Ilias Poursanidis
Encyclopedia
Ilias Poursanidis is a former Greek footballer who spent time at a variety of different clubs in the Greek first division
.
Poursanidis began his career with Athens-based club Chaidari F.C.
His quality as a Defensive midfielder made him a hot prospect across Greece, and he was eventually signed by Greek first division club OFI Crete
. At only 20, Poursanidis soon became a first team regular for the Cretan club, making over 100 appearances in the black and white shirt until he was eventually picked up by Greek champions Olympiacos CFP
.
It would be with the red and whites where Poursanidis would experience the peak of his career. A key part in their long running Championship winning squad, Poursanidis won 6 championships as well as 1 Greek Cup
. Also experiencing UEFA Champions League
football, Poursanidis became a fan favourite in Piraeus
for his determination and love for the badge which he showed in over 100 appearances spanning 6 years at the club.
Eventually making way for the younger Brazil
ian superstar Ze Elias, Poursanidis finished his career with a five year spell at Iraklis FC. His final match took place on Sunday, 20 April 2008 against his former club Olympiacos at Karaiskaki Stadium. Subbed off near the end of the second half, Poursanidis left the field in tears as over 30,000 Olympiacos fans chanted his name along with a standing ovation
.
Poursanidis earned his first call up to the Greek national team
during his time at OFI Crete. He would eventually earn himself 22 caps, and become a key part of the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying squad that barely missed out on the final tournament.
: 1997–1998, 1998–1999, 1999–2000, 2000–2001, 2001–2002, 2002–2003
Greek Cup
: 1998–1999
Super League Greece
The 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...
.
Poursanidis began his career with Athens-based club Chaidari F.C.
Chaidari F.C.
Haidari FC is a Greek football club, based in Haidari, Athens. It currently plays in Delta Ethniki, the fourth level of Greek football.- Squad 2007/08 :...
His quality as a Defensive midfielder made him a hot prospect across Greece, and he was eventually signed by Greek first division club OFI Crete
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...
. At only 20, Poursanidis soon became a first team regular for the Cretan club, making over 100 appearances in the black and white shirt until he was eventually picked up by Greek champions Olympiacos CFP
Olympiacos CFP
----Olympiacos Club of Fans of Piraeus, , , transliterated Olympiakos Sindesmos Filathlon Pireos, is the most popular multisport club and the most successful in Greece, based in Piraeus....
.
It would be with the red and whites where Poursanidis would experience the peak of his career. A key part in their long running Championship winning squad, Poursanidis won 6 championships as well as 1 Greek Cup
Greek football Cup
The 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....
. Also experiencing UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
football, Poursanidis became a fan favourite in Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
for his determination and love for the badge which he showed in over 100 appearances spanning 6 years at the club.
Eventually making way for the younger Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian superstar Ze Elias, Poursanidis finished his career with a five year spell at Iraklis FC. His final match took place on Sunday, 20 April 2008 against his former club Olympiacos at Karaiskaki Stadium. Subbed off near the end of the second half, Poursanidis left the field in tears as over 30,000 Olympiacos fans chanted his name along with a standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
.
Poursanidis earned his first call up to the Greek national 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...
during his time at OFI Crete. He would eventually earn himself 22 caps, and become a key part of the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying squad that barely missed out on the final tournament.
Honours
Greek ChampionshipSuper League Greece
The 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...
: 1997–1998, 1998–1999, 1999–2000, 2000–2001, 2001–2002, 2002–2003
Alpha Ethniki 2002-03
The Alpha Ethiniki 2002–03 season was the 44th in its history and was won by Olympiacos, their 32nd league title. Olympiacos and Panathinaikos finished the League with the same points total but Olympiacos were crowned champions due to more favourable results between the two teams...
Greek Cup
Greek football Cup
The 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....
: 1998–1999