Sokratis Papastathopoulos
Encyclopedia
Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Greek
: Σωκράτης Παπασταθόπουλος) (born 9 June 1988) is a Greek
professional footballer who plays for Werder Bremen
on loan from Genoa
and the Greek national team
, as a defender
. Since the surname Papastathopoulos cannot fit on his club shirt, his first name Sokratis is usually displayed instead; however, a common nickname for him is Papa. He is often compared to the likes of Stelios Manolas
and Tony Adams
by fans and is the youngest player ever to captain AEK Athens.
ou. On 26 October 2005 he made his debut for AEK Athens in a Greek Cup
match against PAS Giannina scoring in the 7th minute of the game leading AEK Athens to a 3–0 win.
for six months in order to gain first team football and gather valuable experience. He made a total of 15 appearances for Niki Volou.
, Traianos Dellas
and Vangelis Moras. In AEK Athens' 2006–07 UEFA Champions League campaign, Papastathopoulos managed to play in 3 out of the 6 group games. In these 3 games AEK Athens managed 1 win (the famous 1–0 victory over Milan
), 1 draw (the 2–2 away draw with Anderlecht
) and one loss (the 3–1 away defeat to Lille
). During the 2007–08 Greek Super League, he has been a mainstay in AEK's defence, keeping out competition from Geraldo Alves
.
, a Serie A team, for undisclosed fee. He also played a club friendly against Genoa on the same day.
He made his debut for Genoa on 27 September 2008 against Fiorentina
, followed by a start against Ravenna Calcio
in the Coppa Italia
a few days later. His first goal for Genoa came on the 5 October 2008 at home against Napoli
. Genoa won the game 3–2, but Papastathopoulos was sent off in the 89th minute During the 2009–10 season he has managed to play in most games and has become somewhat of a fan favorite.
that Papastathopoulos has joined the team, after Genoa and Milan had reached an agreement to transfer Papastathopoulos to the club for €14 million, with the following payment schedule: Gianmarco Zigoni
(half of registration rights valued €3.75M), Nnamdi Oduamadi
(half rights valued €3.5M) and Rodney Strasser
(half rights €2.25M) in co-ownership deal
, plus €4.5 million cash.
and Enrico Preziosi
formed a verbal agreement to solve the players ownership (subject to player agreements) including Kevin-Prince Boateng
, Alberto Paloschi
, Marco Amelia
and Giacomo Beretta
. The deal included Milan bought back Gianmarco Zigoni
, Rodney Strasser
and Nnamdi Oduamadi
, while Genoa bought back Papastathopoulos.
in Austria, Papastathopoulos was captain of the Greece national team
but controversially missed out on the final against Spain
due to a suspension. Papastathopoulos picked up his second yellow card of the tournament against Germany in the semi-final, following up on his first yellow card against Austria
in the group stage. The Hellenic Football Federation tried to appeal the yellow card to UEFA
but were rejected. The match referee of the Germany game, Kevin Blom, apologized to Papastathopoulos for giving him the yellow, as it was later shown on video that it was not a booking. Papastathopoulos was a key figure of Greece's defensive line and was sorely missed the final.
on 27 May 2008, and Papastathopoulos was the unfortunate player to be cut from the provisional squad of 24 to the final 23-man selection.
He was recalled for a friendly against Slovakia
on 10 August 2008, about a month after Euro 2008. From then, he has been a regular squad member for Greece. He featured in 4 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches
and helped his country to qualify for the final tournament
.
1Continental competitions include the UEFA Champions League
and the UEFA Cup.
2Other tournaments include Greek Superleague playoffs.
Milan
Individual
Team
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Σωκράτης Παπασταθόπουλος) (born 9 June 1988) is a Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
professional footballer who plays for Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
on loan from Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
and 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...
, as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. Since the surname Papastathopoulos cannot fit on his club shirt, his first name Sokratis is usually displayed instead; however, a common nickname for him is Papa. He is often compared to the likes of Stelios Manolas
Stelios Manolas
Stylianos "Stelios" Manolas is a retired Greek football defender.Arguably the best football defender ever to come out of Greece, Manolas, a product of AEK Athens FC's youth academy...
and Tony Adams
Tony Adams
Tony Adams may refer to:*Tony Adams , Welsh actor*Tony Adams , American football player*Tony Adams , Irish-born film and stage producer...
by fans and is the youngest player ever to captain AEK Athens.
AEK Athens
Papastathopoulos joined AEK Athens from Apollon PetalidiApollon Petalidi
Apollon Petalidi is a football club in Petalidi, Greece. The team plays for three seasons in the Fourth Division, and played in 2005-06 season until the 2007-08 season.-History:...
ou. On 26 October 2005 he made his debut for AEK Athens in a 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....
match against PAS Giannina scoring in the 7th minute of the game leading AEK Athens to a 3–0 win.
Loan to Niki Volou
In January 2006 he was loaned to Greek Second Division club Niki VolouNiki Volos F.C.
Niki Volou is a Greek football club based in the city of Nea Ionia, in the region of Magnesia.The club currently competes in the Football League 2, the third tier of Greek football.-Colours and Crest:...
for six months in order to gain first team football and gather valuable experience. He made a total of 15 appearances for Niki Volou.
Return to AEK Athens
During the 2006–07 Greek Super League, Papastathopoulos managed to make 14 appearances whilst competing against the likes of Bruno CirilloBruno Cirillo
Bruno "Brunillo" Cirillo is an Italian football player who plays as a centre back for PAOK FC.-Italy:...
, Traianos Dellas
Traianos Dellas
Traianos Dellas is a Greek international footballer currently playing as a centre back for AEK Athens in the Greek Super League...
and Vangelis Moras. In AEK Athens' 2006–07 UEFA Champions League campaign, Papastathopoulos managed to play in 3 out of the 6 group games. In these 3 games AEK Athens managed 1 win (the famous 1–0 victory over Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
), 1 draw (the 2–2 away draw with Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
) and one loss (the 3–1 away defeat to Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
). During the 2007–08 Greek Super League, he has been a mainstay in AEK's defence, keeping out competition from Geraldo Alves
Geraldo Alves
Geraldo Washington Regufe Alves is a Portuguese footballer who plays for FC Steaua Bucureşti in Liga I, as a central defender.-Club career:...
.
Genoa
On 1 August 2008, Papastathopoulos agreed to transfer to GenoaGenoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
, a Serie A team, for undisclosed fee. He also played a club friendly against Genoa on the same day.
He made his debut for Genoa on 27 September 2008 against Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
, followed by a start against Ravenna Calcio
Ravenna Calcio
Ravenna Calcio is an Italian association football club, based in Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1913 and refounded in 2001....
in the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
a few days later. His first goal for Genoa came on the 5 October 2008 at home against Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
. Genoa won the game 3–2, but Papastathopoulos was sent off in the 89th minute During the 2009–10 season he has managed to play in most games and has become somewhat of a fan favorite.
Milan
On 20 July 2010, it was confirmed in Milan's websiteWebsite
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
that Papastathopoulos has joined the team, after Genoa and Milan had reached an agreement to transfer Papastathopoulos to the club for €14 million, with the following payment schedule: Gianmarco Zigoni
Gianmarco Zigoni
Gianmarco Zigoni is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Avellino on loan from A.C. Milan.- Early years :...
(half of registration rights valued €3.75M), Nnamdi Oduamadi
Nnamdi Oduamadi
Nnamdi Chidiebere Oduamadi , also known by his shirt name Odu, is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Serie B club Torino on loan from A.C. Milan.- Club career :...
(half rights valued €3.5M) and Rodney Strasser
Rodney Strasser
Rodney Strasser is a Sierra Leonean professional footballer who plays as midfielder for Serie A club Lecce, on loan from Milan.- Club career :...
(half rights €2.25M) in co-ownership deal
Co-ownership (football)
Co-ownership is a system whereby two football clubs own the contract of a player jointly, although the player is only registered to play for one club...
, plus €4.5 million cash.
Return to Genoa
On 24 May 2011, Adriano GallianiAdriano Galliani
Adriano Galliani is an Italian entrepreneur who has been serving as vice-president and C.E.O. of Italian football club Associazione Calcio Milan since 1986. During his tenure as CEO, Milan have won five European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles and eight Serie A titles among other achievements and...
and Enrico Preziosi
Enrico Preziosi
Enrico Preziosi is an Italian entrepreneur. He runs numbers of business, which most famously the president of football club Genoa C.F.C..-Toys:...
formed a verbal agreement to solve the players ownership (subject to player agreements) including Kevin-Prince Boateng
Kevin-Prince Boateng
Kevin Prince-Boateng , is a German-born Ghanaian footballer, who plays as a Midfielder for Serie A club A.C. Milan. He won nine caps from The Black Stars of Ghana after appearing for Germany's under-15s to their under-21s; he retired from international football on 4 November 2011.-Club career:A...
, Alberto Paloschi
Alberto Paloschi
Alberto Paloschi is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Chievo, on loan from Milan.-Milan:Paloschi won Allievi Nazionali in 2006–07 season...
, Marco Amelia
Marco Amelia
Marco Amelia, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Milan. He was part of the Italian squad that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup.-Early career:Amelia grew up as part of the Roma youth system...
and Giacomo Beretta
Giacomo Beretta
Giacomo Beretta is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie B club Ascoli, on loan from Genoa.- Club career :...
. The deal included Milan bought back Gianmarco Zigoni
Gianmarco Zigoni
Gianmarco Zigoni is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Avellino on loan from A.C. Milan.- Early years :...
, Rodney Strasser
Rodney Strasser
Rodney Strasser is a Sierra Leonean professional footballer who plays as midfielder for Serie A club Lecce, on loan from Milan.- Club career :...
and Nnamdi Oduamadi
Nnamdi Oduamadi
Nnamdi Chidiebere Oduamadi , also known by his shirt name Odu, is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Serie B club Torino on loan from A.C. Milan.- Club career :...
, while Genoa bought back Papastathopoulos.
UEFA U-19 Championship 2007
At the 2007 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship2007 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
-Group B:-------------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:---------Final:-----Teams:-Top goalscorers:-External links:* at uefa.com...
in Austria, Papastathopoulos was captain of the Greece national team
Greece national under-19 football team
-Group 3:- Current squad :Represented Greece in the UEFA under 19 championship July 20- August 1 2011- See also :* Greece Under-19 2007 national team* Greece Under-19 2007 national team- External links :*...
but controversially missed out on the final against Spain
Spain national under-19 football team
The Spain national under-19 football team represents Spain in international football at this age level and is controlled by Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain.-UEFA European Under-19 Championship Record:...
due to a suspension. Papastathopoulos picked up his second yellow card of the tournament against Germany in the semi-final, following up on his first yellow card against Austria
Austria national under-19 football team
The Austria national under-19 football team is the national under-19 football team of Austria and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association.The team competes in the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, held every year....
in the group stage. The Hellenic Football Federation tried to appeal the yellow card to UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
but were rejected. The match referee of the Germany game, Kevin Blom, apologized to Papastathopoulos for giving him the yellow, as it was later shown on video that it was not a booking. Papastathopoulos was a key figure of Greece's defensive line and was sorely missed the final.
Greece
He was called up on 1 February 2008 and made his debut on 5 February 2008 in the 1–0 friendly victory against Czech Republic. The Greece squad for Euro 2008 was announced by 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....
on 27 May 2008, and Papastathopoulos was the unfortunate player to be cut from the provisional squad of 24 to the final 23-man selection.
He was recalled for a friendly against Slovakia
Slovakia national football team
The Slovakia national football team represents Slovakia in association football and is controlled by the Slovak Football Association , the governing body for football in Slovakia. Slovakia's home stadium is Štadión Pasienky and their head coach is Vladimír Weiss...
on 10 August 2008, about a month after Euro 2008. From then, he has been a regular squad member for Greece. He featured in 4 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...
and helped his country to qualify for the final tournament
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...
.
Club
| Team | Season | Domestic League |
Domestic Cup |
Continental Competition1 |
Other Tournaments2 |
Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| AEK Athens | 2005–06 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 1 | |
| Niki Volou Niki Volos F.C. Niki Volou is a Greek football club based in the city of Nea Ionia, in the region of Magnesia.The club currently competes in the Football League 2, the third tier of Greek football.-Colours and Crest:... |
2006 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 11 | 0 | ||
| AEK Athens | 2006–07 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 19 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| Total | 38 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 58 | 2 | |
| Genoa Genoa C.F.C. Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria... |
2008–09 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 23 | 2 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 Serie A The 2009–10 Serie A was the seventy-eighth season since its establishment. There were three promoted teams from the Serie B, replacing the three teams that were relegated following the 2008–09 season. Nike provided a new match ball - the T90 Ascente - for this season... |
30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 36 | 0 | ||
| Total | 51 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 2 | |
| Milan A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others... |
2010–11 2010–11 Serie A The 2010–11 Serie A was the 79th season since its establishment, the first under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 22 May 2011... |
5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 | 0 | |
| Werder Bremen SV Werder Bremen SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize... |
2011–12 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga is the 49th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on 5 August 2011 with the season opening match involving defending champions Borussia Dortmund and will end with the last games on 5 May 2012... |
11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 | 0 | |
| Career Total | 113 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 146 | 4 | |
1Continental competitions include the 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...
and the UEFA Cup.
2Other tournaments include Greek Superleague playoffs.
International
| National team | Season | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 20 | 0 | |
Records
- On 14 May 2008 during a derby match against PanathinaikosPanathinaikos FCPanathinaikos 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...
he became the youngest player to have ever captained AEK Athens at the age of 19.
Honours
ClubsMilan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
- Serie ASerie ASerie 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...
: 1
-
- 2010–112010–11 Serie AThe 2010–11 Serie A was the 79th season since its establishment, the first under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 22 May 2011...
- 2010–11
Individual
- UEFA European U-19 Championship2007 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship-Group B:-------------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:---------Final:-----Teams:-Top goalscorers:-External links:* at uefa.com...
: UEFA Team of the Tournament - Named in UEFA U-19 European Championships 20072007 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship-Group B:-------------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:---------Final:-----Teams:-Top goalscorers:-External links:* at uefa.com...
"Names to Note"; the best 11 players of the tournament. - Greek Young Footballer of the year: 2008
Team
- UEFA U-19 European Championships2007 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship-Group B:-------------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:---------Final:-----Teams:-Top goalscorers:-External links:* at uefa.com...
Silver medal (Greece).