Thanasis Karagounis

Thanasis Karagounis (Greek: Θανάσης Καραγκούνης; born 25 September 1991) is a Greek professional footballer who plays as a winger or an attacking midfielder for Apollon Smyrnis.[1]

Thanasis Karagounis
Personal information
Full name Athanasios Karagounis
Date of birth (1991-09-25) 25 September 1991
Place of birth Lamia, Greece
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Winger
Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Apollon Smyrnis
Number 46
Youth career
Akadimia Lamia
Androutsos Gravia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2009 Fokikos 30 (4)
2009–2014 Atromitos 80 (5)
2014–2018 PEC Zwolle 21 (1)
2018–2019 Lamia 10 (0)
2019– Apollon Smyrnis 8 (1)
National team‡
2010–2011 Greece U19 7 (0)
2011–2013 Greece U21 9 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 31 August 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 November 2011

Club career

Fokikos

Karagounis started his professional career in 2008 with Fokikos, making 30 appearances in the Football League 2 and scoring 4 goals.[2]

Atromitos

In summer 2009 he joined the newly promoted Beta Ethniki champions[3] Atromitos,.[2]

He was part of the Atromitos team who were runners-up of the 2010–11 Greek Cup, after losing 0–3 to AEK Athens.[4] Thanasis only made 2 appearances in Atromitos' way to the final, one as a starter against Anagennisi Giannitsa for the fourth phase[5] and one as a substitute against Diagoras for the second leg of the quarter finals.[6] He scored his first goal with the club on 3 May 2014 in an away loss 2–1 against Twente.

PEC Zwolle

In January 2014, he signed a 2.5-year contract with PEC Zwolle for a transfer fee of €300,000. He made his debut with the club in January, 18th as a substitute in a 1–2 home loss against Vitesse Arnhem. Karagounis injured on his lip during the Dutch cup match between PEC Zwolle and NEC Nijmegen at the IJsseldelta stadium on 26 March 2014 in Zwolle.[7] On 25 November 2014, Karagounis injured again suffering a cruciate ligament rupture losing the rest of the 2014–15 season.[8]

In July 2015, after a very difficult year for the defender marred by injury (185 days to be exact), according to Voetbal International, Karagounis' return was postponed when there was a setback during his rehabilitation from a cruciate ligament injury. It remained a question whether there is a need for another operation.[9][10] Eventually he lost the whole season and returned to the squad on 30 June 2016.

In April 2016, PEC Zwolle renewed Karagounis' contract for two seasons, till the summer of 2018, despite his severe injury that kept him out of action for the whole season. There is also an option included in his contract for one more season.[11]

After a very difficult year for the midfielder marred by injury (363 days to be exact), Karagounis returned to action in a 4–1 away win game against DVS '33 for the 2016–17 KNVB Cup.[12] On 2 October 2016, he made his reappearance in the championship as a late substitute in a 2–1 home win against ADO Den Haag. On 17 February 2017, he suffered a new knee injury, a second during the 2016–17 season, and the medical predictions estimate his return to action in six months.

In the beginning of 2017–18 season after a third difficult season marred by injury (219 days to be exact), PEC Zwolle announced Karagounis that he could continue his career elsewhere as his not in the plans of club's coach John van 't Schip, besides the fact that his contract is still in force. According to Dutch websites the player will probably sign a contract with Ekstraklasa club Korona Kielce in the January transfer window, but the transfer was not completed and the Greek midfielder is still searching for the next club in his career.

Lamia

On 3 July 2018, Lamia announced the signing of the Greek midfielder for an undisclosed fee.[13]

Apollon Smyrnis

On 14 August 2019, Apollon Smyrnis announced the signing of the Greek midfielder for an undisclosed fee.[14]

International career

Thanasis Karagounis made 7 appearances for Greece under-19 in the past.[1] He is currently a member of the under-21 team,[15] making 9 appearances for them so far.[1]

Personal life

His brother, Vasilis, is also a professional footballer, who is currently playing for Platanias. Although he shares the same surname as Giorgos Karagounis, the former captain of the Greek national football team, it was revealed at a joint interview of both players that they are not related.[16]

Career statistics

Club
As of 31 August 2020[17][18]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Fokikos2008–09Football League 23041000–314
Atromitos2009–10Superleague1110000–111
2010–111302000–150
2011–122114200–253
2012–13232101053305
2013–141211121–153
Total8058331539612
Zwolle2013–14Eredivisie1212000–141
2014–15302100–51
2015–16000000–00
2016–17502000–70
2017–18100000–10
Total211610000272
Lamia2018–19Superleague1003000–130
Apollon Smyrnis2019–20Superleague 2810000–81
Career total15911184115317319

Honours
PEC Zwolle

References
  1. "Thanasis Karagounis profile". UEFA.
  2. "Thanasis Karagounis to Atromitos". Paratiritis Fthiotidas (in Greek). Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  3. "Atromitos are champions". in.gr (in Greek). 18 May 2009. Archived from the original on 6 May 2012.
  4. "2010–11 Greek Cup Final, match report". Hellenic Football Federation (in Greek). Archived from the original on 10 May 2012.
  5. "Anagennisi Giannitsa – Atromitos 1–3 (26/10/2010), match report". Hellenic Football Federation., Καραγκούνης (in Greek)
  6. "Diagoras – Atromitos 0–1 (3/2/2011), match report". Hellenic Football Federation. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011., Καραγκούνης (in Greek)
  7. "Dutch Cup - PEC Zwolle v NEC Nijmegen".
  8. "Χάνει τη χρονιά ο Θανάσης Καραγκούνης".
  9. "PEC dreigt Karagounis nog een jaar te missen". 3 July 2015.
  10. "Thanasis Karagounis is eindelijk weer voetballer".
  11. "Thanasis Karagounis verlengt contract". 22 April 2016.
  12. "DVS'33 uit Ermelo verliest van buurman PEC Zwolle: 1-4". 21 September 2016.
  13. "Στη Λαμία ο Καραγκούνης". 3 July 2018.
  14. "Υπέγραψε στον Απόλλωνα Σμύρνης ο Καραγκούνης". 14 August 2019.
  15. "Greece U21 squad". Hellenic Football Federation (in Greek). Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  16. Katonis, Pavlos (14 November 2010). "When Karagounis met Karagounis". Espresso (in Greek). Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  17. "Thanasis Karagounis » Club matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  18. "T. Karagounis". Soccerway. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
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