Giannis Samaras

Giannis Samaras (Greek: Γιάννης Σαμαράς; born 3 May 1961) is a former footballer who played as a midfielder during the 1980s and 1990s. Born in Australia, he represented Greece at international level.

Giannis Samaras
Personal information
Full name Ioannis Samaras
Date of birth (1961-05-03) 3 May 1961
Place of birth Melbourne, Australia
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 OFI Crete (Director of Football)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1980–1984 Vyzas Megara
1984–1989 OFI Crete 114 (27)
1988 South Melbourne 1 (1)
1989–1991 Panathinaikos 48 (15)
1991–1996 OFI Crete 103 (6)
Total 266 (49)
International career
1986–1990 Greece 16 (1)
Managerial career
2000–2002 OFI Crete
2012–2017 Panathinaikos (general manager)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Samaras was born in Melbourne, Australia, to Greek parents who moved there at an early age. His father, Georgios, was a co-founder of South Melbourne FC, an Australian soccer club with strong ties to the Greek community and is Australia's most successful Football side.[1] He moved to Greece at the age of thirteen. His son, also named Georgios, recently retired from professional football.[2]

Ioannis began his football career in 1980 with Vyzas F.C., but before long he had attracted the attention of several bigger teams and he signed for OFI Crete in the summer of 1984. He went on to play over 100 matches for Crete before he left for Panathinaikos FC in January 1989. In 1991, Samaras returned to Crete, playing 103 games and retiring in 1996. In 1988, Samaras made a guest appearance for South Melbourne Hellas (30 years after his father helped establish the club) and scored a goal as South Melbourne defeated Sydney Olympic 2-1 at Middle Park.[3]

Samaras earned 16 caps for the Greece national team between 1986 and 1990.[4] He scored one goal, on his eighth cap, in a 4–2 friendly win over Norway.[5]

Samaras was appointed on 26 July 2010 as the new Technical Manager for the Panathinaikos F.C. academies, replacing Nikos Kovis.[6]

International career

International goals
Scores and results list Greece's goal tally first.[7]
NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.22 February 1989Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece Norway1–04–2Friendly

References
  1. Lynch, Michael (24 May 2006). "Star who slipped the net". The Age. Melbourne.
  2. Georgios boasts his father's talents Scottish article dated 7 February 2008
  3. "South mourns the passing of Georgios Samaras Senior • - SMFC". Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  4. ΕΘΝΙΚΕΣ ΟΜΑΔΕΣ > Εθνική Ομάδα Ανδρών (in Greek). EPO. Archived from the original on 31 December 2009. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
  5. "Giannis Samaras, international football player".
  6. "Να ανέβουμε επίπεδο"
  7. "Samaras, Ioannis". National Football Teams. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
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