Takis Fyssas

Panagiotis "Takis" Fyssas (Greek: Τάκης Φύσσας) (born 12 June 1973) is a Greek former international footballer who played as a defender. Currently, he is the technical director of the Hellenic Football Federation.

From 1999 to 2007, he earned 60 caps for the Greece national team. He was part of the team which won Euro 2004.

Club Career

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 sudden 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.

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.

International Career

Fyssas played 60 matches for Greece and he scored four 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. He was subsequently selected in the Team of the Tournament.

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.

Career statistics

^[2][3]

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

Honours

Club

Panionios

• Greek Cup: 1998

Panathinaikos

• Super League Greece: 2004
• Greek Cup: 2004

Benfica

• Primeira Liga: 2004–05
• Taça de Portugal: 2003–04
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: Runner-up 2004

Hearts

• Scottish Cup: 2006

Greece

• UEFA European Championship: 2004

References

External links

• Profile at londonhearts.com
• Takis Fyssas profile at Soccerway

Greece squads Greece squad – UEFA Euro 2004 Winners (1st title) 1 Nikopolidis 2 Seitaridis 3 Venetidis 4 Dabizas 5 Dellas 6 Basinas 7 Zagorakis (c) 8 Giannakopoulos 9 Charisteas 10 Tsiartas 11 Nikolaidis 12 Chalkias 13 Katergiannakis 14 Fyssas 15 Vryzas 16 Kafes 17 Georgiadis 18 Goumas 19 Kapsis 20 Karagounis 21 Katsouranis 22 Papadopoulos 23 Lakis Coach: Rehhagel Greece squad – 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup 1 Nikopolidis 2 Seitaridis 3 Vyntra 4 Tavlaridis 5 Kyrgiakos 6 Basinas 7 Zagorakis (c) 8 Giannakopoulos 9 Charisteas 10 Tsiartas 11 Papadopoulos 12 Chalkias 13 Sifakis 14 Fyssas 15 Vryzas 16 Kafes 17 Amanatidis 18 Goumas 19 Kapsis 20 Karagounis 21 Katsouranis 22 Gekas 23 Lakis Coach: Rehhagel