Sokratis Papastathopoulos

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Sokratis Papastathopoulos
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Papastathopoulos with Borussia Dortmund in 2014
Personal information
Full name Sokratis Papastathopoulos
Date of birth (1988-06-09) 9 June 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth Kalamata, Greece
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Position(s) Centre back / Right back
Team information
Current team
 Borussia Dortmund
Number 25
Youth career
Apollon Petalidiou
AEK Athens
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2008 AEK Athens 58 (1)
2006 → Niki Volos (loan) 11 (0)
2008–2010 Genoa 51 (2)
2010–2011 Milan 5 (0)
2011–2012 → Werder Bremen (loan) 30 (1)
2012–2013 Werder Bremen 29 (1)
2013– Borussia Dortmund 64 (3)
International career‡
2003–2005 Greece U17 11 (2)
2005–2007 Greece U19 13 (2)
2007–2010 Greece U21 7 (2)
2008– Greece 62 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 December 2015
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 November 2015

Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Greek: Σωκράτης Παπασταθόπουλος, pronounced [soˈkratis papastaˈθopulos]; born 9 June 1988) is a Greek footballer who plays as a centre back for German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and is the captain of the Greek national team. Since the surname Papastathopoulos cannot fit on his club shirt, his first name Sokratis is usually displayed instead; however, a common nickname for him is Papa.[1]

Club career

AEK Athens

Papastathopoulos joined AEK Athens from Apollon Petalidiou after being scouted by Toni Savevski. On 26 October 2005, he made his debut for AEK Athens in a Greek Cup match against PAS Giannina scoring in the 7th minute of the game leading AEK Athens to a 3–0 win.

Niki Volou loan

In January 2006, he was loaned to Greek Second Division club Niki Volou for six months in order to gain first team football and gather valuable experience. He made a total of 15 appearances for Niki Volou.

AEK Athens return

During the 2006-07 Superleague Greece, Papastathopoulos managed to make 14 appearances whilst competing against the likes of Bruno Cirillo, Traianos Dellas and Vangelis Moras. In AEK Athens' 2006–07 UEFA Champions League campaign, Papastathopoulos managed to play in three out of the six group games. In these three games AEK Athens managed one win (the famous 1–0 victory over Milan, where he man-marked Filippo Inzaghi), one draw (the 2–2 away draw with Anderlecht) and one loss (the 3–1 away defeat to Lille). During the 2007–08 Superleague Greece, he was a mainstay in AEK's defence, keeping out competition from Geraldo Alves. He also played through the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League campaigna and in a Super-League match becoming the side's youngest ever captain, aged 19, in a game against great local rivals Panathinaikos in 2008.

Genoa

On 1 August 2008, Papastathopoulos agreed to transfer to Genoa, a Serie A team, for undisclosed fee.[2] He also played a club friendly against Genoa on the same day.[3]

He made his debut for Genoa on 27 September 2008 against Fiorentina, followed by a start against Ravenna Calcio in the Coppa Italia a few days later. His first goal for Genoa came on 5 October 2008 at home against Napoli. Genoa won the game 3–2, but Papastathopoulos was sent off in the 89th minute[4][5] During the 2009–10 season, he managed to play in most games and became somewhat of a fan favorite.

Milan

On 20 July 2010, it was confirmed on Milan's website that Papastathopoulos had joined the team, after Genoa and Milan reached an agreement to transfer Papastathopoulos to the club for €14 million, with the following payment schedule: Gianmarco Zigoni (half of registration rights valued €3.75M), Nnamdi Oduamadi (half rights valued €3.5M) and Rodney Strasser (half rights €2.25M) in co-ownership deal, plus €4.5 million cash.[6][7][8] Papastathopoulos is the first arrival since former Cagliari Calcio boss Massimiliano Allegri's appointment as Milan coach.[9]

Genoa return

On 24 May 2011, Adriano Galliani and Enrico Preziosi formed a verbal agreement to solve the players ownerships (subject to player agreements) of Kevin-Prince Boateng, Alberto Paloschi, Marco Amelia and Giacomo Beretta. The deal entailed that Milan bought back Gianmarco Zigoni, Rodney Strasser and Nnamdi Oduamadi (all under original price),[10] while Genoa bought back Papastathopoulos for €13 million, which effectively made the de facto loan cost for Milan €1 million.[10][11][12]

Werder Bremen

File:Sokratis Papastathopoulos 2012.JPG
Sokratis at Werder Bremen

On 21 July 2011, Papastathopoulos moved to Werder Bremen on another loan deal until the end of the 2011–12 season.[13][14][15]

The Greek international leaves Genoa on a one-year loan with Bremen having the option to purchase the defender outright. An agreement was long in the making, but financial trouble at the German club stalled negotiations before a deal was finally struck. "He's a young player and has already gained some experience at Genoa and in the Greek national team," Bremen sporting director Klaus Allofs said. "When we heard that he was not being used at AC Milan, we immediately expressed interest. With his pace, his strength, and tackling, he will certainly help us." It was a complex deal that involved eight players, Genoa bought back Sokratis in May, only to pass him on to Bremen. "After initial discussions with Klaus Allofs and Thomas Schaaf, it was immediately clear to me that I would accept the offer from Werder. Now I will integrate into the team and help as soon as possible," the 23-year-old said.[16][17] Capable of playing both in the centre and on the right of the back four, Papastathopoulos will provide much-needed cover for Bremen's defence. Currently, defenders Naldo, Per Mertesacker, Sebastian Prodl, Sebastian Boenisch, and Mikael Silvestre are sidelined with injuries.

Following good performances, it was decided on 16 April 2012 that Papastathopoulos would join Werder Bremen on a permanent basis, for €5 million.[18][19][20] The 2012/13 season was not good for the club as tried to avoid relegation. On March 2013, Sokratis had a training ground brawl with his teammate ex-Inter star Marko Arnautovic. It was the sole incident in the career of Sokratis so far.[21] In the 2012/13 season, Thomas Schaaf learnt that it’s worth listening to Sokratis. This episode attests to the great tactical understanding Sokratis disposes of, so much so that it’s as if he graduated from a diplomatic school. When the flood of goals against Werder Bremen, of which Schaaf was Manager at the time, didn’t look like being halted, Sokratis suggested a different defensive tactic to Schaaf. Though he didn’t do this openly, as is so often the way in this business, but rather went to speak with the Manager. He obviously understood the value of taking on his player’s advice, reorganised his team, and Werden Bremen were buoyed. This particuarly saga says a lot about Thomas Schaaf, but even more so of Sokratis.

Borussia Dortmund

On 24 May 2013, the eve of the Champions League final featuring Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, Sokratis completed a transfer to Borussia Dortmund until 2018.[22] Borussia Dortmund signed Sokratis for a reported €9.5 million [23] on a 5-year deal worth €2 million per season.[24] Papastathopoulos spoke about his transfer saying "Money did not play a role in my decision to join Dortmund. My own future was all that mattered and I am convinced that I made the right decision."[25] With Felipe Santana leaving for Schalke, BVB were in need of a third centerback behind Neven Subotic and Mats Hummels. Strangely, BVB have decided to pay a large sum for the Greek defender. "I gained a lot from my two years with Werder, but now I feel ready to make the next step." said Papastathopoulos and everyone in the club feels certain that he is ready for the Champions League.[26] Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has revealed that the club "are delighted" to secure the signing of Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Werder Bremen. "We are delighted that Sokratis has decided to join Borussia Dortmund. He is a flexible player capable to play in a variety of positions in defence who we believe has tremendous potential," Zorc said in a club statement.[27]

On 10 July 2013, Sokratis made his debut for Dortmund in a pre-season friendly away to FC Basel at St. Jakob-Park, along with his new teammates Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. On 27 July 2013, he won his first title with the club by entering as a substitute in a 4–2 win over Bayern Munich for the DFL-Supercup.[28] On 1 November 2013, Papastathopoulos scored his first goal for Dortmund in a 6–1 win against Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.[29]

The very good year he had with Borussia Dortmund, was rewarded with his selection in the top XI of 2013/14 Bundesliga. The choice was organized in a vote by the governing body of the league through the official website. Fans from various countries of the world have chosen therefore the ideal team for this year's German league and amongst them is the 25-year-old Greek defender. "The definition of defense falls on him. The Greek stopper took advantage of the opportunities given to him by the absence of Neven Subotić and Mats Hummels. Stable, with leadership characteristics and tendency to win the ball without making easily a mistake" was the description for the Greek defender.[30][31]

In November 2015, Papastathopoulos has been ruled out for two weeks with a broken fibula. The 26-year-old suffered the injury to his right leg in Sunday's 1–0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach, a result that ended a five-match losing streak for Dortmund in the Bundesliga. However, the Greece international will miss just a fortnight of action after the club confirmed he will be back for the UEFA Champions League match at Arsenal on November 26.[32] On January 3, 2015 Goal takes a look at statistics to find out who has maintained the highest tackle success rate in the first half of the 2014–15 campaign, across Europe's top five leagues. Borussia Dortmund's Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Hamburg's Matthias Ostrzolek are joint third in the list, having won 92.59% of all tackles in the first half of the 2014–15 campaign.[33] On summer of 2015, Papastathopoulos has been linked with moves to various Premier League clubs as Dortmund prepare to start a new chapter following Jurgen Klopp's departure. However, Borussia Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc says Sokratis Papastathopoulos has a part to play in Thomas Tuchel's debut season at the club.[34]

On October 26, 2015 Sokratis extended his contract with Borussia Dortmund until 2019. [35]

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"The defensive work that Sokratis puts in is just unbelievable"

Mats Hummels about Sokratis.[36]

"We are very pleased that we have been able to sign with Sokratis, another top performer, on a long term," Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc told the club's official website.[37]

On December 19,2015 scored in the first half, his first goal in the 2015-16 season giving the lead to his club with the head from a corner in a 2-1 away loss match against 1. FC Köln. [38]

International career

File:20130814 AT-GR Sokratis Papastathopoulos 2368.jpg
Sokratis playing for Greece

Papastathopoulos was called up for the Greek senior team on 1 February 2008[39] and made his debut on 5 February 2008 in the 1–0 friendly victory against the Czech Republic. The Greece squad for UEFA Euro 2008 was announced by Otto Rehhagel on 27 May 2008, and Papastathopoulos was the unfortunate player to be cut from the provisional squad of 24 to the final 23-man selection.[40]

Papastathopoulos became the first player to be sent off at UEFA Euro 2012 during the opening game of the tournament against co-hosts Poland, after receiving two yellow cards, following what pundits decried as two poor decisions by the referee Carlos Velasco Carballo.[41]

In June 2014, Papastathopoulos was named in Greece's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[42] He started in each of the team's group matches, helping them to a clean sheet against Japan.[43] In the round of 16, Papastathopoulos scored his first international goal, equalising in second half stoppage time against Costa Rica. However, the Greeks were eventually defeated 5–3 in a penalty shootout by the Central American champions.[44]

Statistics

Club

As of 19 December 2015.
Team Season Domestic
League		 Domestic
Cup		 Continental
Competition1		 Other
Tournaments2		 Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
AEK Athens 2005–06 0 0 2 1 0 0 – 2 1
Niki Volos 2006 11 0 0 0 – – 11 0
AEK Athens 2006–07 14 0 1 0 4 0 – 19 0
2007–08 24 1 1 0 8 0 4 0 37 1
Total[45] 38 1 4 1 12 0 4 0 58 2
Genoa 2008–09 21 2 2 0 – – 23 2
2009–10 30 0 1 0 5 0 – 36 0
Total 51 2 3 0 5 0 0 0 59 2
Milan 2010–11 5 0 2 0 0 0 – 7 0
Total 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
Werder Bremen 2011–12 30 1 1 0 0 0 – 31 1
2012–13 29 1 1 0 0 0 – 30 1
Total 59 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 61 2
Borussia Dortmund 2013–14 28 1 5 0 8 0 1 0 42 1
2014–15 21 1 4 0 6 1 1 0 32 2
2015–16 15 1 2 0 6 0 0 0 23 1
Total 64 3 11 0 20 1 2 0 97 4
Career Total 228 8 22 1 37 1 6 0 293 10

1Continental competitions include the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup.
2Other tournaments

International

As of 17 November 2015.[46]
Season Apps Goals
2008 5 0
2009 5 0
2010 8 0
2011 7 0
2012 12 0
2013 9 0
2014 7 1
2015 9 1
Total 62 2

International goals

Scores and results list Greece's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 29 June 2014 Arena Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil  Costa Rica 1–1 1–1 2014 FIFA World Cup
2 13 June 2015 Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands  Faroe Islands 1–2 1–2 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier

Honours

AC Milan
Borussia Dortmund
Individual

References

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External links

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  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Papastathopoulos opens Genoa account
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ http://www.footballvs.org/sokratis-papastathopoulos-vs-msakni/
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ http://www.goal.com/en/news/725/bundesliga/2015/10/26/16696102/sokratis-extends-dortmund-contract
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ 1. FC Köln 2–1 Borussia Dortmund
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ Sokratis Papastathopoulos at National-Football-Teams.comLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
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