Akis Zikos
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Vassilios Zikos | ||
| Date of birth | 1 June 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Athens, Greece | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defensive Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1993–1998 | Skoda Xanthi | 114 | (4) |
| 1998–2002 | AEK Athens | 105 | (6) |
| 2002–2006 | Monaco | 103 | (2) |
| 2006–2008 | AEK Athens | 50 | (0) |
| Total | 372 | (12) | |
| National team | |||
| Greece U-21 | 7 | (0) | |
| 1998-2007 | Greece | 18 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2013– | AEK Athens (Youth Team Director) | ||
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Vassilios "Akis" Zikos (Greek: Ανδρέας Βασίλειος "Άκης" Ζήκος; born 1 June 1974) is a retired Greek international football player who played as a defensive midfielder. He was a strong and industrious player, known for his tackling and positioning skills.
Club career
Skoda Xanthi
He started his professional career in 1993 with Skoda Xanthi for whom he spent 4 seasons in the Greek Super League.[1]
AEK Athens
Between 1998 and 2002 he was an integral part of AEK Athens, winning the Greek Cup in two occasions, 2000 and 2002.
Monaco
In the summer of 2002 he was signed by Monaco where he played for four seasons in Ligue 1.[2] He also proved his talent with the club on the European stage. In 2003 he won the French League Cup and in 2004 AS Monaco (always under Didier Deschamps) made it to the UEFA Champions League Final where they lost to José Mourinho's FC Porto in Arena Auf Schalke, Gelsenkirchen. Despite their heavy loss (3-0 for FC Porto), Akis Zikos was recognized one of the best players on the pitch that day. His appearance in the final made Zikos the first Greek to play in a UEFA Champions League final.
Return to Greece
In 2006, after 4 full successful years in France, Akis Zikos decided to return to his home country to play for his favorite team, AEK Athens. Zikos, in an injury plagued year for AEK Athens, helped the team to finish in second place and achieve a Champions League 3rd qualification round berth. He retired from football on 20 April 2008 on the final game of the regular season.
International career
He won 18 caps for Greece, but fell out of favor when coach Otto Rehhagel took over the team. After helping Monaco to the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final, he was considered for selection in Greece's victorious Euro 2004 squad, however he was ultimately overlooked. [3]
Honours
- Greek Cup: 2000, 2002
- French League Cup: 2003
- UEFA Champions League: Runner-up 2003–04
References
- ↑ "Stats Centre: Akis Zikos Facts". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
- ↑ Andreas Zikos – French League Stats at LFP.fr (French)
- ↑ "Papadopoulos in Greek squad". BBC. 23 May 2004. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
External links
- Akis Zikos at National-Football-Teams.com