Giannis Samaras
FullnameIoannis Samaras
Height1.87 m
Birth date3 May 1961 (age 65)
Birth placeMelbourne, Australia
CurrentclubOFI (Director of Football)
PositionMidfielder
Years 11980–1984
Clubs 1Vyzas Megara
Years 21984–1989
Caps 2114
Goals 227
Clubs 2OFI
Years 31988
Caps 31
Goals 31
Clubs 3South Melbourne
Years 41989–1991
Caps 448
Goals 415
Clubs 4Panathinaikos
Years 51991–1996
Caps 5103
Goals 56
Clubs 5OFI
Totalcaps266
Totalgoals49
Nationalyears 11986–1990
Nationalcaps 116
Nationalgoals 11
Nationalteam 1Greece
Manageryears 12000–2002
Managerclubs 1OFI
Manageryears 22012–2017
Managerclubs 2Panathinaikos (general manager)

Giannis Samaras (Greek: Γιάννης Σαμαράς; born 3 May 1961) is a former footballer who played as a midfielder during the 1980s and 1990s. Born in Australia, he represented Greece at international level.

Club career

Samaras was born in Melbourne, Australia, to Greek parents who moved there at an early age. His father, Georgios, was a co-founder of South Melbourne FC, an Australian soccer club with strong ties to the Greek community and is Australia's most successful Football side.[1] He moved to Greece at the age of thirteen. His son, also named Georgios, recently retired from professional football.[2]

Ioannis began his football career in 1980 with Vyzas Megara, but before long he had attracted the attention of several bigger teams and he signed for OFI in the summer of 1984. He went on to play over 100 matches for Crete before he left for Panathinaikos in January 1989. In 1991, Samaras returned to Crete, playing 103 games and retiring in 1996. In 1988, Samaras made a guest appearance for South Melbourne Hellas (30 years after his father helped establish the club) and scored a goal as South Melbourne defeated Sydney Olympic 2-1 at Middle Park.[3]

Samaras earned 16 caps for the Greece national team between 1986 and 1990.[4] He scored one goal, on his eighth cap, in a 4–2 friendly win over Norway.[5]

Samaras was appointed on 26 July 2010 as the new Technical Manager for the Panathinaikos F.C. academies, replacing Nikos Kovis.[6]

International career

International goals

Scores and results list Greece's goal tally first.[7]
NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.22 February 1989Olympic Stadium, Athens, GreeceNorway1–04–2Friendly

References

  1. ^ Lynch, Michael (24 May 2006). "Star who slipped the net". The Age
  2. ^ Georgios boasts his father's talents Scottish article dated 7 February 2008
  3. ^ "South mourns the passing of Georgios Samaras Senior • - SMFC". 16 December 2014. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  4. ^ "el:ΕΘΝΙΚΕΣ ΟΜΑΔΕΣ > Εθνική Ομάδα Ανδρών" (in Greek). EPO. Archived from the original on 31 December 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
  5. ^ "Giannis Samaras, international football player"
  6. ^ "Να ανέβουμε επίπεδο"
  7. ^ "Samaras, Ioannis". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 May 2017.