The Teenagers that will change Greek Football

The Teenagers that will change Greek Football 

By Apostolos Karantonis 

While 2020 didn't go well for the Greek Team, after finishing second in the Nations League to Slovenia & with the Under 21 team failing to finish in the top two of their group, there were several surprises that I believe will change the team and Greek football as we know it. 

During the Greek League playoffs Olympiakos essentially had the title wrapped up, with that, it meant that many of the top teams were playing different lineups, which gave opportunities to various players that normally never would have played. 

 

Within that there were 2 players that really took their opportunity & that I believe will be essential in changing the Ethniki. 

  

The Game changers 

  

Christos Tzolis PAOK 

  

(He now has 13 goals, and seven assists this season/As of February 1st) 

During those Greek league playoffs, Tzolis made his presence felt almost from the minute he came on.  

 

Whether it was his first goal against OFI in those Greek League playoffs 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9q5HOdCoCU 

or his debut in Europe against Besiktas 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nN3W_yippE 

He quickly became a player no one could ignore.  

 

Still only 18, he was always known as a prolific scorer at PAOK's academy and learned a lot from his time living and training in Germany during his early teen years.  

 

Tactically with PAOK's Under 21 team last season, he was moved from striker to the wing, which everyone can now see what a brilliant move it was at the time by Pablo Garcia, to help further improve his game. For Greece, a player like Tzolis, that takes his chances in front of goal, has great technique, fights for every ball, can beat people one on one, well that's something that not even Greece's best players hadn't accomplished at such a young age.  

 

He's simply a player that Greece has lacked in nearly forever, a pacey winger that can finish his chances in the box like a striker (maybe a mix of Giannakopoulos and Salpingidis) and as he showed, scoring a goal in his first start for Greece (2-1 friendly win versus Cyprus) I believe he will become the difference maker that is absolutely necessary to win games in Europe & that Greece desperately needs. 

Sotiris Alexandropoulos Panathinaikos 

 

Having recently just turned 19, he's become a near automatic starter for PAO this season, when you consider that the team has had three coaches in 6 months and that Alexandropoulos missed a whole season from 16 to 17 recovering from a bad leg injury, it really shows that this kid is a fighter and has something special. In the Greek League playoffs he was arguably PAO's best player, while he wasn't played as much under the Spanish coach Poyatos, he's really taken off since Boloni took over.  

 

During a derby match against Olympiakos, he came on in the second half & looked like PAO's best player playing in a deep #6 role. 

 

While it's the role he's most comfortable playing (as a #6) having played there mostly in PAO's youth teams, since that match he's played as a #8 for many of the matches & has shown just how much more he's capable of. In his first match against Panetolikos, he had to play a bit further up the pitch, he ended up with 8 tackles won, with one of those leading directly to Panathinaikos's first goal. 

 

Against AEK, he won the ball back 9 times (3 tackles, 6 passes intercepted. And as you can see here (Sport24.gr/Opta) Alexandropoulos was literally everywhere playing in a role further forward, particularly to win the ball back from pressing up high (Kourbelis had come back from injury so Alexandropoulos was asked to play a different role).

(55 is Alexandropoulos/ 88 Mauricio/ 21 Kourbelis) 

 

Since the AEK derby and with Kourbelis still out injured, Alexandropoulos has become an automatic starter and has played everywhere in midfield, since he's been in the lineup (6 matches), Panathinaikos haven't given up ONE goal yet. He's also become more and more comfortable pushing up the field with his brilliant dribbling, cutting between players with skills that anyone can see (everyone saw that in one play versus OFI where he gave an assist to Kampetsis, and that we simply just don't see in Greek football/ Pictured below). 

 

A player Like Alexandropoulos that has great technique, can pass the ball really well, can dribble through pressure and has the fight and tactical acumen that Greek players need to rediscover, is exactly the kind of game changer that you need to win in Europe and something Greece hasn't had since Karagounis, Katsouranis, Basinas etc...And it hasn't gone unnoticed by the Greek coach John Van't Schip either, as he's been at Panathinaikos's last 2 matches and apparently even asked PAO manager Boloni if he believes he's ready to play for the Greek team.

Giorgos Koutsias PAOK 

 

Of course, calling a kid a phenom can seem excessive, yet with Koutsias I only had to watch one match (The Greek Super league Under 15 Championship 2 years ago) to be convinced that this kid was something special. As a 15 year old he was playing with the Under 17's and scoring the winning goals (He scored 2 goals within 15 minutes coming off the bench to beat Germany), Last year as a 16-17 year old he was playing with PAOK's under 21 team and scored 3 goals, and had a few assists despite often just coming off the bench.  

 

This season he became the youngest player to play for PAOK in Europe, and the second youngest Greek (After Mavrias) to debut in Europe (At 16 years old and 9 months) when he started versus Granada in PAOK's last Europa League match. And at only 16 he's already been penciled in, as the starter for the next Under 21 team having started in their last two matches, a loss versus the Czech Republic & a 1-0 win versus Scotland where he came off the bench and on a few occasions he dribbled past 3-4 players and toyed with the opponents helping to keep possession and opening up space for others. His technique, pace, and finishing ability you just don't find not only with Greek players but teenagers at any level.  

 

He also seems like a hard worker that has already refused a few moves overseas already (Fulham, Juventus, Ajax, Roma) to stay and continue developing at PAOK.

Giorgos Vagiannidis Inter Milan (On Loan at St.Truden) 

 

Speaking of going overseas, one extremely talented player that seemed to make the wrong move this summer in Vagiannidis. Swayed by Inter Milan, instead of staying at PAO, he's been on loan all season at St.Truden having not played a minute of football.  

 

While some may doubt him because of this he simply wasn't ready for such a big move yet, particularly as he's not physically ready yet to play at the top level. Still as far as fullbacks and particularly on the right wing for Greece, there's no one more talented than this kid.  

 

He simply has it all, pace, technique, goal scoring ability and the only thing I believe he lacks (And It's big) is to work on getting stronger and finding a team where he'll play (He's already rumoured to possibly be coming back to PAO or moving elsewhere). 

 

Giannis Konstantellas PAOK 

 

Having had every top team in Europe after him as a teen already (Barcelona, Liverpool), many within PAOK have realized for a few years now, that this kid was something special. While he as well, still needs to get a bit stronger, Greece hasn't had a player toying with defenders at the under 21 level as he had this season (Before it got cancelled).  

 

He already made his debut recently coming off the bench for PAOK and within the 15 minutes he was on, you could see that opponents just couldn't take the ball away from him, he's also great at finding space and providing through balls to break open a defense. This season with the under 21's he also started scoring more and I believe we'll be hearing a lot more about this kid the next few years. 

 

And the surprise… 

 

Illias Koutsoupias Entella FC 

 

Having left for Italy at 15 from Platanias, he's had 3-4 years of preparing himself for football in the tactical and tough Italian Leagues. He's still a Genoa player but this season has gone on loan to Entella in Serie B. While he didn't play much at all until December, since he's joined the team. (They were bottom in the Italian second division), they've won 4 out of their 7 matches and in two of their wins he scored the winning goals, usually by getting into the box at the right times to finish off the chances, something that we all know Greece can use a lot more of.  

 

What sets him apart though and why he not only has changed Entella's fortunes this season, (He's an automatic starter now) is that he's a midfielder that not only can finish chances but is great tactically, covers back defensively even if It's not his position (He's saved many goals in games I watched just tracking back), he can dribble, is a tough tackler & keeps improving with his passing (Something understandable as he's going from Italy's youth level to Serie B), it will be interesting to see how far he can go from here. 

 

While Greece still has a long way to go to compete with the top teams again and many of these kids still have more improving to do, the talent is clear for everyone to see and the hope is that that they keep playing and developing, because these kids have a real chance to change Greek Football as we know it. 

Hellas Football

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