| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Loukas Vyntra | ||
| Date of birth | 5 February 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Město Albrechtice, Czechoslovakia | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Full back, Centre Back, Sweeper | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Panathinaikos | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1998–1999 | Almopos Aridaia | ||
| 1999–2000 | Paniliakos | 63 | (3) |
| 2000–2001 | Pontioi Verias | 24 | (0) |
| 2001–2004 | Paniliakos | 63 | (3) |
| 2004– | Panathinaikos | 176 | (7) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1997–2005 | Greece U-21 | 20 | (3) |
| 2005– | Greece | 42 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12 October 2011. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Loukas Vyntra (Greek: Λουκάς Βύντρα) (born 5 February 1981 in Město Albrechtice, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech-Greek (Czech father, Greek mother) football player. He currently plays for Panathinaikos.
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The 184 cm tall defender started his career in 1999 in Paniliakos, but moved to Pontioi Verias in 2000. However, in 2001 Paniliakos brought him back again, and he was a regular in their side until his transfer to Panathinaikos FC. In the summer of 2007, Hertha BSC Berlin approached the player but Panathinaikos did not wish to sell him unless they found adequate cover.
Although he is a hard working player good in tackling and marking and he is picked by all his managers for the starting XI, his lack of stability made him the target of complaints and he has received the most critisicm for Panathinaikos' recent inability to win titles. However his new manager, Henk ten Cate, has been using Vyntra mainly as a central defender for the 2008–2009 season and he offered him a lot of support helping him to build his confidence. Although the heart of the defence remained a problem for the team, Vyntra gained more respect and support from the fans. During the 2009–2010 season he was one of the key players, leading the team to win both domestic titles.
Vyntra has been used mainly as a right back for Panathinaikos and more recently he has moved to the centre of the defence. He also played some games as a left back in 2008. Besides his versatility, he is a quite fast defender, good in close marking and tackling.
After Panathinaikos' head coach Henk ten Cate sacked, gave an interview in a Greek sports web site and he asked "If you get hired by a big european club which player from Panathinaikos FC would you recommend to your new club?" and his answer was "Only one! Loukas Vyntra. He can play either as a right or left back, he can also play as a centre back, he is quick, he has good aerial abilities, with a good technique for a defender, he is good in tactics. What else can a manager ask from him? He has a tough mind because he plays many years under continuous, unfair criticism". Described by his critics as error-prone, Vyntra's greatest asset is his natural athleticism: he has consistently led his teammates in all fitness tests, he is indefatigable, and has never suffered a single injury.
He scored two memorable goals during the 2004/2005 Season, one against Arsenal in the UEFA Champion's League and one against FC Sevilla in the UEFA Cup. He scored 2 important goals in the Greek Superleague derby against rivals PAOK Thessaloniki on 8 February 2009. Two seasons later on 16 October 2010 he scored the winning goal against PAOK again, with a fantastic strike.
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