Takis Fyssas

Takis Fyssas
Personal information
Full name Panagiotis Fyssas
Date of birth 12 June 1973 (1973-06-12) (age 38)
Place of birth Athens, Greece
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Playing position Left-back
Youth career
Panionios
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1990–1998 Panionios 150 (9)
1998–2003 Panathinaikos 123 (6)
2003–2005 Benfica 30 (0)
2005–2007 Hearts 52 (1)
2007–2008 Panathinaikos 7 (0)
National team‡
1999–2007 Greece 60 (4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11 August 2007.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 27 March 2007

Panagiotis "Takis" Fyssas (born 12 June 1973) is a former Greek international footballer. He is currently technical director of the Hellenic Football Federation.

Contents

Clubs

Panionios

Fyssas started his career in the Panionios youth academy, achieving his senior debut in the 1990-91 season. After eight seasons in Nea Smyrni, which included a Greek Cup triumph.

Panathinaikos

he signed for Athens giants Panathinaikos in 1998. The increased exposure Fyssas received playing at the Spiros Louis ensured a rapid elevation to the Greek national side and he made his debut against Finland in 1999. Fyssas also made his first UEFA Champions League appearance while with the Greens, in the 2000-01 season.

Benfica

In December 2003 he moved to Lisbon with Benfica, where he was to stay for a season and a half, helping the Eagles claim the 2003-04 Portuguese Cup and 2004-05 Portuguese Liga. On 25 January 2004, he was on the bench for a 1–0 away win against future club Vitória de Guimarães, a game overshadowed by the tragic death of his team mate Miklós Fehér. He scored a goal on the final of Portuguese Cup that season, that gave them the victory against FC Porto. During this spell came the pinnacle of Fyssas's career: Greece's surprise victory at the 2004 European Championships. He played in all six of Greece's matches (starting five) and displayed a mixture of uncompromising defending and attacking verve on the left flank in the unlikely triumph.

Hearts

After being allowed to leave Benfica in the summer of 2005, Fyssas made the surprise decision to move to Scotland with Hearts, despite reported interest from England and Germany. He collected his fourth career winners medal in his first season with the Tynecastle side, when they defeated Gretna in the 2005-06 Scottish Cup final. His first and only Hearts goal came in a league game against Motherwell on 9 December 2006.[1] He became a popular member of the Hearts team and will always be remembered fondly for his celebrations after clinching a place in the UEFA Champions League. He left the Edinburgh club at the end of the 2006-07 season to move back to Panathinaikos.

Panathinaikos

In his second Panathinaikos term, he played just a couple of games and he silently decided to retire from football.

National Team

Fyssas played 60 matches for Greece and he scored 4 goals. He was also one of the key players for the Greek national team that won the Euro 2004 championship in Portugal, a win that shocked the footballing world as Greece were considered 100-1 outsiders before the tournament started.

After Retirement

Fyssas after his retirement enter into the staff of the Greek national Team helping Otto Rehhagel for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the new coach Fernando Santos after Rehhagel retired in 2010.

Honours

Panionios

Panathinaikos

Benfica

Hearts

Greece

Career statistics

[1] [2]

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Greece League Greek Cup League Cup Europe Total
1990-91 Panionios Super League 1 0
1991-92 0 0
1992-93 Beta Ethniki 3 0
1993-94 Super League 18 2
1994-95 28 0
1995-96 32 3
1996-97 Beta Ethniki 28 0
1997-98 Super League 29 1
1998-99 11 3
1998-99 Panathinaikos Super League 18 3
1999-00 24 0
2000-01 25 1
2001-02 20 0
2002-03 27 0
2003-04 9 2
Portugal League Taça de Portugal Taça da Liga Europe Total
2003-04 Benfica Portuguese Liga 14 0
2004-05 16 0
Scotland League Scottish Cup League Cup Europe Total
2005-06 Heart of Midlothian Premier League 32 0
2006-07 21 1
Greece League Greek Cup League Cup Europe Total
2007-08 Panathinaikos Super League 2 0
Total Greece 275 15
Portugal 30 0
Scotland 53 1
Career total 358 16

International goals

Scores and results list Greece's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 13 February 2002 Kleanthis Vikelides Stadium, Thessaloniki, Greece  Sweden 1-1 2-2 Friendly
2 15 May 2002 Ethniko Stadium, Rhodes, Greece  Cyprus 1-1 3-1 Friendly
3 15 May 2002 Ethniko Stadium, Rhodes, Greece  Cyprus 2-1 3-1 Friendly
4 29 January 2003 GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus  Cyprus 1-1 2-1 Friendly

References

  1. ^ "Hearts 4-1 Motherwell". BBC. 9 December 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/6218798.stm. Retrieved 10 November 2009. 

External links

Greece squad – UEFA Euro 2004 Winners (1st Title)
Greece squad – 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup