Captain, Leader, Spartan - Giorgos Karagounis - Part 1

Captain, Leader, Spartan - Giorgos Karagounis - Part 1

By Antoni Theodosis

Giorgos Karagounis is arguably one of Greece’s best ever players, his name is synonymous with success both at the club level and with the Greek national team. Nicknamed “Typaras” or “Lad” Karagounis exemplified a passionate mentality wherever he played, quickly becoming a fan favorite at Panathinaikos, Internazionale, Benfica, and Fulham. Karagounis’ creative dribbling, set piece specialty, and long range strikes allowed him to play a key role in many memorable wins throughout the entirety of his career.

The Early Years: First Stint with Panathinaikos 

The first chapter of Giorgos Karagounis’ professional footballing career began in 1996 when Athenian powerhouse club Panathinaikos promoted the promising Greek talent to the senior team. From an early age Karagounis displayed promising talent within the youth ranks of Panathinaikos. He would quickly be loaned out to fellow Greek side Apollon Smyrni in 1996 scoring nine goals in fifty-five appearances over the span of his two year loan. In 1998, he would be re-called and given a spot on a talented Panathinaikos side that had narrowly missed the Champions League final while he was on loan. The young and eager talent would go on to score twenty five goals in  one hundred eighteen appearances for the Greens. One of his most notable goals came against Manchester United at Old Trafford from a perfectly taken free-kick. He would also go on to score a crucial header against Arsenal in the Champions League the next season, clinching a quarter final berth for Panathiaikos. Along with these memorable goals Karagounis also impressed in other European matches by playing a key role in midfield against Juventus in Panathinaikos’ emphatic 3-1 win. Although he did not taste success domestically in his first stint with Panathinaikos, his impressive performances garnered the interest of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

First Steps Abroad: Internazionale 

By the summer of 2003, the glimmering prospect would find himself signing with Italian giants Internazionale. The Milan based club were impressed with Karagounis’ work in the midfield and the skills he possessed during his time at Panathinaikos. At Inter, Karagounis found himself primarily playing in Coppa Italia matches and in the Champions League rather than in the domestic league. He amassed over thirty appearances for the Nerazzurri and helped the Italian powerhouse club win the Coppa Italia in 2005 against fellow league rivals AS Roma. That same season “O Typaras” would also help Inter advance from the group stage of the Champions League and into the knockout round, eventually being eliminated in the quarter final against arch-rivals AC Milan. Ultimately however, Karagounis and Inter would part ways at the end of the 2004-2005 season and he would be moving onto the next stage of his career after spending two years at the club. Although his stay in Italy was not too long, he is still revered by many of Inter’s faithful and has played in a host of charity and “legends” matches representing the Nerazzuri. The love and appreciation from fans and club staff alike would soon become a common theme throughout Karagounis’ career from here on out. 

Next Big Break: Sport Lisboa Benfica 

The summer of 2005 marked a new chapter in Karagounis’ career, the now established midfielder would become a staple at the legendary Lisbon based club. He would be brought in to help Benfica challenge rivals and title favorites FC Porto. Under the guidance of Ronald Koeman, Karagounis would find himself playing regularly for the Portuguese giants. The 2005-2006 season would see the talented Greek midfielder appear nineteen times in the league, scoring one goal along the way coupled with seven appearances in Europe. His first season at Benfica, while a personal success, did not mean the same for Benfica domestically, as they finished twelve points behind rivals Porto in the league. On the other hand Europe was another story, Karagounis helped his side finish second in a group that included Villareal, Lille, and Manchester United. One of the bigger wins came against Manchester United, Karagounis was tasked with marking Ronaldo in the midfield preventing the Portuguese ace from finding the back of the net in the final game of the group stage in December 2005. 

Benfica would eventually clinch a spot in the knockout rounds and defeat defending champions Liverpool, but would ultimately taste defeat against FC Barcelona, the eventual winners of the 2006 Champions League. The next season would see Fernando Santos take over the head coaching role, Santos had coached Karagounis at Panathinaikos and was already familiar with what the Greek had to offer. Under Santos, Karagounis appeared twenty six times in the league, scoring two goals and appearing nine times in Europe in the 2006-2007 season. Karagounis would unfortunately never win a title with Benfica, finishing third in the league yet again in his second season at the club. In total, he appeared sixty-seven times and scored three goals while playing for Benfica. Like with Inter, Karagounis is beloved by Benfica fans with the club’s social media pages and fans often pondering on his stint at the club. 

Home Is Where the Heart is: Second stint at Panathinaikos 

With experience abroad playing amongst Europe’s top clubs, Karagounis would find himself back in Athens where it all started at Panathinaikos. The Greens signed him to a three year deal in 2007 and the experienced midfielder would be given a starting role. Panathinaikos were in the midst of establishing a new era at the club and Karagounis was one of the centerpieces of the project. His first season back was impressive from an individual perspective, as he racked up six goals in forty appearances in the 2007-2008 season. The club however failed to win the league title, finishing four points behind eternal rivals Olympiakos along with a round of thirty-two exit in the UEFA cup after an impressive group stage outing. The following season was also not very impressive from a team perspective as Panathinaikos finished third yet again, but this time with a ten point margin between champions Olympiakos. In the group stages of the Champions League however the story was different. Karagounis’ fantastic performances for the club were only getting better helping Panathinaikos finish first by scoring three goals in a group that consisted of Inter, and Werder Bremen of which Karagounis scored one of his most famous goals against. The 2009-2010 season finally saw Karagounis taste success with the Greens domestically.

With forty-one appearances for Panathinaikos that season, Karagounis helped contribute in some big games for the Greens. As one of the leaders of the team the club won the league double for the first time in six years marking an historic twentieth league title for Panathinaikos. Karagounis’ efforts also translated into the European competitions that season, making twelve appearances in Panathinaikos’ European campaign and participating in the historic triumph over Italian side AS Roma in the Europa League. He would stay with the club for two more seasons before eventually leaving in 2012. Karagounis’ intentions were to retire with the club he started it all with, but the economic struggles and change of ownership at Panathinaikos forced the legendary midfielder to look elsewhere. He is loved by Panathinaikos fans for his incredible efforts and the domestic successes he contributed to. Overall, Karagounis amassed over two hundred fifty appearances and fifty four goals from both stints with the Greens and is solidified as one of the club’s most notable players.

The Final Chapter: Hand in the Premier League with Fulham 

After a successful second stint with Panathinaikos, Karagounis was now in the twilight of his career. The veteran midfielder still had something to offer however and Premier League club Fulham showed their interest. In September of 2012 Karagounis put pen to paper with the London based club. He would spend two seasons at Fulham and was brought in due to his vast experience at both the international and club level. Karagounis amassed a total of forty-seven appearances and three goals for the Cottagers scoring in the Premier League, FA Cup, and EFL Cup during his stay in England. Although Karagounis gave it his all for the club, Fulham were unable to keep their place in the Premier League. Karagounis’ last game at the club level came against Tottenham in May of 2014. The club were ultimately relegated and Karagounis released from his contract. The club career of Karagounis sadly was over, but he still had one last dance with the Greek national team at the 2014 World Cup.

Karagounis’ career is one that is laden with success from the club level to the international level with the Greek national team. For the youth that grew up watching him play, he is a hero and embodied the fighting spirit that so many fans love to see. He gave his all for every club he played for and while playing for the national team his love was unmatched. Giorgos Karagounis exemplified a mentality that is rare in modern football. He is cut from the old cloth that prioritized team success over personal glory. A legendary player that has still not been replaced on the national team.

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