Angelos Charisteas

Angelos Charisteas (Greek: Άγγελος Χαριστέας, pronounced [ˈaɲɟelos xariˈste.as]; born 9 February 1980) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a forward. He works as sporting director for Aris Thessaloniki.

Angelos Charisteas
Charisteas in 2008
Personal information
Full name Angelos Charisteas
Date of birth (1980-02-09) 9 February 1980
Place of birth Strymoniko, Greece
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Forward
Club information
Current team
 Aris Thessaloniki (Sporting director)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–2002 Aris Thessaloniki 87 (19)
1998–1999 → Athinaikos (loan) 7 (1)
2002–2005 Werder Bremen 66 (18)
2005–2006 Ajax 31 (12)
2006–2007 Feyenoord 28 (9)
2007–2010 1. FC Nürnberg 57 (8)
2009 → Bayer Leverkusen (loan) 13 (1)
2010 Arles-Avignon 6 (0)
2011 Schalke 04 4 (1)
2011–2012 Panetolikos 24 (4)
2013 Al-Nassr 7 (1)
Total 330 (74)
National team
2001–2011 Greece 88 (25)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

At club level he has played for Aris Thessaloniki, Werder Bremen, Ajax, Feyenoord, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke 04, Arles-Avignon, and Al-Nassr.

Internationally, he was capped 88 times by Greece, scoring 25 goals. He was a member of the UEFA Euro 2004 winning team, scoring three goals, including the winning goal in the final against Portugal. He also represented Greece at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.

Club career

Aris Thessaloniki

After a few years playing for non-league Strimonikos Serron, Charisteas eventually started his professional career with Greek side Aris Thessaloniki. It was during his first season at Aris that Charisteas started making a name for himself, scoring twice in nine matches as they won the Greek second division in 1997–98. Charisteas started well in his first season in the Greek top league and got further noticed when he scored twice in the local derby against Thessaloniki rivals PAOK. The striker made twelve appearances in the Alpha Ethniki – six as a substitute – before a loan at Athinaikos in 1998–99. He returned to Aris the following season and made his European debut in a UEFA Cup defeat by Celta de Vigo at the age of 19. Charisteas was continuously developing and in the 2000–01 season, where he scored seven goals.

Werder Bremen

Having been watched by scouts from a number of Europe's leading sides, he was signed by German Bundesliga side Werder Bremen in the summer of 2002. The transfer fee paid to Aris was reported as €3 million.[1] He had a successful first season scoring nine goals in 31 appearances in the Bundesliga and two goals from four games in the UEFA Cup.

In the 2003–04 season, Werder Bremen won the Bundesliga and the German Cup with Charisteas scoring four goals from 24 appearances.

On 29 September 2004, Charisteas contributed a goal in his side's 2–1 win against Valencia in the Champions League.[2] In total, he scored five goals in 11 matches for Werder Bremen the 2004–05 season.

Ajax

In December 2004, Charisteas moved to the Netherlands to play for Ajax for a reported fee nearly €5 million.[1] Greece manager Otto Rehhagel had publicly urged Charisteas to try to move to another club during the January 2005 transfer window, in order to get more first-team action. Ajax fitted the bill, as they were hoping to find a replacement for Swedish international striker Zlatan Ibrahimović, who had been sold to Juventus. Charisteas made his Ajax debut on 23 January 2005 against FC Utrecht and scored his first goal four days later against SC Heerenveen. However, he only managed three more games all season. Charisteas netted home eight goals in the 2005–06 season, which included a late winner against Vitesse Arnhem. Charisteas missed Greece's crucial match in the World Cup qualifying due to a head injury received after colliding with Arsenal's Kolo Touré in a Champions League match which Ajax lost 2–1.

Under new Ajax manager Henk ten Cate, Charisteas was the 5th striker behind Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Ryan Babel, Markus Rosenberg, and Rydell Poepon. Ten Cate explained this by saying that Charisteas is a great striker for the 4–4–2 formation, but not for the 4–3–3 formation, which is played for Ajax.

Feyenoord

Despite stating that he was only interested in a move to England or Germany, Charisteas signed for arch-rivals Feyenoord in Rotterdam on 31 August 2006, the final day of the summer transfer window. This move caused a great deal of agitation in Rotterdam with parts of The Legion, stating that they did not want an Ajax player at their club, protesting the move at De Kuip with the chant "Wij willen geen neus." (translated as: "we don't want a nose," nose being derogatory slang for Ajax players) and demanded that chairman Jorien van den Herik resign. Despite the protests, Charisteas made his debut for Feyenoord on 10 September against Sparta Rotterdam and played the full game. He eventually scored his first goal for his new club in his tenth game. Although he seemed to have convinced some fans at a certain point, Charisteas never enjoyed a good relationship with Feyenoord supporters. He finished the season having played a total of 28 games for Feyenoord, netting nine goals.

Nürnberg

On 6 July 2007, 1. FC Nürnberg confirmed a deal with Feyenoord to sign Charisteas on a four-year deal worth €2.5 million.[3] He scored his first two official team goals in a 6–0 victory against fourth division club SC Victoria Hamburg.

At the beginning of the 2009–10 season, he returned to the newly promoted Nürnberg. His first goal of the season came on 12 March 2010, when he scored the winning goal in the 1–2 away win against Hertha BSC, helping Nürnberg to avoid the relegation, before Otto Rehhagel called him up to the Greece national team for the 2010 World Cup.

Bayer Leverkusen

On 2 February 2009, he was loaned out to Bayer Leverkusen until the end of the season,[3] helping the team to reach the final of the German Cup.

Arles-Avignon

On 10 August 2010, Charisteas signed for Arles-Avignon, along with teammate Angelos Basinas.[4][3] He made his debut on 21 August 2010 in a 1–2 away defeat against Toulouse.[5] Charisteas made a total of seven appearances, scoring no goals, before his contract was terminated on 26 November 2010.

Schalke 04

On 30 January 2011, Schalke 04 formalized his arrival. Charisteas signed a contract on 30 June 2011, until the end of the season. In his debut match for Schalke, he scored the second goal in a 2–1 home win against Eintracht Frankfurt. It was his first touch of the ball, having been on the pitch for only 52 seconds. On 13 April 2011, Charisteas reached the semi-finals of the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League with Schalke, beating in the quarter-finals the defending champion Internazionale, Charisteas replaced the Brazilian Edu in the 32nd minute of the second half. Schalke 04 and Charisteas reached a result never achieved before.

On 21 May 2011, Charisteas won the German Cup with Schalke 04.

Panetolikos

On 27 July 2011, Charisteas joined Panetolikos, newly promoted to the Super League,[6] signing a one-year contract. His first goal of the season came on 14 September 2011 when he scored the winning goal in the 1–0 home win against Asteras Tripolis.

Al-Nassr

After interest from Inter Milan, reported in the newspaper Corriere dello Sport, on 17 February 2013, Charisteas signed a one and a half year contract with Al-Nassr FC. Charisteas played his debut in the final of the 2012–13 Saudi Crown Prince Cup against Al-Hilal FC on 22 February 2013. After 90 minutes penalties had to be taken and Charisteas missed the fourth.

International career

Having been a regular player for the Greek Under-21 side, Charisteas made his senior international debut in February 2001 in a 3–3 draw against Russia. His impact was immediate as he scored two of the goals for Greece that day. His prolific goal scoring continued, eventually helping his team qualify for the Euro 2004.

Charisteas scores for Greece in the Euro 2004 final against Portugal on 4 July

During the victorious Euro 2004 campaign, Charisteas scored three goals: one in the group stage against Spain, one against France in the quarterfinals and the winning goal against Portugal in the final. His contribution to the team and his impact in the competition was further recognised when he was named in the Euro 2004 All-star Team and he was also nominated for the 2004 Ballon d'Or award, where he finished 11th in votes.

In January 2007, Charisteas told Dutch football magazine Voetbal International that winning Euro 2004 was an unbelievable experience which he would not swap for all the money in the world: "Even in 50 years time, everybody will remember that I scored the goal which made Greece the champions of Europe. We wrote history and my life changed completely at that point."

In the qualifying rounds for Euro 2008, Charisteas scored three goals, helping Greece to automatically qualify for the competition with two games left. He would go on to be one of the few Greek players who performed well at Euro 2008, scoring the defending champions' only goal of the tournament in the 2–1 defeat to Spain. He also scored 4 goals for his country in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Charisteas was part of the squad that travelled to South Africa for the final tournament, where he played one game and he was the only Greek player with Giourkas Seitaridis, Kostas Katsouranis, Georgios Karagounis and the goalkeeper Kostas Chalkias to participate in 2 European Championships and a World Cup.

Charisteas was called up again on 8 October 2011 for the qualification match against Croatia, and on 11 October 2011, where he scored the winning goal in the 85th minute in Georgia, securing a 2–1 victory which sent Greece automatically to the Euro 2012 Championships. With this goal, Charisteas score in three qualifiers for European Championships and for three consecutive World Cups, became the only player to reach that in the Greek national team.

Charisteas also became the second top scorer for the Greece national team with 25 goals, four less than the retired Nikos Anastopoulos.[7]

Post-playing career

In 2019, Charisteas became sporting director of his former club.[8][9]

Personal life

During his time as a footballer, Charisteas was known to play the Bouzouki in his spare time.[10]

Career statistics

Club
Source:[11]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Aris Thessaloniki1997–98Beta Ethniki921000102
1998–99Alpha Ethniki1242000144
1999–001912110222
2000–0128832003110
2001–021942100215
Total 8719104109823
Athinaikos1998–99Beta Ethniki71000071
Werder Bremen2002–03Bundesliga31944423915
2003–042445231327
2004–051152051186
Total 66181161248928
Ajax2004–05Eredivisie1340000134
2005–061783140249
2006–0710000010
Total 311231403813
Feyenoord Rotterdam2006–07Eredivisie28931513611
1. FC Nürnberg2007–08Bundesliga24612633111
2008–092. Bundesliga1412000161
2009–10Bundesliga1911000201
Total 57842636713
Bayer Leverkusen (loan)2008–09Bundesliga1313100162
Arles-Avignon2010–11Ligue 160000060
Schalke 042010–11Bundesliga41101061
Panetolikos2011–12Super League Greece2442000264
Al-Nassr2012–13Saudi Premier League71200091
Career total 33074381529839797

International
Source:[11]
Greece national team
YearAppsGoals
200174
200260
2003103
2004156
2005101
200671
200762
2008126
200980
201041
201131
Total8825

International goals
Source:[11]
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1.28 February 2001Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium, Heraklion, Greece Russia2 – 33–3Friendly match
2.28 February 2001Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium, Heraklion, Greece Russia3 – 33–3Friendly match
3.28 March 2001Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece Germany1 – 12–42002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
4.6 October 2001Old Trafford, Manchester, England England0 – 12–22002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
5.2 April 2003Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland Northern Ireland0 – 10–2UEFA Euro 2004 qualifier
6.2 April 2003Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland Northern Ireland0 – 20–2UEFA Euro 2004 qualifier
7.11 June 2003Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium, Athens, Greece Ukraine1 – 01–0UEFA Euro 2004 qualifier
8.3 June 2004Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein Liechtenstein0 – 20–2Friendly match
9.16 June 2004Estádio do Bessa, Porto, Portugal Spain1 – 11–1UEFA Euro 2004
10.25 June 2004Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal France0 – 10–1UEFA Euro 2004
11.4 July 2004Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal Portugal0 – 10–1UEFA Euro 2004 Final
12.17 November 2004Karaiskákis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece Kazakhstan1 – 03–12006 FIFA World Cup qualifier
13.17 November 2004Karaiskákis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece Kazakhstan2 – 03–12006 FIFA World Cup qualifier
14.30 March 2005Karaiskákis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece Albania1 – 02–02006 FIFA World Cup qualifier
15.11 October 2006Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina0 – 10–4UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier
16.6 June 2007Pankritio Stadium, Heraklion, Greece Moldova1 – 02–1UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier
17.13 October 2007Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece Bosnia and Herzegovina1 – 03–2UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier
18.6 February 2008GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus Finland1 – 12–1Friendly match
19.18 June 2008Wals Siezenheim Stadium, Salzburg, Austria Spain0 – 12–1UEFA Euro 2008
20.6 September 2008Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg Luxembourg0 – 30–32010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
21.11 October 2008Karaiskákis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece Moldova1 – 03–02010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
22.11 October 2008Karaiskákis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece Moldova3 – 03–02010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
23.15 October 2008Karaiskákis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece  Switzerland1 – 11–22010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
24.25 May 2010Stadion Schnabelholz, Altach, Austria North Korea1 – 22–2Friendly match
25.11 October 2011Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia Georgia1 – 21–2UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier

Honours

Club

Werder Bremen

Ajax

Bayer Leverkusen

Schalke 04

International

Greece

Individual

References
  1. "Werders Grieche wechselt zu Ajax". Der Spiegel (in German). 23 December 2004. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  2. "Charisteas und Klose führen Werder zum Sieg". Rheinische Post (in German). 29 September 2004. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  3. "Charisteas wechselt nach Frankreich". kicker Online (in German). 16 August 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  4. "ACAA: à la sauce grecque". Le Dauphiné Libéré (in French). 16 August 2010. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  5. "Toulouse v. Arles-Avignon Match Report" (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 21 August 2010. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  6. "Griechenland: Charisteas kehrt heim". kicker Online (in German). 27 July 2007. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  7. Mamrud, Roberto (29 February 2012). "Angelos Charisteas – Goals in International Matches". The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  8. "Werder Bremen-Legende Angelos Charisteas erklärt sein Doppelleben!". Deichstube (in German). Kreiszeitung. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  9. Gómez, Sergio (10 September 2019). "Greek top flight side Aris Thessaloniki sound out Guti". AS. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  10. "Angelos Charisteas". BBC News. 25 May 2004. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  11. "Angelos Charisteas". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman.
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