Football players who could’ve played for the Greek national team but didn’t
Football players who could’ve played
for the Greek national team but didn’t
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It's why supporters were thrilled at the news that Odysseus Vlachodimos, who was born in Germany, was convinced to be the starting goalkeeper for the last decade.
Why the late George Baldock’s passing wrenched at the hearts of every Greek who saw him line up in blue and white.
Or most recently, after months of anticipation, Konstantinos Karetsas chose Greece over Belgium, despite being one of the highest-rated young talents in Europe right now, and lit up Hampden Park in our 0-3 victory over Scotland.
However, some players do the opposite, for one reason or another, choose to play for a different national team despite having the option to represent Greece for one reason or another.
There may be a few that I have missed on this list, and you are more than welcome to let me know, but here are players who could have played for Greece, but ended up representing a different national team
Thomas Strakosha
The only player on this list who is not ethnically Greek, Thomas Strakosha, was born in Athens but to Albanian parents. Thomas followed in his father Foto’s footsteps, who spent most of his career in Greece, and he became a goalkeeper in Panionos’s excellent youth academy but ended up graduating through Italian giants Lazio.
At the Roman club, Strakosha established himself as the number one between the sticks, winning two Coppa Italias and two Supercoppa Italianas. After a brief stint in the Premier League, playing second-choice keeper at Brentford, Strakosha returned to Greece with his current club AEK, where he has had a mixed campaign with Enosis this season.
Due to Strakosha holding dual citizenship, he would have qualified to represent the national team. The Guardian reported, when he was interviewed by them in 2021, that he had turned down the chance to play for Greece and instead he continued his father’s legacy and chose to play for Albania, where he currently has 39 caps at the time of writing.
Leonidas Stergiou
Now, for a player that many fans of the Ethniki at the time felt was a huge missed opportunity at the time. Leonidas Stergiou was born in Switzerland to a Greek father and Serbian mother. At a young age, Stergiou was a highly talented centre-back, now turned right back, linked with some of the giants of European football.
After breaking through at St Gallen and playing for the oldest club in continental Europe for five years, he eventually took the step up to the Bundesliga to play for Vfb Stuttgart, in a loan last season that was eventually made permanent in the summer of 2024. He ironically replaced the outgoing Konstantinos Mavropanos, who transferred to West Ham United in the summer of 2023.
Unfortunately, since moving to Frankfurt permanently, Stergiou has suffered several injury setbacks, which have kept him from playing consistently this season. The now 23-year-old was eligible to compete for three countries, that being Serbia, Greece and Switzerland, but chose the latter and country of his birth.
While he has never stated the reason for not choosing Greece publicly, he was interviewed by Gazzetta.gr during the 2024 European Championships in Germany, where he spoke positively about the Ethniki at the time and how it was a shame they could not be at the tournament.
Yves Triantafyllos
One from way back when, Yves Triantafyllos was born in France to a French mother and a Greek father who immigrated from Constantinople.
In a club career spanning over 16 years, the striker had a consistent goal-scoring record playing in both France and Greece. He won titles with St Etienne and Olympiakos, the latter of which he became a real fan favourite. He also played most notably for Nantes and Athens Kallithea.
Triantafyllos sadly never really got the chance to truly show his talents on the international stage. After choosing France over Greece, he made one official appearance in a friendly against Hungary and was part of Les Bleus Olympics team in 1968.
Chris Oikonomidis
We now look at the first, and most certainly not the last, Greek Australian on this list. Chris Oikonomidis, born in Sydney and highly rated at youth level, graduated from Lazio’s academy but never actually played a minute of football for the Serie A side.
After loan stints at Salernitana, AGF in Denmark and Western Sydney Wanderers, the attacking midfielder has spent his senior career up to this point back in the A league with Perth Glory, Melbourne Victory and his current club, Macarthur FC.
In an interview in 2013, Oikonomidis reportedly turned down the opportunity to play for Greece and was quoted as saying: "I was approached by the Greek federation 12 months ago, but I said no. I am 100 per cent playing for Australia if given the chance." He instead chose to play for his country of birth, where he was called up by fellow Greek Australian Ange Postecoglou in 2015.
He made 17 appearances but has not been called up since 2021, and he holds the interesting distinction of being capped as a senior international before he ever played senior football at club level.
Apostolos Giannou
Now, for the only player on this list who made a senior appearance for Greece but went on to play for a different nation.
Apostolos Giannou, born in the Macedonian city of Naousa but grew up in Melbourne, Australia, spent the majority of it back in Greece playing for the likes of PAOK, Panionios, Asteras Tripolis and OFI, to name a few.
The forward also had brief stints in Australia, India, China and Cyprus with AEK Larnaka and his current club Achyronas-Onisilos in the second division.
Giannou competed at international youth level for both Greece and Australia before being called up to the Ethniki senior squad for the Euro 2016 qualifiers, where he did not feature. He made his debut coming on as a substitute in a friendly against Turkey, which was his only appearance for Greece.
Like fellow Greek Australian Chris Oikonomidis, Giannou was convinced by then Socceroos manager Ange Postecoglou to change national team to the country where he had spent his early life. Between 2016 and 2019, Giannou made 12 appearances for Australia, scoring once against Kuwait in a friendly and again against Palestine at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
In an interview recounting why he switched, Giannou said: “It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. I feel Greek and Australian. I grew up in Australia for 10 years, that’s in me.”
“Whenever people asked me, even in Greece, I always told them I was Greek and Australian. What helped me (make a decision) was being in Greece the last seven, eight years.”
"I’ve seen all the politics and been through a lot of stuff that people shouldn’t have to go through as soccer players. That pretty much pushed me away. I wanted to get away from Greece a while ago…it’s happened now and I’m just happy to move forward, have a new start and play for Australia.”
Stan Lazaridis
Now for a true icon for the Soccaroos (spoilers), Stan Lazaridis was born in Perth, Australia with his parents or originating from Maccedonia, Greece.
The left winger, who could also play at left back, had a successful career in English football first with West Ham United and then more prevalently with Birmingham City, where he became a fan favourite.
His return to Australia with Perth Glory was tainted by a failed drugs test, which resulted in a one-year suspension from football by the Australian FA. A Tribunal found that, due to Lazaridis’s good character, he had not taken a substance to mask a performance-enhancing drug, but for legitimate reasons as prescribed by his doctor.
This, and Perth Glory manager David Mitchell cutting Lazaridis from the club's A-League squad, resulted in him retiring from football.
In an interview with the Greek Herald about competing for Australia and former manager Gus Hiddink for Fox Football Podcast, Lazaridis said: “What I didn’t like was that he was saying ‘I’m going to break that Greek.”
“Well, I’m Australian. I’m not Greek. I’m Greek background, but I’m representing the country, so why would you go and say that you’re going to break that Greek? And why is it a personal thing?”
While it is not clear whether Lazaridis was approached by the Greek Football Federation, it was clear that he felt a stronger connection with the country of his birth over that of his ethnic origin.
During his 60 appearances for the Socceroos, Lazaridis was a key player in four World Cup qualifying campaigns and was part of Australia’s long-awaited return to the biggest competition in world football at Germany 2006.
Ange Postecoglou
Last and certainly not least is Ange Postecoglou. The current manager at Tottenham Hotspur at the time of writing, although that could change by the end of the season, Ange was born in Nea Filadelfeia, Athens, but left Greece after his father lost his business during the 1967 Greek military coup.
Growing up in Melbourne, Ange rose through the ranks of South Melbourne FC, where, under manager and legendary player Ferenc Puskás, he spent his playing career as a one-club man. Playing as left back in a rigged 4-3-3 system, his playing career was cut short, aged 27, owing to a knee injury.
During his later years as a manager, Postecoglou has never stated whether he was contacted to represent Greece but turned it down in favour of Australia, for whom he made four appearances. He even guided the Soccaroos to an impressive AFC Asian Cup victory in 2015 as manager, and he took charge of 49 matches between 2013 and 2017.
He has repeatedly expressed that he identifies very closely with the country. Speaking to The Greek Herald, he said, "I was born in Greece, I feel very Greek.” He has even stated previously that he would like to manage the Greek national team before he retires from coaching.
When reflecting upon this topic, it's interesting to see the players who were missed by the scouting system of the Greek football federation, and the others who were actually approached but ultimately were convinced to represent a different nation. The former is something that EPO has slowly started to get better at, but still has a lot of work to do in order when it comes to identifying Greek talent within the diaspora. The latter is simply a case of preference on the part of the player, as they may identify with playing for a different country despite their Greek heritage.
Looking back at these current and former players is always interesting, but at the very least, we can hopefully say now that Greece is starting to right the wrongs of the past, and find Greeks who are not only living in the country, but all around the world as well.
Hellas Football
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