Dimitrios Eleftheropoulos
Encyclopedia
Dimitrios Eleftheropoulos (Greek
: Δημήτριος Ελευθερόπουλος; born 7 August 1976) is a Greek
goalkeeper who is currently playing for Panionios
in Greek Super League. In the past he played for the Greek national team.
, he is a fanatic of major Greek club Olympiacos, where he started playing as a goalkeeper at a very young age. Except for 1996, when he was loaned to Proodeftiki, he played for the Τhrylos from 1994 to 2004, winning seven championships in a row.
He was the young third goalkeeper in 1997's Olympiacos roster behind Foto Strakosha
and Alekos Rantos but injuries and bad games from the previous two made coach Dusan Bajevic
to give him a chance. His astonishing performances, which included impossible saves and penalty stops eventually lifted Eleftheropoulos to the level of an idol earning the nickname of "The Eagle", being one of the masterpieces for Olympiakos championship after ten years of disappointments.
He lost nearly all the 1998 season due to a severe knee injury, which was worsened by a badly treated arthrosis that also affected his shoulder. This did not prevent a glorious comeback in the 1999 UEFA Champions League
, with Olympiacos advancing to quarterfinals for the first time and being chosen as the best goalkeeper in the competition.
On 23 October 2001, Eleftheropoulos made a sensational save penalty to Ruud van Nistelrooy
at 65th-minute between Manchester United
and Olympiacos for Champions League, in Old Trafford
. It was the only penalty missed by the Dutch international striker for that season.
side Messina
, where, despite some great performances, he could not unseat Marco Storari
in the starting eleven.
In 2005, he was signed by Milan
. Even though, due to a series of subpar performances in friendlies against Chelsea
and Chicago Fire during a summer tour in the United States
, coupled with Milan's heavy surplus of goalkeepers, he was loaned to Roma
where he remained game-less for the entire season.
Eleftheropoulos signed for Ascoli
for the '06–07 Championship
and on 25 February 2007 he played his first Serie A match for Ascoli against Livorno
.
On 11 June 2007, he was signed by A.C. Siena
on free transfer, for 2 year deal, where although beginning the season in the starting eleven, he has finished as the substitute goalkeeper behind Austria
n international Alex Manninger
. According with Siena's
official website, on 28 May 2009, Eleftheropoulos decided to leave the club for family reasons.
. He started his new season becoming the most experienced player for his new club. Great savings during matches against Kavala, his former team Olympiakos and AEK contributed to achieve either victory for Giannina or himself to be elected as Man of the Match
.
Eleftheropoulos after 5 years reached again the semi-final of the Greek Cup with his new club against Panathinaikos F.C..
rounds for the European zone; where although having brilliant performances in both games against Germany, he was left aside from the national team after a strong cross with coach Vassilis Daniil. For the Euro 2004 coach Otto Rehhagel
chose Antonios Nikopolidis
as his starting keeper and Konstantinos Chalkias
and Fanis Katergiannakis
as substitutes, leaving Eleftheropoulos out of the roster. In September 2010, rumors from the new coach Fernando Santos wants Eletheropoulos back to the Greek National Team.
Olympiacos
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Δημήτριος Ελευθερόπουλος; born 7 August 1976) is a Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
goalkeeper who is currently playing for Panionios
Panionios
Panionios GSS , the Pan-Ionian Gymnastic Association of Smyrna, is a Greek multi sport club founded in 1890. Originally based in Smyrna/Izmir, the club was uprooted in the population exchange between Greece and Turkey following the Asia Minor Catastrophe in 1922...
in Greek Super League. In the past he played for the Greek national team.
Greece
Born in PiraeusPiraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, he is a fanatic of major Greek club Olympiacos, where he started playing as a goalkeeper at a very young age. Except for 1996, when he was loaned to Proodeftiki, he played for the Τhrylos from 1994 to 2004, winning seven championships in a row.
He was the young third goalkeeper in 1997's Olympiacos roster behind Foto Strakosha
Foto Strakosha
Fotaq "Foto" Strakosha is a retired Albanian goalkeeper. Strakosha is one of Albania's most popular and greatest goalkeepers who captained the national team for a number of years before his retirement in 2005...
and Alekos Rantos but injuries and bad games from the previous two made coach Dusan Bajevic
Dušan Bajevic
Dušan Bajević is a Bosnian football manager and former Yugoslav international.-Playing career:...
to give him a chance. His astonishing performances, which included impossible saves and penalty stops eventually lifted Eleftheropoulos to the level of an idol earning the nickname of "The Eagle", being one of the masterpieces for Olympiakos championship after ten years of disappointments.
He lost nearly all the 1998 season due to a severe knee injury, which was worsened by a badly treated arthrosis that also affected his shoulder. This did not prevent a glorious comeback in the 1999 UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, with Olympiacos advancing to quarterfinals for the first time and being chosen as the best goalkeeper in the competition.
On 23 October 2001, Eleftheropoulos made a sensational save penalty to Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
at 65th-minute between Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Olympiacos for Champions League, in Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
. It was the only penalty missed by the Dutch international striker for that season.
Italy
In 2004, Eleftheropoulos transferred to newly-promoted Serie ASerie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
side Messina
F.C. Messina Peloro
Associazione Calcio Rinascita Messina is an Italian football club based in Messina, Sicily. It currently plays in Serie D.- Brief history :The origins of the team go back to 1900 when Messina F.C was founded in the city. The club has spent most of its history in the lower Italian football leagues...
, where, despite some great performances, he could not unseat Marco Storari
Marco Storari
Marco Storari is an Italian professional footballer who plays for Juventus F.C. as a goalkeeper.After a lengthy spell in Italy's lower leagues, he arrived in Serie A aged 27. Steady performances for Messina prompted his signing by country giants A.C...
in the starting eleven.
In 2005, he was signed by Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
. Even though, due to a series of subpar performances in friendlies against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Chicago Fire during a summer tour in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, coupled with Milan's heavy surplus of goalkeepers, he was loaned to Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
where he remained game-less for the entire season.
Eleftheropoulos signed for Ascoli
Ascoli Calcio 1898
Ascoli Calcio 1898 is an Italian football club based in Ascoli Piceno, Marche. The club was formed in 1898 and currently plays in Italian Serie B, having returned to it after two seasons spent in Serie A...
for the '06–07 Championship
Serie A 2006-07
The Serie A 2006–2007 season began September 10, 2006. It was scheduled to begin on August 26 and 27, but was then postponed due to the Serie A scandal of 2006. It is the 104th Italian championship ever held, the first without the presence of Juventus, and the 75th Serie A league, the first...
and on 25 February 2007 he played his first Serie A match for Ascoli against Livorno
A.S. Livorno Calcio
Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon...
.
On 11 June 2007, he was signed by A.C. Siena
A.C. Siena
Associazione Calcio Siena is an Italian football club based in Siena.The club currently plays in Serie A, having gained promotion from Serie B at the end of the 2010-2011 season....
on free transfer, for 2 year deal, where although beginning the season in the starting eleven, he has finished as the substitute goalkeeper behind Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n international Alex Manninger
Alex Manninger
Alexander "Alex" Manninger is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Juventus F.C. in the Italian Serie A. He has played for a variety of high-profile clubs, almost always as a substitute....
. According with Siena's
A.C. Siena
Associazione Calcio Siena is an Italian football club based in Siena.The club currently plays in Serie A, having gained promotion from Serie B at the end of the 2010-2011 season....
official website, on 28 May 2009, Eleftheropoulos decided to leave the club for family reasons.
PAS Giannina
On 30 May 2009, Eleftheropoulos signed with PAS Giannina,http://www.pasgiannina.gr/articles/anakoinose_metagrapes_demetre_eleuteropoulou a team locally known as “Ajax of Epirus” which in the past had formed players like Giourkas Seitaridis, that has promoted to the First DivisionSuper League Greece
The Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
. He started his new season becoming the most experienced player for his new club. Great savings during matches against Kavala, his former team Olympiakos and AEK contributed to achieve either victory for Giannina or himself to be elected as Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
.
Eleftheropoulos after 5 years reached again the semi-final of the Greek Cup with his new club against Panathinaikos F.C..
International career
Eleftheropoulos got his first of twelve senior international caps for Greece in a friendly against Belgium in 1999. From these caps, three were in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
A total of 199 teams entered the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. and , as the co-hosts, and , as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 29 spots open for competition....
rounds for the European zone; where although having brilliant performances in both games against Germany, he was left aside from the national team after a strong cross with coach Vassilis Daniil. For the Euro 2004 coach Otto Rehhagel
Otto Rehhagel
Otto Rehhagel is a German football coach and former football player. Along with Helmut Schön, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Udo Lattek and Hennes Weisweiler, he is considered one of the most successful German managers....
chose Antonios Nikopolidis
Antonios Nikopolidis
Antonios Nikopolidis , is a former Greek football player, that played as goalkeeper. He's regarded as the best Greek goalkeeper of all time having been awarded the most caps in the national team and playing an integral part in the UEFA Euro 2004 triumph....
as his starting keeper and Konstantinos Chalkias
Konstantinos Chalkias
Konstantinos "Kostas" Chalkias is a Greek footballer, born 30 May 1974 in Larissa, Greece. He stands 2.00 m tall and plays in the goalkeeper position. He currently plays for PAOK F.C..-Greece:...
and Fanis Katergiannakis
Fanis Katergiannakis
Theofanis "Fanis" Katergiannakis is a football player who plays as a goalkeeper.-Ethnikos Pylaias:...
as substitutes, leaving Eleftheropoulos out of the roster. In September 2010, rumors from the new coach Fernando Santos wants Eletheropoulos back to the Greek National Team.
Honours
Olympiacos- Greek Superleague: 1996–1997, 1997–1998, 1998–1999, 1999–2000, 2000–2001, 2001–2002, 2002–2003
Olympiacos
- Greek Cup: 1999