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Theodoros Zagorakis
Θεόδωρος Ζαγοράκης
1712914641852 20190605 ZAGORAKIS Theodoros EL 4.jpg
Zagorakis in 2019
Member of the European Parliament
In office
1 July 2014 – 16 July 2024
President of Hellenic Football Federation
In office
27 March 2021 – 8 September 2021
Preceded by Evangelos Grammenos
Succeeded by Panagiotis Dimitriou
President of PAOK
In office
18 June 2007 – 8 October 2009
Preceded by Nikolaos Vezyrtzis
Succeeded by Zisis Vryzas
In office
28 January 2010 – 20 January 2012
Preceded by Zisis Vryzas
Succeeded by Zisis Vryzas
Personal details
Born (1971-10-27) 27 October 1971 (age 53)
Lydia, Kavala, Greece
Political party
  • New Democracy (2014–2024)
  • European People's Party Group (2014–2024)
  • Independent (2020)
Profession Politician
Theodoros Zagorakis
Personal information
Full name Theodoros Zagorakis
Height 1.78 m
Playing position Midfielder
Youth career
Kavala
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1992 Kavala 114 (6)
1992–1998 PAOK 155 (10)
1998–2000 Leicester City 50 (3)
2000–2004 AEK Athens 101 (4)
2004–2005 Bologna 32 (0)
2005–2007 PAOK 45 (0)
Total 497 (23)
National team
1994–2007 Greece 120 (3)
Honours
Men's football
Representing  Greece
UEFA European Championship
Winner 2004
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Theodoros Zagorakis (Greek: Θεόδωρος Ζαγοράκης; born 27 October 1971) is a Greek politician and a former professional football player. He was a midfielder, a player who controls the middle of the field. He was the captain of the Greek national team that won the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament. He also captained and later became president of the PAOK football club. In 2004, he was named the Greek Male Athlete of the Year.

He was chosen as a Greek Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in the elections of May 2014 and May 2019. From March to September 2021, he was also the president of the Hellenic Football Federation, which is in charge of football in Greece.

Football Career Highlights

Playing for Clubs

Starting with Kavala

Zagorakis began his football journey with Kavala in 1988. He was a strong central midfielder, meaning he played in the middle of the field. He also helped his team get promoted to a higher league, the Beta Ethniki.

Time with PAOK

In the 1992–93 season, Zagorakis moved to PAOK. He played for PAOK until 1997 and was the team's captain in his last two years there. He was known for rarely missing a big game and scored important goals for the team.

Playing in England with Leicester City

After PAOK, Zagorakis joined the English club Leicester City in 1998. He played in two League Cup finals at Wembley Stadium. They lost the first one in 1999 but won the second in 2000. Fans remember him for his strong play and even for playing as a goalkeeper in one match when both regular goalkeepers got injured!

Returning to Greece with AEK Athens

In 2000, Zagorakis returned to Greece and joined AEK Athens. He played with other famous Greek players and helped his team win the Greek Cup in 2002 against their rivals, Olympiacos. He even scored a great goal against Inter Milan in a European competition.

Short Stay in Italy with Bologna

On July 14, 2004, after his success at Euro 2004, Zagorakis moved to Italy to play for Bologna. He was a regular player, but his team was unfortunately moved down to a lower league. Because of this, he left the team the next summer.

Coming Back to PAOK

In 2005, Zagorakis rejoined PAOK. About 7,000 fans came to the airport to welcome him back! He signed a two-year contract. His return happened during a tough time for the club, which had money problems. On May 28, 2007, Zagorakis announced he was retiring from playing professional football.

International Career for Greece

Zagorakis first played for the Greek national team on September 7, 1994. He scored his first goal against Denmark in 2005. He played 120 games for Greece, which was a record for the most international games played by a Greek footballer for a long time.

He played a very important part in Greece winning the 2004 European Championships. He was even named the "Player of the Tournament" by UEFA, which is a huge honor! He was also chosen for the "Team of the Tournament." FIFA and UEFA also considered him one of the best players in the world that year.

After 12 years as the captain of Greece, Zagorakis announced his retirement from international football on October 5, 2006. However, he played one last special friendly match against Spain on August 22, 2007, where fans cheered for him.

Life After Playing Football

Becoming PAOK President

After retiring as a player, Theodoros Zagorakis became the new president of PAOK on June 18, 2007. The club was having serious money problems. Zagorakis worked hard to fix the finances, find investors, and get more money for the club. He also brought in his former teammate, Zisis Vryzas, to help.

By late 2008, PAOK had paid off most of its old debts. Ticket sales and advertising money also increased, and the team started playing much better.

On October 8, 2009, Zagorakis surprisingly announced he was leaving the presidency due to personal reasons. His close friend, Zisis Vryzas, took over. However, Zagorakis stayed in touch with the club. He changed his mind and returned as president on January 20, 2010, with Vryzas becoming vice-president. He resigned again in January 2012.

Playing Style

UEFA.com described Zagorakis as a "tough, hard-working defensive midfielder" who had a powerful shot with his right foot. This means he was good at winning the ball back and helping start attacks.

Personal Life

Theodoros Zagorakis was featured on the cover of the Greek version of the video game FIFA 2001.

Political Career

Zagorakis decided to start a new career in politics. He became a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). An MEP is someone elected to represent their country in the European Parliament, which makes laws for the European Union. He was a candidate for the New Democracy party in the European Parliament elections of 2014 and 2019, and he was elected both times.

In 2020, he temporarily left the New Democracy party due to disagreements about decisions affecting football clubs. However, he returned to the party's group of MEPs in 2021. In the 2024 European elections, he ran as a candidate for a different party, PASOK, but was not elected.

Leading the Hellenic Football Federation

Theodoros Zagorakis was elected president of the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) in March 2021. He had a lot of support from Greece's main football clubs. His goal was to improve Greek football, which had faced challenges. However, he resigned in September 2021 because of disagreements about how the federation was being run.

Honours

Leicester City

AEK Athens

  • Greek Cup: 2001–02

Greece

Individual

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