Taxiarchis Fountas
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Taxiarchis Fountas | ||
| Date of birth | 4 September 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Mesologgi, Greece | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Playing position |
Attacking midfielder Winger Second striker | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Free agent | ||
| Number | - | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011 | Acheloos Neochoriou | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2013 | AEK Athens | 35 | (4) |
| 2013–2016 | Red Bull Salzburg | 0 | (0) |
| 2013 | → Liefering (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2014 | → SV Grödig (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | → Panionios (loan) | 26 | (4) |
| 2015–2016 | → Asteras Tripoli (loan) | 16 | (1) |
| 2016–2017 | Panionios | 19 | (2) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2011 | Greece U17 | 4 | (1) |
| 2012– | Greece U19 | 11 | (1) |
| 2013– | Greece U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2015– | Greece U21 | 3 | (1) |
| 2015– | Greece | 3 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11 March 2017. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 September 2015 | |||
Taxiarchis Fountas (Greek: Ταξιάρχης Φούντας, born 4 September 1995 in Mesologgi), is a Greek footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder.
Club career
AEK Athens
Taxiarchis Fountas was scouted by Toni Savevski, the head of AEK Athens's youth academy at the time. On 17 March 2012. Fountas made his senior debut for AEK Athens against Asteras Tripolis F.C. being the youngest player to play for AEK Athens in a Superleague game aged 16 years 6 months and 13 days old.[1] He played 31 minutes in this game. He made his first start for the club on 22 April on the final day of the 2011-2012 regular season against Doxa Dramas, completing the whole 90 minutes.
Fountas scored his first goal for the club in a 1-0 win against Platanias on 28 October 2012, thus becoming the youngest player to score for AEK at the age of 17 years and 54 days.[2] He scored another goal against Veria F.C. on 18 October 2012 and another one against PAS Giannina F.C. on 3 November 2012. He was also awarded the MVP award after this match. He scored his 4th goal again against Veria FC on 16 March 2013 with a fine left foot shoot. When the club was relegated, the player was released. He also scored a snipe against Everton in a friendly match in the summer of 2012.
Red Bull Salzburg
Reports stating that the Greek international Taxiarhis Fountas is under contract with Red Bull Salzburg. "We have indeed longer employed with him, but there is still no enforcement," said Salzburg motorsport boss Ralf Rangnick. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder played for AEK Athens. The Greek club is currently on the verge of financial collapse. No one knows at present how it goes at AEK Athens, and thus is complicates the transfer. Whether the Greek youth team player who already dwells in Salzburg, will ride on Friday training camp in Germany, should decide at short notice.[3] Eventually on September 2013, Fountas had joined the club on a four-year contract.[4] After the signing of his contract, the club decided to play on loan for six months for Liefering in Austrian Football First League.
Fountas comes on loan to SV Grödig until end of season from local rivals Red Bull Salzburg. The 18-year-old midfielder has at the current standings in the Austrian Football Bundesliga on a contract until the summer of 2017.[5][6] Fountas succeeded to make his first appearance in Bundesliga a week later.
On the beginning of the 2014/15 season, he comes on loan to Panionios, returning to the Greek Super League.[7] Fountas exceptional season with Panionios made Asteras Tripoli to start discussions with Red Bull Salzburg for obtain him on loan, with a buying option if the young player convince with his appearances.[8] The Greek striker will play for Asteras Tripoli on loan from Red Bull Salzburg and is expected to have a duration of two years which clearly wanted and the player's side.[9][10] On 2 January 2016, he scored his first goal with the club to a comfortable 4-0 home win against Panthrakikos.[11] On 5 January 2015, few days after his first goal with his club in Super League, he scored an amazing goal in a 3-0 away win against Larissa for Greek Cup.[12]
Panionios
On 21 July 2016, winger Taxiarchis Fountas, who was recently released from Asteras Tripolis, signed a one (plus one) year contract and officially returned to Panionios.[13] On 1 July 2017, under mutual agreement Panionios solved the player's contract.
International career
Fountas made his international debut for Greece on 13 June 2015,against Faroe Islands where in one of the worst nights of Greek international football, Faroe Islands beat Greece for the second time for the preliminary round of UEFA Euro 2016. He came in the match on 81 minute replacing Panagiotis Kone.[14]
References
- ↑ "Φούντας, ο νεότερος ποδοσφαιριστής στην ιστορία της ΑΕΚ". 18 March 2012.
- ↑ "ΑΕΚ: Νεότερος σκόρερ στην ιστορία της ΑΕΚ ο Φούντας!". 28 October 2012.
- ↑ "Fountas-Transfer zu Salzburg zieht sich hin". 27 June 2013.
- ↑ "Grieche Fountas ab sofort für Salzburg spielberechtigt". 2 September 2013.
- ↑ "Grödig holte Fountas leihweise von Red Bull Salzburg". 31 January 2014.
- ↑ "SV Grödig leiht sich Fountas von Red Bull Salzburg". 1 February 2014.
- ↑ "Ανακοίνωσε Ιμπαγάσα και Φούντα ο Πανιώνιος". 20 August 2014.
- ↑ "Κοντά σε Παλάσιος και Φούντα ο Αστέρας!". 29 May 2015.
- ↑ "Διετής ο δανεισμός του Φούντα στον Αστέρα". 30 May 2015.
- ↑ "Φούντας... διετίας στον Αστέρα Τρίπολης". 30 May 2015.
- ↑ Comfortable win for Asteras Tripolis Retrieved 2 January 2016
- ↑ Asteras Tripolis leave Larisa victorious Retrieved 5 January 2016
- ↑ Ξανά στον Πανιώνιο ο Φούντας! Retrieved 21 July 2016
- ↑ "Faroe Islands defeat Greece again". 13 June 2015.