla team. Vyntra scored again by heading in a corner kick. Ten days later, in a cup game, Vyntra scored another header against Barcelona. However, Barcelona won that game 5–1.

On May 4, 2014, Levante had an impressive 2–0 victory over Atlético Madrid, who were leading the league. Vyntra was one of the key players in this win, blocking a shot from an Atlético player that could have been a goal.

The 2014–15 season started poorly for Levante. Vyntra was sometimes left out of the starting team. He returned to the starting lineup on April 4, 2015, in a 4–1 win against Almería. After this season, it was thought that Levante would not renew his contract.

Playing for Hapoel Tel Aviv

On July 27, 2015, Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel signed Loukas Vyntra to a two-year contract. He left the club in August 2016.

Joining AC Omonia

On August 29, 2016, Vyntra signed a contract with the Cypriot club Omonia. He made his first appearance for the club on September 10, 2016. On February 5, 2017, he scored his first goal for Omonia in a 4–2 win against Aris Limassol.

At one point, the club tried to end his contract, but they couldn't agree. However, on December 28, 2017, the new manager decided to bring Vyntra back to the main team.

Finishing with Lamia

On July 17, 2019, Lamia in Greece signed Loukas Vyntra to a one-year contract. He renewed his contract for another year on August 6, 2020. He played his final professional games with Lamia.

Loukas Vyntra's International Career

Loukas Vyntra chose to play for Greece, his mother's home country, instead of the Czech Republic. He played for Greece at different age levels. He represented Greece at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

Vyntra's first game for the senior Greek team was on June 8, 2005. This was a qualifying match for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was also part of the team for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany.

For Greece, Vyntra usually played as a right-back. He was chosen to be part of Greece's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On March 23, 2015, he played in an important match against Hungary national football team for qualification to UEFA Euro 2016 because another defender was injured.

Career statistics

Honours

Panathinaikos

• Superleague Greece: 2004, 2010
• Greek Cup: 2004, 2010

See also

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In Spanish: Loukas Vyntra para niños