Kostas Katsouranis

Konstantinos "Kostas" Katsouranis () (born 21 June 1979) is a Greek footballer who currently plays for Panathinaikos FC and the Greek national team as a defensive midfielder.

Club career

Panachaiki

He was only 17 years old when he debuted in the 1996–97 season for the Patras-based club Panachaiki, he spent six seasons there and, by the third, was a regular starter. During his time at Panachaiki, he helped them get promoted from the second division and was a vital part in there fight from relegation during his time at the club.

When his contract with Panachaiki expired, Katsouranis decided that it was time to move forward to a bigger club. He opened negotiations with Panathinaikos, but the coach, Fernando Santos, decided to sign Portuguese Carlos Chaínho, a player he knew when at FC Porto, which meant Katsouranis' transfer would not be finalized.

Olympiacos then approached the Greek. The talks with the vice-president of the club, Giorgos Louvaris, seemed final, but Louvaris asked Katsouranis to wait until the president, Sokratis Kokkalis, returned from a business trip to the United States for the final negotiations. But former AEK Athens president Chrysostomos Psomiadis took advantage of the situation and convinced the promising midfielder to sign a three-year contract with AEK Athens.

AEK Athens

Coming off the bench and making an impressive debut for the club, Katsouranis immediately became an integral part of the club. His continuing progress in the...
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