Akis Zikos
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Andreas Vassilios Zikos | ||
Date of birth | 1 June 1974 | ||
Place of birth | Athens, Greece | ||
Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
Position(s) | 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) | |
International career | |||
1996–2001 | Greece | 18 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
2013–2015 | AEK Athens (Youth Team Director) | ||
2017– | AEK Athens (Youth Team Director) | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Andreas 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 AufSchalke, 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. Archived from the original on 15 June 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ Andreas Zikos – French league stats at LFP – also available in French (archived)
- ^ "Papadopoulos in Greek squad". BBC. 23 May 2004. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
External links
- Akis Zikos at National-Football-Teams.com
- Use dmy dates from April 2011
- Living people
- 1974 births
- Greek footballers
- Greece international footballers
- Greek expatriate footballers
- Greek expatriates in France
- Greek expatriates in Monaco
- Association football midfielders
- AEK Athens F.C. players
- AS Monaco FC players
- Xanthi F.C. players
- Expatriate footballers in France
- Expatriate footballers in Monaco
- Ligue 1 players
- Superleague Greece players
- Sportspeople from Athens
- AEK F.C. non-playing staff