Nikos Kounenakis
Encyclopedia
Nikos Kounenakis is a retired South Africa
n-born Greek
footballer.
Kounenakis is generally best known for his time with Greek club OFI Crete
he made 174 total appearances for the club from 1994 to 1999 and 2003 to 2009, and served as team captain from 2007 to 2009.
(now called Greek Super League) debut, in a 2-1 loss away to Olympiacos F.C..
Kounenakis made his debut in European competition on 15 July 1995 in the UEFA Intertoto Cup
in a 2-0 victory over Estonia
n side Tervis Pärnu
. During the 1995 Intertoto Cup Kounenakis also made appearances in a 1-0 loss away to German
club Bayer Leverkusen and a 2-1 win over Cypriot
club Nea Salamina, as OFI advanced from Group 7, along with Leverkusen, to the Round of 16, where OFI was ultimately eliminated by Turkish
club Bursaspor
, with a 2-1 loss in Turkey.
Kounenakis made his first appearance in the UEFA Cup (now called Europa League) on 12 August 1997 in a 0-0 draw away to Iceland
ic club KR Reykjavík
. During the 1997-98 UEFA Cup Kounenakis made 5 total appearances through the Second Round of the competition, where OFI was eliminated by French
club Auxerre
, 5-4 on aggregate. In the First Round of the competition, on 19 September 1997, Kounenakis scored his first and only goal in European competition, in a 3-0 victory over Hungarian
club Ferencváros.
During Kounenakis' first five seasons with OFI, from 1994-95
through 1998-99
, the Cretan club finished in the top half of the Greek table each season, reaching as high as 3rd place in 1996-97
.
At age 21, following the 1998-99 season
, Kounenakis earned a transfer to Belgium
's Anderlecht
.
Eredivisie
club Roda JC, where he spent parts of three seasons.
During his time abroad, nothing seemed to go Kounenakis' way. A knee injury kept him out of action for most of his short time with Anderlecht, and a coaching carousel at Roda did not work out in his favor, following the dismissal of Sef Vergoossen
, who had approved his arrival during a trial period with the Dutch club.
Anderlecht won the Belgian First Division in 1999-00, earning Kounenakis and his fellow countryman at Anderlecht Yannis Anastasiou
the distinction of being the first Greeks to win a championship abroad.
Kounenakis returned to OFI, and thereafter he rediscovered his form. In 2004-05
Kounenakis made 24 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal, and firmly re-established himself at his old club. From the time of his return to OFI in 2003 through the 2008-09 season Kounenakis made 125 appearances (116 starts) and scored four goals in all competitions. Kounenakis' first career goal in league competition came on 16 March 2003 in a 1-1 draw away to Aris
.
In 2007-08
Kounenakis helped OFI make its best run in the Greek Cup
in recent years, reaching the quarterfinals of the competition, where they were eliminated by Atromitos, 4-3 on aggregate. In the Fifth Round of the competition, in a replay against Agrotikos Asteras, Kounenakis registered two assists in a resounding 5-0 win.
At the end of the 2008-09 season OFI was relegated from the top flight for the first time in 33 years, and in the offseason OFI agreed to release Kounenakis from his contract so that he could continue his career elsewhere.
Overall, in his 11-and-a-half seasons with OFI, Kounenakis made 174 appearances and scored five goals in all competitions.
Kounenakis was OFI's team captain from 2007 to 2009.
's relegation, Kounenakis signed a 1-year contract with Cypriot
club Aris Limassol.
side Kansas City Wizards
on 18 July 2010. However, he was released by the club soon after the end of the 2010 MLS season without making a first team appearance.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n-born Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
footballer.
Kounenakis is generally best known for his time with Greek club OFI Crete
OFI Crete
OFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
he made 174 total appearances for the club from 1994 to 1999 and 2003 to 2009, and served as team captain from 2007 to 2009.
OFI Crete (early career)
At age 17, on 5 March 1995, Kounenakis made his Alpha EthnikiSuper 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...
(now called Greek Super League) debut, in a 2-1 loss away to Olympiacos F.C..
Kounenakis made his debut in European competition on 15 July 1995 in the UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
in a 2-0 victory over Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n side Tervis Pärnu
JK Tervis Pärnu
JK Tervis Pärnu is a now defunct Estonian football team from Pärnu, that used to play in various Estonian divisions, including Meistriliiga. Its club colors were white, black, and blue...
. During the 1995 Intertoto Cup Kounenakis also made appearances in a 1-0 loss away to German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
club Bayer Leverkusen and a 2-1 win over Cypriot
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
club Nea Salamina, as OFI advanced from Group 7, along with Leverkusen, to the Round of 16, where OFI was ultimately eliminated by Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
club Bursaspor
Bursaspor
Bursaspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Bursa. Formed in 1963, Bursaspor are nicknamed the Yeşil Timsahlar...
, with a 2-1 loss in Turkey.
Kounenakis made his first appearance in the UEFA Cup (now called Europa League) on 12 August 1997 in a 0-0 draw away to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic club KR Reykjavík
Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur
Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, , for short KR or KR Reykjavík, is an Icelandic athletic club based in the capital, Reykjavík. KR is the oldest and most successful club in Icelandic football.-History:...
. During the 1997-98 UEFA Cup Kounenakis made 5 total appearances through the Second Round of the competition, where OFI was eliminated by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
club Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
, 5-4 on aggregate. In the First Round of the competition, on 19 September 1997, Kounenakis scored his first and only goal in European competition, in a 3-0 victory over Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
club Ferencváros.
During Kounenakis' first five seasons with OFI, from 1994-95
Alpha Ethniki 1994-95
-Standings:' : Cup winner 1994-95' : Title holder' : Promoted from Beta EthnikiPts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;-Match table:-External links:* * * *...
through 1998-99
Alpha Ethniki 1998-99
-Standings:' : Cup winner 1998-99' : Title holder' : Promoted from Beta EthnikiPts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;-Match table:*Notes-External links:* * * *...
, the Cretan club finished in the top half of the Greek table each season, reaching as high as 3rd place in 1996-97
Alpha Ethniki 1996-97
-Standings:' : Cup winner 1996-97' : Title holder' : Promoted from Beta EthnikiPts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;*NotesAris had -3 points-Match table:Match changes:-External links:* * * *...
.
At age 21, following the 1998-99 season
Alpha Ethniki 1998-99
-Standings:' : Cup winner 1998-99' : Title holder' : Promoted from Beta EthnikiPts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;-Match table:*Notes-External links:* * * *...
, Kounenakis earned a transfer to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
's Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
.
Anderlecht and Roda JC
Kounenakis spent a season and a half in the Belgian First Division with Anderlecht, and then transferred to DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
club Roda JC, where he spent parts of three seasons.
During his time abroad, nothing seemed to go Kounenakis' way. A knee injury kept him out of action for most of his short time with Anderlecht, and a coaching carousel at Roda did not work out in his favor, following the dismissal of Sef Vergoossen
Sef Vergoossen
Sef Vergoossen is a former Dutch football manager.-Biography:Vergoossen began his managerial career in 1978 with VVV-Venlo, managing the club for 12 years till 1989, after which he managed MVV for nine years and Roda JC for three years...
, who had approved his arrival during a trial period with the Dutch club.
Anderlecht won the Belgian First Division in 1999-00, earning Kounenakis and his fellow countryman at Anderlecht Yannis Anastasiou
Yannis Anastasiou
Yannis Anastasiou is a Greek football coach and former player who is currently Manager at Dutch club Ajax 2.As a player, Anastasiou played as a striker, and was active professionally in Greece, Belgium and the Netherlands; he also represented the Greek national side at senior international...
the distinction of being the first Greeks to win a championship abroad.
OFI Crete (return)
In the middle of the 2002-03 seasonAlpha Ethniki 2002-03
The Alpha Ethiniki 2002–03 season was the 44th in its history and was won by Olympiacos, their 32nd league title. Olympiacos and Panathinaikos finished the League with the same points total but Olympiacos were crowned champions due to more favourable results between the two teams...
Kounenakis returned to OFI, and thereafter he rediscovered his form. In 2004-05
Alpha Ethniki 2004-05
-League standings:* NB:Olympiakos and Panionios originally both had 3 points deducted as punishment for the incidents before their match on Jan 9 but these deductions were cancelled on appeal.- References :* * * *...
Kounenakis made 24 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal, and firmly re-established himself at his old club. From the time of his return to OFI in 2003 through the 2008-09 season Kounenakis made 125 appearances (116 starts) and scored four goals in all competitions. Kounenakis' first career goal in league competition came on 16 March 2003 in a 1-1 draw away to Aris
Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Football Club , also known as God of war and the Yellows, is a Greek football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Formed in 1914, the club was a founding member of Macedonian Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation, they currently compete in...
.
In 2007-08
Greek Cup 2007-08
The Greek Cup 2007-08 was the 66th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short. 69 clubs' entries were accepted for the competition....
Kounenakis helped OFI make its best run in 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....
in recent years, reaching the quarterfinals of the competition, where they were eliminated by Atromitos, 4-3 on aggregate. In the Fifth Round of the competition, in a replay against Agrotikos Asteras, Kounenakis registered two assists in a resounding 5-0 win.
At the end of the 2008-09 season OFI was relegated from the top flight for the first time in 33 years, and in the offseason OFI agreed to release Kounenakis from his contract so that he could continue his career elsewhere.
Overall, in his 11-and-a-half seasons with OFI, Kounenakis made 174 appearances and scored five goals in all competitions.
Kounenakis was OFI's team captain from 2007 to 2009.
Aris Limassol
After OFIOFI Crete
OFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
's relegation, Kounenakis signed a 1-year contract with Cypriot
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
club Aris Limassol.
Sporting Kansas City
Kounenakis signed with Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
side Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
on 18 July 2010. However, he was released by the club soon after the end of the 2010 MLS season without making a first team appearance.