Alexandros Tzorvas
Encyclopedia
Alexandros Tzorvas is a Greek
goalkeeper currently playing for Palermo
and Greece national football team
.
football academy but, despite his potential, he found it hard to get opportunities in the first team as the more experienced Antonis Nikopolidis, Konstantinos Chalkias
and Stefanos Kotsolis
provided more than full cover for the goalkeeping position. Due to the strong competition, and as the team laid hopes on him for the future in the next 4 years, he was loaned to the affiliated teams of Agios Nikolaos, Markopoulo
and Thrasyvoulos
in order to gain experience.
In 2005 Panathinaikos recalled him from loan as a cover for Mario Galinović
and Pierre Ebede
.
with Orestis Karnezis – a hot goalkeeping prospect too – following the opposite path. A string of very good performances made him quickly a starter for the team from Crete
even though his transfer was looked critically by OFI fans mainly because of what they see as one sided "colonial"-style agreements that their team is signing with Panathinaikos. In 2008, Tzorvas became the Second Greek Best Goalkeeper behind the legendary Antonis Nikopolidis.
season, Panathinaikos
recalled him from OFI
with Arkadiusz Malarz
taking the opposite way. Although Mario Galinović was considered the first option for the goalkeeper position for the 2008–2009 season, Tzorvas had his chances already in October being in the starting eleven for a few games for the Greek Superleague and the UEFA Champions League.
For the 2009–2010 Super League season, beginning from the match against Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
, he is considered a basic choice for the goalkeeper position, mainly due to bad performances by teammate Galinović.
One of Tzorvas's greatest career accomplishments to date came in Greece's 2009 home-and-away World Cup playoff with Ukraine
. Tzorvas turned away the Ukrainian attack for the entire 180 minutes over ties in Athens and Donetsk, sustaining the Greeks' 1–0 aggregate victory that sent the team to the 2010 FIFA World Cup
in South Africa.
Tzorvas is a die-hard fan of Panathinaikos. Once, in a game against Olympiakos at Karaiskákis Stadium
, he went in front of the partisan opposition fans and kissed the shamrock badge on his shirt.
club Palermo
; the player agreed a two-year contract with the club and will wear the #33 jersey for the Sicilian club, replacing Salvatore Sirigu
who left weeks earlier in order to join Paris Saint-Germain FC
. He debuted in rosanero on September 11, 2011, in the match won 4-3 against Inter
in Serie A
.
called Tzorvas as third choice goalkeeper for the friendly against Portugal
on 26 March at Frankfurt
, Germany
. After the retirement of Antonis Nikopolidis from the national team, Tzorvas became the second goalkeeper for Greece. He made his senior international debut for Greece on 19 November 2008 in a friendly match against 2006 FIFA World Cup
champions Italy
at the Karaiskákis Stadium
in Piraeus.
At the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, he was the starting goalkeeper in all three group matches, beating off competition from Kostas Chalkias and Michalis Sifakis
.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
goalkeeper currently playing for Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
and Greece national football team
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
.
Early career
Ηe began his career as a member of the renowned [domazos academy]PanathinaikosPanathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
football academy but, despite his potential, he found it hard to get opportunities in the first team as the more experienced Antonis Nikopolidis, Konstantinos Chalkias
Konstantinos Chalkias
Konstantinos "Kostas" Chalkias is a Greek footballer, born 30 May 1974 in Larissa, Greece. He stands 2.00 m tall and plays in the goalkeeper position. He currently plays for PAOK F.C..-Greece:...
and Stefanos Kotsolis
Stefanos Kotsolis
Stefanos Kotsolis .Kotsolis joined Panathinaikos as an 18-year-old youth player in 1997 and made sporadic appearances over his first five seasons at Panathinaikos. The imposing form of first-choice keeper Antonios Nikopolidis kept Kotsolis at bay for most of that time...
provided more than full cover for the goalkeeping position. Due to the strong competition, and as the team laid hopes on him for the future in the next 4 years, he was loaned to the affiliated teams of Agios Nikolaos, Markopoulo
Markopoulo Mesogaias
Markopoulo, municipally Markopoulo Mesogaias to avoid confusion with Markopoulo Oropou in Oropos is a suburban town in southeastern Attica in the Mesogaian plain north of the mountains, approximately 30 km SE of Athens, S of Rafina, S of the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, SW of...
and Thrasyvoulos
Thrasyvoulos F.C.
Thrasyvoulos Filis is a football club, based in Fyli, Attica, currently in the Greek Second Division. It was founded in 1938 and named after Thrasybulus, an ancient General who used Fyli as his base to liberate Athens from Sparta. They gained promotion to the Greek Super League for 2008–09...
in order to gain experience.
In 2005 Panathinaikos recalled him from loan as a cover for Mario Galinović
Mario Galinovic
Mario Galinović is a Croatian football goalkeeper and currently a free agent.-NK Osijek:Galinović started his professional career with Croatian First League side NK Osijek, where he was part of the first team from 1993 until 2002. With the club, he also played in the UEFA Cup in 1998 and 1999,...
and Pierre Ebede
Pierre Ebede
Pierre Romain Owono Ebéde is a Cameroonian goalkeeper currently under contract with the Romanian Liga I team, Astra Ploieşti.Edebe came in Greece from Cameroon during the 1998 summer transfer window for Apollon Kalamarias...
.
OFI Crete
A lack of first team opportunities led to his trade to OFIOFI Crete
OFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
with Orestis Karnezis – a hot goalkeeping prospect too – following the opposite path. A string of very good performances made him quickly a starter for the team from Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
even though his transfer was looked critically by OFI fans mainly because of what they see as one sided "colonial"-style agreements that their team is signing with Panathinaikos. In 2008, Tzorvas became the Second Greek Best Goalkeeper behind the legendary Antonis Nikopolidis.
Return to Panathinaikos
During the 2008–09Super League Greece 2008-09
-League table :||rowspan=8 style="background-color:white;"|-Results:...
season, Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
recalled him from OFI
OFI Crete
OFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
with Arkadiusz Malarz
Arkadiusz Malarz
Arkadiusz Malarz is a Polish goalkeeper who last played for AEL Limassol. Playing for his former club, Skoda Xanthi, he kept clean sheets in seven consecutive games, finally conceding a goal after 683 minutes, which is his former team's record for the longest "clean sheet" period in the Greek league...
taking the opposite way. Although Mario Galinović was considered the first option for the goalkeeper position for the 2008–2009 season, Tzorvas had his chances already in October being in the starting eleven for a few games for the Greek Superleague and the UEFA Champions League.
For the 2009–2010 Super League season, beginning from the match against Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Football Club , also known as God of war and the Yellows, is a Greek football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Formed in 1914, the club was a founding member of Macedonian Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation, they currently compete in...
, he is considered a basic choice for the goalkeeper position, mainly due to bad performances by teammate Galinović.
One of Tzorvas's greatest career accomplishments to date came in Greece's 2009 home-and-away World Cup playoff with Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
. Tzorvas turned away the Ukrainian attack for the entire 180 minutes over ties in Athens and Donetsk, sustaining the Greeks' 1–0 aggregate victory that sent the team to the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa.
Tzorvas is a die-hard fan of Panathinaikos. Once, in a game against Olympiakos at Karaiskákis Stadium
Karaiskakis Stadium
Karaiskakis Stadium is in the Neo Faliro area of Piraeus, Greece. It is the home ground of Olympiacos F.C. and is named after Georgios Karaiskakis , hero of the Greek War of Independence, who was mortally wounded near the area....
, he went in front of the partisan opposition fans and kissed the shamrock badge on his shirt.
Palermo
On 26 August 2011 he moved to Italy, joining Serie ASerie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
; the player agreed a two-year contract with the club and will wear the #33 jersey for the Sicilian club, replacing Salvatore Sirigu
Salvatore Sirigu
Salvatore Sirigu is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and Italy national football team.-Club career:...
who left weeks earlier in order to join Paris Saint-Germain FC
Paris Saint-Germain FC
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club , also known simply as Paris Saint-Germain and familiarly as Paris SG or PSG , is a professional association football club based in Paris, France. The club was founded on 12 August 1970, thanks to the merger of Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain...
. He debuted in rosanero on September 11, 2011, in the match won 4-3 against Inter
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
.
International career
On 21 March 2008, Otto RehhagelOtto Rehhagel
Otto Rehhagel is a German football coach and former football player. Along with Helmut Schön, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Udo Lattek and Hennes Weisweiler, he is considered one of the most successful German managers....
called Tzorvas as third choice goalkeeper for the friendly against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
on 26 March at Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. After the retirement of Antonis Nikopolidis from the national team, Tzorvas became the second goalkeeper for Greece. He made his senior international debut for Greece on 19 November 2008 in a friendly match against 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
champions Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
at the Karaiskákis Stadium
Karaiskakis Stadium
Karaiskakis Stadium is in the Neo Faliro area of Piraeus, Greece. It is the home ground of Olympiacos F.C. and is named after Georgios Karaiskakis , hero of the Greek War of Independence, who was mortally wounded near the area....
in Piraeus.
At the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, he was the starting goalkeeper in all three group matches, beating off competition from Kostas Chalkias and Michalis Sifakis
Michalis Sifakis
Michalis Sifakis is a Greek international goalkeeper. He is well known for his agility and reflexes.-Early years:Born in Heraklion, Greece, Sifakis starts playing football at the age of 9...
.
Panathinaikos
- Super League GreeceSuper League GreeceThe Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
: 2009–2010 - Greek Football CupGreek football CupThe Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
: 2010