Kostas Davourlis
Encyclopedia
The first version of this article has been based in the text of :el:Κώστας Δαβουρλής of the Greek Wikipedia published under GFDL.
Kostas Davourlis (4 January 1948 in Patras
– 23 May 1992), popularly nicknamed The Black Prince, was a former Greek
footballer (central attacking midfielder) born in Agyia
, Patras
. A gifted and talented player, he was voted by the Greek sports magazine "Ethnosport" as one of the 50 best Greek football players ever.
Having gained fame in Greece as the creative playmaker
for Panachaiki FC, Davourlis attracted even more attention during the 1973 season, when he helped his team become the first Greek countryside football club ever to qualify for a European competition (the 1974 UEFA Cup).
Davourlis was famed for his technical ability, his ball skill, his creative passes and his powerful shot in or outside the box; furthermore, his leadership was exemplary. He was also a notable free kick taker, as demonstrated by his numerous goals from outside the penalty area.
In spite of the fact that his career had a rather bitter end for a player of his caliber, he is still worshiped by fans all over the Peloponnese
. The Panachaiki Stadium
bears his name since 1992, when he died due to a heart attack.
subsidiary team, Panionios Patron. Two years later he joined the senior team and contributed to Panachaiki's battle to reach the Greek
first division. His most notable achievement at that time was that he became the first Greek footballplayer to be selected for the national team while playing for a second division team.
Finally, after several unsuccessful attempts, Panachaiki made it to the "big" division in 1969 and Davourlis' talent shone. However, the team was involved in a bribery scandal and sunk again to the lower division. Fortunately enough for Davourlis, they were back a year later and the Black Prince of Patras lead Panachaiki's rise towards glory.
in Toumba Stadium
against championship contender PAOK, he achieved with Panachaiki something that no other Greek countryside club ever had done at the time: participation in a European competition, for instance the 1974 UEFA Cup
. In 1974, Davourlis' performances and leadership were still very good but rumors related to his transfer affected him considerably. Panachaiki proved to be unable to become a real threat to the local powerhouses and finished once again sixth. At the end of a season during which he scored 11 times in the Championship and once in the UEFA Cup
, Davourlis was transferred to Olympiacos. The transfer fee was 9.25 million Drachmas, the highest in Greek football history at the time.
At Olympiacos, Davourlis was one of the top players of the team, along with Georgios Delikaris
, Yves Triantafyllos
and Julio Losada. His team won one Greek Championship title and reached two consecutive Greek Cup finals, winning thanks to his goal in 1975 and losing in 1976. Nevertheless, his heart was travelling somewhere else.
in 1981 and once again in 1985. He ended his career with Korinthos FC in 1986. Later on he worked for Panachaiki as a scouter discovering many talents until the year he died, the most famous of whom is Grigoris Georgatos.
on 23 July 1969, coming in as a substitute in the 75th minute of a friendly match against the Australia. Had Davourlis spent more years playing for a Greek powerhouse, the number of his national team selections would have been undoubtedly higher. Destiny's choice, however, is something that will always remain strictly personal.
Kostas Davourlis (4 January 1948 in Patras
Patras
Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
– 23 May 1992), popularly nicknamed The Black Prince, was a former Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
footballer (central attacking midfielder) born in Agyia
Agyia
Agyia is a neighborhood of the city of Patras, Greece. It is located about 3.5 km north of downtown Patras. The community forms the mid-northern part of the city of Patras . Most of the street names are named from rivers. The town includes the St. Constantine church and a street is named...
, Patras
Patras
Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
. A gifted and talented player, he was voted by the Greek sports magazine "Ethnosport" as one of the 50 best Greek football players ever.
Having gained fame in Greece as the creative playmaker
Playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
for Panachaiki FC, Davourlis attracted even more attention during the 1973 season, when he helped his team become the first Greek countryside football club ever to qualify for a European competition (the 1974 UEFA Cup).
Davourlis was famed for his technical ability, his ball skill, his creative passes and his powerful shot in or outside the box; furthermore, his leadership was exemplary. He was also a notable free kick taker, as demonstrated by his numerous goals from outside the penalty area.
In spite of the fact that his career had a rather bitter end for a player of his caliber, he is still worshiped by fans all over the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
. The Panachaiki Stadium
Kostas Davourlis Stadium
Kostas Davourlis Stadium is a stadium in Patras, Greece. It is the home of Panachaiki GE. Work on the grounds started in 1935. Originally called Panachaiki Stadium, it has been officially renamed Kostas Davourlis in 1992 after the great footballplayer who died the same year.-History:It was...
bears his name since 1992, when he died due to a heart attack.
Early career, Panionios Patron and Panachaiki 1962-1971
Having been discovered by Panachaiki former player and scouter Spyros Voulgarakis, Davourlis began his playing career at the age of fourteen with a PanachaikiPanachaiki
Panachaiki, known officially as Panachaiki GE , the Pan-Achaean Athletic Union, is a Greek multisport club based in the city of Patras, Greece.- History :...
subsidiary team, Panionios Patron. Two years later he joined the senior team and contributed to Panachaiki's battle to reach the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
first division. His most notable achievement at that time was that he became the first Greek footballplayer to be selected for the national team while playing for a second division team.
Finally, after several unsuccessful attempts, Panachaiki made it to the "big" division in 1969 and Davourlis' talent shone. However, the team was involved in a bribery scandal and sunk again to the lower division. Fortunately enough for Davourlis, they were back a year later and the Black Prince of Patras lead Panachaiki's rise towards glory.
Panachaiki and Olympiacos 1971-1978
In the 1972 season, Davourlis scored 15 goals and Panachaiki finished sixth. The best was still to come though. After an amazing 1973 season in which he scored again 15 goals, including a hat trickHat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
in Toumba Stadium
Toumba Stadium
Toumba Stadium is a football stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece, owned by the multisports club A.S. PAOK. It was built in 6 September 1959 as the club's prime sporting venue and served the home ground for the club's football team, which was participating in the then national football league. The...
against championship contender PAOK, he achieved with Panachaiki something that no other Greek countryside club ever had done at the time: participation in a European competition, for instance the 1974 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. In 1974, Davourlis' performances and leadership were still very good but rumors related to his transfer affected him considerably. Panachaiki proved to be unable to become a real threat to the local powerhouses and finished once again sixth. At the end of a season during which he scored 11 times in the Championship and once in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, Davourlis was transferred to Olympiacos. The transfer fee was 9.25 million Drachmas, the highest in Greek football history at the time.
At Olympiacos, Davourlis was one of the top players of the team, along with Georgios Delikaris
Georgios Delikaris
Georgios Delikaris is a former Greek football player, who spent the greatest part of his career at Olympiacos F.C. He is widely accepted amongst fans as one of the greatest Greek footballers of all time, coming in fourth in the Greek vote for the UEFA Jubilee Awards, first amongst former...
, Yves Triantafyllos
Yves Triantafyllos
Yves Triantafyllos is a former French-Greek football forward , regarded by some as one of the best strikers in Greece in the early 1970s...
and Julio Losada. His team won one Greek Championship title and reached two consecutive Greek Cup finals, winning thanks to his goal in 1975 and losing in 1976. Nevertheless, his heart was travelling somewhere else.
Panachaiki 1978-1985
In 1978, when Davourlis was transferred back to Panachaiki, almost nothing in Patras remained of the glorious team that fascinated Greece in the first half of the decade. Davourlis' presence increased the level of the team, but the results remained poor, leading to the club's relegation to the Second DivisionBeta Ethniki
Football League, former Beta Ethniki, is the second highest professional football league in Greece.-History:In its first years, the system of conduct was very intriguing. It began in 1954 as regional championship, separated in two groups, North and South. Then, the participating teams were the...
in 1981 and once again in 1985. He ended his career with Korinthos FC in 1986. Later on he worked for Panachaiki as a scouter discovering many talents until the year he died, the most famous of whom is Grigoris Georgatos.
International career
Davourlis earned his first cap with the Greek national football teamGreece 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...
on 23 July 1969, coming in as a substitute in the 75th minute of a friendly match against the Australia. Had Davourlis spent more years playing for a Greek powerhouse, the number of his national team selections would have been undoubtedly higher. Destiny's choice, however, is something that will always remain strictly personal.
Appearances for the Greek national football team
- 1. 23/07/1969 Αustralia - Greece 2-2 (substitute 75’) - friendly match
- 2. 18/06/1971 Greece - Μάλτα 2-0 (90 minutes) - scored in the 60’- 1972 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying1972 UEFA European Football Championship qualifyingThe qualifying round for the 1972 European Football Championship consisted of 32 teams divided into eight groups of four teams. Each group winner progressed to the quarter-finals. The quarter-finals were played in two legs on a home-and-away basis...
- 3. 06/07/1971 Mexico - Greece 1-1 (substitute 45’) - scored in the 86’- friendly match
- 4. 30/09/1971 Greece - Μexico 0-1 (90 minutes) - friendly match
- 5. 01/12/1971 Greece - England 0-2 (substitute 73’) - 1972 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying1972 UEFA European Football Championship qualifyingThe qualifying round for the 1972 European Football Championship consisted of 32 teams divided into eight groups of four teams. Each group winner progressed to the quarter-finals. The quarter-finals were played in two legs on a home-and-away basis...
- 6. 16/02/1972 Greece - Holland 0-5 (substitute 45’) - friendly match
- 7. 19/11/1972 Yugoslavia - Greece 1-0 (substitute 73’) - 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification1974 FIFA World Cup qualificationA total of 99 teams entered the 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. , as the hosts, and , as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition....
- 8. 06/05/1976 Greece - Poland 1-0 (90 minutes) - friendly match
- 9. 22/09/1976 Greece - Ιsrael 0-1 (90 minutes) - friendly match
- 10. 09/10/1976 Greece - Hungary 1-1 (substitute 58’) - 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)Listed below are the dates and results for the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification....
- 11. 26/01/1977 Ιsrael - Greece 1-1 (substitute 85’) - friendly match
Statistics
- 1 Greek Championship Title (1975)
- 1 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....
(1975) - He scored a total of 95 goals in his career
- He scored a total of 22 goals by free kick in his career, second best record behind the one of Kostas FrantzeskosKostas FrantzeskosKostas Frantzeskos is a Greek former footballer, best known for his deadly free-kick accuracy. He was regarded as one of the best free-kick specialists in Europe, scoring numerous times from set-pieces during his career....