Ieroklis Stoltidis
Encyclopedia
Ieroklis Stoltidis also known as "Iéro", is a retired Greek
footballer
, who played as a defensive midfielder
. He's well known as a passionate, determined anchorman with tremendous mental and physical courage.
Although actually a famous person in Norway, because of his ugly attack at Rosenborg's aspiring, 18 year old midfielder, Per Ciljan Skjelbred
, he has always been known for his sportmanship on the pitch.
Stoltidis started his footballing career with the club Iraklis before moving to Olympiacos in the year 2003. He was signed to replace Zé Elias at Olympiacos CFP.
Stoltidis started out with Pontioi Kozanis FC in the fourth division
before signing for Iraklis FC, where he spent eleven years. He made his Alpha Ethniki debut for the Thessaloniki
-based club in December 1992 but did not become a regular until 1995/96. The following term he played UEFA Cup
football for the first time. Stoltidis stood out in 2002/03 and was named the club's player of the season. In June
, after 234 league matches, he left for Olympiacos CFP, signing a two-year contract.
Crucial goals against eventual champions Panathinaikos FC
and AEK Athens FC
in 2003/04 endeared him to supporters. Stoltidis also relished his first taste of UEFA Champions League
football, scoring twice in five appearances.
A regular in Dusan Bajevic
's side in 2004/2005, he played 25 league matches and scored twice. He appeared in all 540 minutes of the Champions League campaign and scored the winner at home against eventual champions Liverpool FC. In the same season, he won the Alpha Ethniki as well as the Greek Cup
with Olympiakos.
During the 2005/06 season
, he started in the first eleven in the Greek El Clasico, Panathinaikos vs Olympiakos, and went on to score in Olympiakos' 0–2 victory. . Stoltidis finished the 2005/06 season with another Olympiakos double as well as the award for Greek Footballer of the Year.
The 2007/08 season
would once again prove successful for Stoltidis. One half of Takis Lemonis'
defensive midfiled duo, Akis formed a strong partnership with Argentine International
Cristian Raul Ledesma
. Stoltidis also continued his streak of Champions League success, this time helping Olympiakos finish second and gaining entry into the Round of 16. Finishing the group stages with 3 goals and 2 assists, Stoltidis pulled off some of the most memorable performances of his career, most notably the 1–3 and 3–0 victories against SV Werder Bremen
where Stoltidis found the back of the net 3 times.
Stoltidis was a member of the Greece side defeated in the 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
final by Spain
. In November 1999, he made his debut for the senior national team
and he went on to represent Greece at the Athens Olympics in 2004
. Despite performing at a high rate for his club Olympiakos, he was left out of the UEFA Euro 2004 championship winning squad and the FIFA World Cup 2006 or UEFA Euro 2008 campaigns. Finally, after years of media speculation, Stoltidis was called to the National Team under Rehhagel for a friendly against the Czech Republic. He declined the invitation stating "I'm no longer at an age where I can perform on all those fronts at the required level. Apart from my gratitude to the fans for their support, I want to assure them that, had this call come earlier in my career, when I was capable of competing on all fronts at a high level, I would have put myself at the disposal of the coach without hesitation."http://www.uefa.com/competitions/euro/news/kind=1/newsid=653499.html
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, who played as a defensive midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. He's well known as a passionate, determined anchorman with tremendous mental and physical courage.
Although actually a famous person in Norway, because of his ugly attack at Rosenborg's aspiring, 18 year old midfielder, Per Ciljan Skjelbred
Per Ciljan Skjelbred
Per Ciljan Skjelbred is a Norwegian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Hamburger SV.- Club career :...
, he has always been known for his sportmanship on the pitch.
Stoltidis started his footballing career with the club Iraklis before moving to Olympiacos in the year 2003. He was signed to replace Zé Elias at Olympiacos CFP.
Stoltidis started out with Pontioi Kozanis FC in the fourth division
Greek Fourth Division
Delta Ethniki or Regional Championship is called the semi-professional league in Greece. The participants are divided into ten regional groups, consisting of sixteen clubs...
before signing for Iraklis FC, where he spent eleven years. He made his Alpha Ethniki debut for the Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
-based club in December 1992 but did not become a regular until 1995/96. The following term he played UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
football for the first time. Stoltidis stood out in 2002/03 and was named the club's player of the season. In June
June 2003
June 2003: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December-Events:-June 1, 2003:...
, after 234 league matches, he left for Olympiacos CFP, signing a two-year contract.
Crucial goals against eventual champions Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
and AEK Athens FC
AEK Athens FC
AEK Athens F.C. , the Athletic Union of Constantinople, is a Greek association football club based in the city of Athens, Greece. Outside Greece, the club is also known as AEK Athens, however, the word Athens is not part of the club's official title.Established in Athens in 1924 by Greek refugees...
in 2003/04 endeared him to supporters. Stoltidis also relished his first taste of 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...
football, scoring twice in five appearances.
A regular in Dusan Bajevic
Dušan Bajevic
Dušan Bajević is a Bosnian football manager and former Yugoslav international.-Playing career:...
's side in 2004/2005, he played 25 league matches and scored twice. He appeared in all 540 minutes of the Champions League campaign and scored the winner at home against eventual champions Liverpool FC. In the same season, he won the Alpha Ethniki as well as the Greek Cup
Greek football Cup
The Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
with Olympiakos.
During the 2005/06 season
2005-06 in Greek football
The 2005-06 Greek Football season saw Olympiacos claim its second consecutive and 34th Greek title in the Alpha Ethniki. However, the season was somewhat overshadowed by the suspension of the Greek FA by UEFA, which jeopardized the European places of the Champions League, UEFA Cup, and Intertoto...
, he started in the first eleven in the Greek El Clasico, Panathinaikos vs Olympiakos, and went on to score in Olympiakos' 0–2 victory. . Stoltidis finished the 2005/06 season with another Olympiakos double as well as the award for Greek Footballer of the Year.
The 2007/08 season
2007-08 in Greek football
-Coaches:Below is the list of coaches who left their teams after the start of the season.-Third Qualifying Round:* AEK'-Group Stage:* Olympiacos...
would once again prove successful for Stoltidis. One half of Takis Lemonis'
Takis Lemonis
Takis Lemonis is a former Greek football player , former manager of Cypriot champion Omonia and current manager of Panionios.-Playing career:...
defensive midfiled duo, Akis formed a strong partnership with Argentine International
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
Cristian Raul Ledesma
Cristian Raúl Ledesma
Cristian Raúl Ledesma is an Argentine footballer currently playing for River Plate. He is nicknamed Lobo .-Club:Ledesma began his professional footballing career with Argentinos Juniors in 1997...
. Stoltidis also continued his streak of Champions League success, this time helping Olympiakos finish second and gaining entry into the Round of 16. Finishing the group stages with 3 goals and 2 assists, Stoltidis pulled off some of the most memorable performances of his career, most notably the 1–3 and 3–0 victories against SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
where Stoltidis found the back of the net 3 times.
Stoltidis was a member of the Greece side defeated in the 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
1998 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The UEFA U-21 Championship 1998, which spanned two years , had 46 entrants. Before the quarter-finals stage, Romania were chosen as the hosts of the final stages, consisting of four matches in total....
final by Spain
Spain national under-21 football team
The Spain national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of Spain and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The team, nicknamed La Rojita , competes in the biannual European Under-21 Football Championship.Following the realignment of UEFA's youth...
. In November 1999, he made his debut for the senior national team
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
and he went on to represent Greece at the Athens Olympics in 2004
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. Despite performing at a high rate for his club Olympiakos, he was left out of the UEFA Euro 2004 championship winning squad and the FIFA World Cup 2006 or UEFA Euro 2008 campaigns. Finally, after years of media speculation, Stoltidis was called to the National Team under Rehhagel for a friendly against the Czech Republic. He declined the invitation stating "I'm no longer at an age where I can perform on all those fronts at the required level. Apart from my gratitude to the fans for their support, I want to assure them that, had this call come earlier in my career, when I was capable of competing on all fronts at a high level, I would have put myself at the disposal of the coach without hesitation."http://www.uefa.com/competitions/euro/news/kind=1/newsid=653499.html
Club career
| Club | Season | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympiakos | 2007–08 | 26 | 3 |
| 2006–07 | 26 | 4 | |
| 2005–06 | 27 | 5 | |
| 2004–05 | 26 | 2 | |
| 2003–04 | 25 | 5 | |
| Total | 122 | 19 | |
| Iraklis F.C. | 2002–03 | 28 | 6 |
| 2001–02 | 25 | 6 | |
| 2000–01 | 13 | 1 | |
| 1999-00 | 32 | 5 | |
| 1998–99 | 30 | 6 | |
| 1997–98 | 27 | 7 | |
| 1996–97 | 28 | 1 | |
| 1995–96 | 27 | 0 | |
| 1994–95 | 17 | 0 | |
| 1993–94 | 6 | 1 | |
| 1992–93 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 234 | 33 | |
| Career Totals | 336 | 52 | |
Club Achievements
- 5 Greek Superleague (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
- 4 Greek Cup (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009)
- 1 Greek Supercup (2007)
Personal Achievements
- Second Best Greek Football Player for 2004/05
- Best Greek Football Player for 2005/06
- Second Best Greek Football Player for 2006/07