Nikos Sarganis

Nikos Sarganis
Personal information
Full name Nikolaos Sarganis
Date of birth 15 January 1954 (1954-01-15) (age 58)
Place of birth Rafina, Greece
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 12 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Youth career
? Ilisiakos
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1978–1980 Kastoria ? (?)
1981-1985 Olympiakos ? (?)
1985–1990 Panathinaikos ? (?)
1990-1992 Athinaikos ? (?)
1992-1993 PAOK ? (?)
National team
1980-1991 Greece 58 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Nikos Sarganis is a legendary Greek retired football goalkeeper.

Born on 15 January 1954, in Rafina, Attica, Sarganis started his football career as a fullback at Ilisiakos. He switched to goalkeeper under the guidance of his coach, Christos Rimbas, himself a capable goalkeeper of the 1930s.

Sarganis moved on to Kastoria FC in 1978 and played for the "furriers" until the end of the 1980 season. He was part of the team that shocked the Greek football world by winning the Greek Cup in 1980. Following that triumph, he transferred to Olympiakos where he would play from 1981 until the end of the 1985 season.

Sarganis then controversially joined Olympiakos' arch-rivals, Panathinaikos and played for the greens for the next five years. He continued his career with Athinaikos (1991 and 1992 seasons). He ended his career playing for PAOK in the 1993 season.

During his career Sarganis was capped 58 times by the Greece national football team.[1] His international high point came on October 15 of 1980, when he preserved a 1-0 Greek victory in Copenhagen against Denmark. The Danish press gave him the nickname "phantom" by which he would be known throughout the rest of his career.

On 8 May 1988, Sarganis helped win the Greek Cup for Panathinaikos in a penalty shootout by saving two Olympiakos penalty shots while scoring one himself.

Sarganis, is an active member of Olympiakos Old Players team. He always play for the traditional games like Vamvakoulas.

References