Northern Ireland v Greece (02/06/2022)

THE SQUAD: GREECE

WORDS: LIAM BLACKBURN

ODYSSEAS VLACHODIMOS GOALKEEPER BENFICA

ALEXANDROS PASCHALAKIS GOALKEEPER PAOK AGE 32 CAPS 3 GOALS 0 Paschalakis has spent most of his career in his native Greece and is the first choice stopper for PAOK, with whom he won a league and cup double in 2018-19. He received his first international call-up in October 2018 and made his senior debut the following May in a friendly against Turkey.

SOKRATIS DIOUDIS GOALKEEPER PANATHINAIKOS AGE 29 CAPS 2 GOALS 0 Dioudis has been a regular for Panathinaikos since 2017, having spent two spells at Aris earlier in his career. Also played for Belgian side Club Brugge, where he backed up one-time Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan. Dioudis received his first Greece call-up in 2014 but had to wait until 2020 for his debut. DIMITRIOS GIANNOULIS DEFENDER NORWICH CITY AGE 26 CAPS 18 GOALS 0 Left-back who initially joined Norwich on loan in January 2021 when they were in the Championship. That move was made permanent when the Canaries were promoted and Giannoulis made 18 appearances in the top flight this term. Made his international debut in a friendly in 2018 and was sent off after just 43 minutes. KONSTANTINOS MAVROPANOS DEFENDER STUT TGART AGE 24 CAPS 9 GOALS 0 Mavropanos joined Arsenal in January 2018 when Arsene Wenger was still in charge, though he made only seven Premier League appearances for the club, the last of which came in 2019. He recently completed a permanent move to Stuttgart after two seasons on loan with the German club.

AGE 28 CAPS 23 GOALS 0 Born in Stuttgart, Germany, Vlachodimos began his senior career with his hometown club before joining his brother, Panagiotis, at Panathinaikos. Moved to Benfica in 2018 and has racked up over 150 appearances for the Portuguese giants. Represented Germany at multiple youth levels but debuted for Greece’s senior team in 2018. GEORGIOS ATHANASIADIS GOALKEEPER SHERIFF TIRASPOL AGE 29 CAPS 0 GOALS 0 Has spent the past season playing his club football in Moldova on a loan spell from AEK Athens. Athanasiadis was between the sticks when Sheriff famously beat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Bernabeu in the Champions League back in September. He made 10 saves and was voted man of the match. KOSTAS TSIMIKAS DEFENDER LIVERPOOL AGE 26 CAPS 18 GOALS 0 Another left-back who plays his club football in England, Tsimikas has quickly earned cult hero status with Liverpool, whom he joined from Olympiacos last August. He scored the winning penalty in the FA Cup final shootout victory over Chelsea last month. Made his senior Greece debut in October 2018. AGE 24 CAPS 3 GOALS 0 After spells in Slovakia and the Netherlands, Rota returned to his homeland when joining AEK in September 2021. The right-back first played for Greece in October 2020 against Moldova. He has started in only one of his three international appearances to date, in a 1-0 win over Romania in March. LAZAROS ROTA DEFENDER AEK ATHENS

GEORGIOS TZAVELLAS DEFENDER AEK ATHENS

AGE 34 CAPS 45 GOALS 3 Tzavellas won his first caps in 2010 and was part of the Greece squad at the 2014 World Cup, though he was not involved in either game against Northern Ireland in the Euro 2016 qualifiers. Has played club football in Greece, Germany, France and Turkey.

PANTELIS CHATZIDIAKOS DEFENDER AZ AGE 25 CAPS 15 GOALS 0

Central defender who plays his club football in Holland with AZ, whom he initially joined on youth terms. Chatzidiakos has made over 100 appearances in the Dutch top flight and has played in both the Europa League and Europa Conference League. He made his Greece debut against Italy in October 2019 in a Euro 2020 qualifier. IONNAIS KOTSIRAS DEFENDER PANATHINAIKOS AGE 29 CAPS 2 GOALS 0 Right-back who made his way through the Greek league system, eventually joining Panathinaikos in June 2021 after a long spell at Asteras Tripoli. Both of Kotsiras’ international caps have come from the bench, in a friendly defeat to Turkey in 2019 and in a 3-2 loss in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Armenia.

DIMITRIOS GOUTAS DEFENDER SIVASSPOR AGE 28 CAPS 2 GOALS 0 Central defender who

represented his country at various youth levels before making his senior debut in a 1-0 loss to Spain in November. Goutas was an unused substitute in Greece’s two friendlies in March. Now plays in Turkey – and scored five league goals this season – after previous stints in Greece, Belgium and Poland.

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NIR V GRE