Stefanos Athanasiadis facts for kids

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Stefanos Athanasiadis

Personal information
Full name	Nikolaos Stefanos Athanasiadis
Date of birth	(1988-12-24) 24 December 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth	Lakkoma, Macedonia, Greece
Height	1.85 m
Playing position	Striker
Youth career
1996–1997	PAOK
1997–1998	Hertha BSC
1998–2007	PAOK
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2006–2017	PAOK	208	(71)
2009–2010	→ Panserraikos (loan)	23	(5)
2017–2018	Maccabi Haifa	16	(1)
2018–2019	PAS Giannina	23	(2)
2020–2021	Apollon Larissa	24	(4)
2021–2024	Anagennisi Karditsa	61	(8)
Total		355	(91)
National team
2006	Greece U19	1	(0)
2008–2010	Greece U21	6	(1)
2011–2015	Greece	12	(0)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Stefanos "Klaus" Athanasiadis (Greek: Στέφανος "Κλάους" Αθανασιάδης; born on December 24, 1988) is a Greek former professional footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was a player who mainly focused on scoring goals.

Early Life and Youth Career

Stefanos Athanasiadis was born in a village called Lakkoma in Chalkidiki, Greece. Football was a big part of his family, as both his father and uncle were footballers too. He played for his local team for one season before moving to Thessaloniki.

In 1996, Stefanos joined the junior academy of PAOK, a famous Greek football club. He started as a central midfielder, helping to control the game from the middle of the field.

When he was 10, in 1998, he played in a youth tournament in Italy. A local club in Trieste wanted him to join their junior team. He agreed, but his stay in Italy was short. He and his family found it hard to get used to their new life. After just one month, he moved to Berlin, Germany, to live with relatives and joined Hertha's youth squad. But after another month, he returned to Greece and Thessaloniki.

Club Football Journey

Starting Out at PAOK

Stefanos returned to PAOK's junior team in August 1998. He worked hard and moved up through the academy ranks. His coach, Kostas Malioufas, helped him become a strong striker, known for his scoring skills.

In 2004, he joined the Reserve Team. He became the top scorer in the Reserve League in the 2006–2007 season with 24 goals. This amazing performance earned him a professional contract with PAOK for three years.

He played his first game for the senior team on February 24, 2007. He came in as a substitute in a match against Larissa. His first game as a starter was also against Larissa, where he scored two great goals. In 2008, he signed a new contract with PAOK for five more years.

Stefanos worked hard to get a regular spot in the team. However, more experienced players often played ahead of him. On November 29, 2008, he came off the bench and scored the winning goal in the last few minutes against Thrasyvoulos.

Loan to Panserraikos

In 2009, Stefanos was loaned to Panserraikos. This was because new strikers joined PAOK, and he needed more playing time to gain experience. He played 22 games in the Football League and scored 5 goals. He also scored a goal in a Greek Cup match against Olympiacos.

Returning to PAOK

Stefanos came back to PAOK for the 2010–11 season. He scored his first goal of the season in the first game played at the new AEL FC Arena, helping PAOK win 2–1 against Larissa.

He scored his first European goal for PAOK on August 4, 2011, in a Europa League match against Vålerenga. He scored again against Karpaty Lviv and then famously against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, helping PAOK win 2–1.

In the 2012–13 season, he scored important goals against big rivals like Aris and AEK. He also scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) against Kallithea on January 24, 2013, in a 6–0 win. After a team captain left, Stefanos became the vice-captain and often wore the captain's armband.

On September 12, 2014, Stefanos signed a new contract with PAOK until 2018. His salary significantly increased, showing how important he was to the team. He said he was happy to resolve the contract issue and thanked the club's owner and directors.

On September 18, 2014, he scored a hat-trick in just 18 minutes against Dinamo Minsk in the Europa League. This made him the first PAOK player ever to score three goals in a European match. He scored two more goals against the same team later that year.

In July 2015, Stefanos got an injury to his right foot, which kept him out of action for about 4 to 6 weeks. He returned on September 12, 2015, and scored in his first game back against Veria. This meant he had scored in his first Greek Super League game for four seasons in a row. He continued to score important goals, including a winning penalty against AEK Athens. By January 2015, he had scored 100 official goals for PAOK.

In May 2016, he scored two goals against Panionios, taking his total goals for PAOK in all competitions past 100. On August 3, 2016, he scored against Ajax in a Uefa Champions League qualifying match. He also scored two goals against FC Slovan Liberec in the Europa League. However, he finished the 2016-17 season without scoring in the Super League, which was unusual for a main striker.

Time at Maccabi Haifa

On August 22, 2017, Stefanos moved to Maccabi Haifa, an Israeli club. He signed a two-year deal. He scored his first goal for the club on October 21, 2017, coming in as a substitute. On January 8, 2018, he scored the winning penalty in an Israeli State Cup match, helping his team advance. After a season that didn't go as well as planned, he left the club on August 23, 2018.

Playing for PAS Giannina

On September 7, 2018, Stefanos joined PAS Giannina in Greece, signing a two-year deal. On December 1, 2018, he scored his first goal for the club, which was also his first goal in the Greek top league since May 2016. On February 9, 2019, he scored a crucial goal against Panathinaikos, helping his team win 1–0 and try to avoid being moved to a lower league. He left the club on June 26, 2019.

Later Career Years

After being without a team for over a year, Stefanos joined Apollon Larissa on October 22, 2020. This was in the Greek second division. On August 18, 2021, he signed a contract with another Super League Greece 2 club, Anagennisi Karditsa F.C..

International Career

Stefanos Athanasiadis played for the Greece national team. He made his first appearance on June 8, 2011, in a friendly match against Ecuador, which ended in a 1–1 draw. He played a total of 12 games for his country during his career.

Club Statistics

As of December 20, 2021.

Achievements and Awards

Stefanos Athanasiadis won several awards and honors during his career:

• Greek Cup: He won the Greek Cup with PAOK in the 2016–17 season.

Individual Awards:

• Greek Cup Top Scorer: He was the top scorer in the 2012–13 Greek Cup.
• Super League Best Goal: He scored the best goal of Day 8 in the 2014–15 Super League season.
• Super League MVP: He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for Day 9 in the 2014–15 Super League season.
• PAOK Best Goal: He won the PAOK Best Goal award for October in the 2014–15 season.
• PAOK MVP: He was named PAOK's MVP for November and March in the 2014–15 season.
• PAOK's All-time Top Scorer in European Competitions: He holds the record for most goals scored for PAOK in European competitions, with 20 goals.

See also

• In Spanish: Stefanos Athanasiadis para niños