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Kostas Stafylidis

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Kostas Stafylidis
Stafylidis in a Greece under-19s line-up prior to a match against England under-19s in November 2012
Personal information
Full name Konstantinos Stafylidis
Date of birth (1993-12-02) 2 December 1993 (age 30)
Place of birth Thessaloniki, Greece
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Left back
Defensive midfielder
Left winger
Team information
Current team
 Augsburg
Number 3
Youth career
2006–2011 PAOK
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2012 PAOK 16 (0)
2012–2015 Bayer Leverkusen 1 (0)
2012–2013 → PAOK (loan) 21 (1)
2014–2015 → Fulham (loan) 38 (0)
2015– Augsburg 24 (3)
International career‡
2010 Greece U17 1 (0)
2010–2012 Greece U19 21 (4)
2013 Greece U20 7 (1)
2012–2013 Greece U21 10 (0)
2012– Greece 15 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 December 2016
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13 November 2016

Konstantinos Stafylidis (Greek: Κώστας Σταφυλίδης; born 2 December 1993) is a Greek footballer who plays as a left back for Bundesliga side Augsburg and the Greece national team.

Early career

Stafylidis started his football career at the age of 6 joining his village football team Aetos Akropotamou. At the age of twelve, PAOK scouts recognized his talent, and he joined the club's academies. Stafylidis has played for all PAOK youth teams.

Club career

PAOK

After rising through the youth ranks where he featured at every level, while also breaking into the Greek national youth set up after earning call-ups to the U17’s and U19’s starting in 2010, Stafylidis would make his full debut for the White-Blacks in the fall of 2011 against Panetolikos, even registering the first-assist of his full professional career in the same outing.[1]

Bayer Leverkusen

In the summer of 2012 and after his good performance at the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, Stafylidis attracted attention from German club Bayer Leverkusen. After weeks of negotiations and due to PAOK's financial problem the team accepted a bid from Bayer Leverkusen for €1.5 million, but decided to stay for one more year as a loan, in his former club. Having failed in breaking into the first-team at the Bay Arena for the 2013-14 season, he was again chucked out on loan, this time to England where he would join up with Championship side Fulham.

Fulham (loan)

On 9 July 2014, Konstantinos Stafylidis has joined Fulham on a season-long loan from Bayer Leverkusen playing in English Championship. The Greek international made just one Bundesliga appearance last term as Sebastian Boenisch was preferred at left-back. He will now seek to make an impact in England as Felix Magath aims to guide Fulham back to the Premier League following last season's relegation. Fulham have the option to sign the 20-year-old permanently at the end of his loan spell. [2] [3] He had 44 appearances with the club in all competitions. At the end of the season he returned to Bayer Leverkusen.

Augsburg

Though he would return to Leverkusen, fellow Bundesliga outfit Augsburg would bring him to Bavaria in a deal worth ₤2.1 million as both Bundesliga clubs confirmed in official statements.[4] Stafylidis, 21, was on loan at Fulham last season but has now signed with Augsburg to 2017 with the option of extending the deal further. "I am delighted that my transfer worked out because I hope for more match practice in the Bundesliga. I want to help the team with my qualities and to improve myself," Stafylidis told the Augsburg homepage. [5] [6]

On 22 August 2015, he made his debut with the club in an 1-1 away draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. On 12 October 2015, Stafylidis was injured in the game against Hungary. "It's a minor injury. I will be out for 20 days", he mentioned. [7] On 10 December 2015, he returned to the squad in a historic 3-1 away game against FK Partizan for UEFA Europa League, as they needing to score three and win by a two-goal margin, they were understandably on the front foot from the get-go. [8] On 6 February 2016, in an away 2-1 loss against Ingosltadt Stafylidis scored his first goal with the club with a wonderful kick, after taking the rebound outside the penalty area. It was his first goal for the season. [9] On 25 February 2016, in the second leg of the last 32 of UEFA Europa League, Stafylidis one minute before the final whistle, curls his free-kick over the wall but just wide of the upright. That was almost curtains for Liverpool that with James Milner’s early penalty was enough to book their place in the last 16 of the Europa League for the first time in five years at the expense of Augsburg. [10] Despite the move at the beginning of the 2015-16 campaign, Stafylidis would only go on to make sixteen total appearances (eleven in the Bundesliga) in what would be Markus Weinzierl’s final season in charge before moving Schalke the summer of 2016.

It has been under new boss Dirk Schuster that Stafylidis has been truly impressive during the 2016-17 campaign. On 11 September 2016, Stafylidis notched the fifth direct free-kick in Augsburg's Bundesliga history, helping his club to escape with a crucial 2-1 away win against Werder Bremen. [11] On 18 September 2016, despite his goal in the equaliser a minute later Mainz restore their lead through Yunus Mallı's glancing header, in a frustrtating 1-3 home loss.[12] On 16 October 2016, the Greek international defender was the cause of Breel Embolo's severe injury as he broke Schalke forward's ankle in a tackle, in Augsburg's clash with Schalke and the former has now apologised, stating he never meant to harm him. Switzerland international Embolo could be set to miss the rest of the season after sustaining the injury midway through the first half of 1-1 draw between the teams. Stafylidis, who was booked for the challenge, was quick to offer his condolences to the 19-year-old striker.[13] [14]

International career

Stafylidis playing for Greece under-19s against Estonia under-19s in July 2012

He also played a major role in the Greek squad at the Under-19 European Champions and won a runners-up medal, after losing 1–0 to Spain U19, being named to the team of the tournament.[15] Stafylidis made his debut with Greece national football team in a friendly match against Republic of Ireland on 14 November 2012, in which Greece won 1–0.[16] On 11 October 2015, he scored his first goal with Greece in a 4-3 home win against Hungary when he opened the score, scoring their first home goal of the campaign as he turned in a cross from Stelios Kitsiou at close range in the fifth minute. [17] On 10 October 2016, an exact year after his first goal, he scored from a free kick with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner, sealing a 2-0 away 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification win against Estonia. [18]

Style of Play

Though famed for their stout, physical defenders in the mold of Kostas Manolas and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, and rough-and-tumble holding midfielders like Giannis Maniatis, Stafylidis is very much a more modern full-back. Rather that sit back, defend and call it a day at the office, Stafylidis is very much a left-back who loves to bomb forward. The Greek international is a very well rounded full-back, with strong technical ability on the ball. Not only is he quite capable to influence proceedings further forward, but his strength in reading the flow of a match to patrol the passing avenues as well as challenge in the air truly make him an all-around threat for any opponent he faces off against. [19]

International goals

As of match played 10 October 2016. Greece score listed first, score column indicates score after each Stafylidis goal.[20]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition Ref
1 11 October 2015 Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece 6  Hungary 1–0 4–3 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying [21]
2 10 October 2016 A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia 13  Estonia 2–0 2–0 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification [22]

Career statistics

International

As of 13 November 2016[23][20]
National team Year Apps Goals
Greece
2012 1 0
2014 1 0
2015 4 1
2016 9 1
Total 15 2

Honours

PAOK

References

  1. ^ "K. Stafylidis".
  2. ^ "Fulham seal Stafylidis loan from Leverkusen".
  3. ^ "Konstantinos Stafylidis: Fulham sign Greece international on loan". BBC Sport. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  4. ^ "Leverkusen's Greek defender Stafylidis joins FC Augsburg". www.business-standard.com. 21 August 2015.
  5. ^ "Augsburg sign defender Stafylidis from Leverkusen". www.dpa-international.com. 20 August 2015.
  6. ^ "Augsburg sign Greek international Stafylidis". sportsplay.al. 20 August 2015.
  7. ^ "Stafylidis: "To respect the new manager"". www.sdna.gr. 12 October 2015.
  8. ^ "Augsburg reach last 32 on historic night in Belgrade". www.bundesliga.com. 10 December 2015.
  9. ^ "Ingosltadt vs Augsburg 2-1". www.goal.com. 6 February 2016.
  10. ^ "Liverpool vs Augsburg 1-0". www.theguardian.com. 25 February 2016.
  11. ^ "Werder Bremen 1-2 FC Augsburg". www.espnfc.us. 11 September 2016.
  12. ^ "Mainz up and running after Augsburg win". www.bundesliga.com. 18 September 2016.
  13. ^ "Σταφυλίδης: «Στη ζωή μου, δεν ήθελα να χτυπήσω τον Εμπολό»". www.gazzetta.gr. 16 October 2016.
  14. ^ "Nach Embolo: Was Schuster Stafylidis zu sagen hatte". www.kicker.de. 18 October 2016.
  15. ^ "Spain make it six of the best in Estonia". uefa.com.
  16. ^ "Jose Holebas scored the winner as Greece beat Republic of Ireland in Dublin". skysports.com. 15 November 2012.
  17. ^ "Greece - Hungary 4-3". www.sportinglife.com. 11 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Estonia Greece 0-2". www.skysports.com. 11 October 2016.
  19. ^ "Scout Report: Konstantinos Stafylidis ... The best left back in Germany?". outsideoftheboot.com. 13 October 2016.
  20. ^ a b "Κώστας Σταφυλίδης". Hellenic Football Federation (in Greek). Retrieved 14 October 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ "Greece 4-3 Hungary". Sky Sports. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  22. ^ "Estonia 0-2 Greece". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  23. ^ "Kostas Stafylidis - National Football Teams". National Football Teams.
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