Sotiris Ninis
Encyclopedia
Sotiris Ninis (born 3 April 1990 in Himarë
, Albania
) is a Greek
footballer currently playing for Panathinaikos
. Ninis is of Greek
descent, and a member of the Greek national team
. He was born in Albania to Greek
parents. His FIFA
profile claims he "possesses a dizzying range of skills to go with sublime vision, an electrifying change of pace and fearsome long-range shooting skills".
. His outstanding performance earned him the title of the Superleague Matchday MVP
and he immediately became the hottest name in every Greek football quarter. He became the second youngest player ever to wear the club's shirt in a league match, at the age of sixteen (the first was Kostas Antoniou −15 years old- in 1978). In February 2007, he officially rejected a call to play for the Albanian Under-21 national team
. On February 18, Ninis lead Panathinaikos in a 4–1 win over rivals AEK Athens in the Olympic Stadium. Ninis scored one goal and assisted two others. On July 6, Ninis signed a professional contract with Panathinaikos.
The 2007/2008
season was marred by injuries and non-selection. After coming on as a substitute against Olympiacos in the first game of the season, Ninis was hit by several injuries, a hamstring injury followed by stomach muscle injuries ruled him out of action for three months. It is thought that these injuries arose due to burnout from playing too many games at a young age. He eventually returned in December, but was not part of the Panathinaikos first team for the remainder of the 2007–2008 season. This decision by Panathinaikos coach Jose Peseiro
was heavily criticised by all Panathinaikos fans.
The 2008/2009
season began well for Ninis. New manager Henk ten Cate
showed faith in Ninis by featuring him regularly in Panathinaikos' pre-season training. He repaid this faith through his performances against teams such as R. Charleroi S.C.
Having entered the pitch at half-time, Ninis assisted three goals and scored one, aiding Panathiniakos to a 5–1 victory against the Belgian club. On 11 August 2008, it was revealed that ten Cate had selected Ninis to be one of the new captains of Panathinaikos, along with fellow players Dimitris Salpigidis
and Gilberto Silva
.
On 23 September 2008, Ninis extended his contract with Panathiniakos for an additional four years to 2012, with a €10m buy-out clause into the agreement for any foreign team wanting to buy him, rising to €17m for a Greek side.
On Februar 2010, Ninis made his best appearances with Panathinaikos and generally in his personal career in the knockout stage of the Uefa Europa League against AS Roma. That days, Roma was in great form and was second in serie a
, behind Inter. Having played well in the first match, in OAKA, he helped his team win 3-2. However in Olimpico, Roma he better, than any other time before. He wone a penalty, and Djibril Cisse
made the equalizer for Panathinaikos, then the Greek young attaking midfilder scored from 28 meters and in the stoppage time of the first half he made a great pass to Djibril Cisse
, and he didn't had problem to score. After these matches the official site of uefa exalted him, and a lot of big European clubs, like Manchester United got interested about him.
in the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
in Austria
, where he scored the equaliser against Germany
, assisted two others and helped his team to progress to the final. Ninis was eventually selected by UEFA in the "U19 names to note", containing the best eleven players of the 2007 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. He was selected as the right midfielder in a 4–4–2 formation. Also he was selected by Uefa as the MVP of this tournament.
Ninis returned to duty for the Under-19 Elite qualifying round of the European Championships, after making his senior international debut. He was a key player in games against Moldova and the Netherlands, particularly impressing in the latter game. He assisted one goal, and scored the match winner from 12 yards as he kept Greece's hopes of qualification alive. His Man of the Match performance attracted scouts from Europe's Elite clubs such as Arsenal
, Manchester United
, Real Madrid
and A.C. Milan
, who were assigned to watch him against Russia on 29 May 2008.
On 8 September 2009, Ninis scored the equaliser in a match against England U21's
, which finished 1–1.
coach Otto Rehhagel
on 16 May 2008 for the game against Cyprus
on May 19. This was Ninis' first ever senior call-up and offers him a chance to stake a claim for the Euro 2008 squad. Ninis, who impressed as Greece reached the final of last year's UEFA European Under-19 Championship, expressed his delight at the news, saying: "It's a dream come true and an extra motivation to work even harder and improve myself. I'm very happy."
On his debut Ninis scored the opening goal of the games versus Cyprus in the fifth minute, after a solid pass by Panathinaikos
striker Dimitris Salpigidis
, Ninis slotted the ball underneath Antonis Georgallides
and into the back of the net making the perfect debut and start for his country and becoming the youngest ever scorer for Greece with 18 years and 46 days, breaking Kostas Eleftherakis
' old record by 244 days. Ninis also won the Man of the Match award for his performance. He was, however, omitted from Greece's provisional Euro 2008 squad
by coach Otto Rehhagel on 20 May.
On 1 June 2010, Otto Rehhagel named his official 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
in South Africa. Ninis made the cut despite limited appearances for Greece. He was used twice, as a substitution in the matches against Nigeria and Argentina
. He is also the youngest player to have been selected by Rehhagel, at just 20 years of age.
On 2 September 2011, Ninis scored the winning goal in a qualifying match for the UEFA Euro 2012 against Israel, in Tel Aviv. As a result of the victory, Greece is virtually assured a berth at the 2012 Euro.
Individual
Himarë
Himarë is a bilingual region and municipality along the Albanian Riviera in southern Albania and part of the District of Vlorë. Apart from the town of Himarë, the region consists of 7 other villages: Dhërmi, Pilur, Kudhës, Qeparo, Vuno, Iljas, and Palasë....
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
) 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....
footballer currently playing for Panathinaikos
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...
. Ninis is of Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
descent, and a member of the Greek 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...
. He was born in Albania to Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
parents. His FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
profile claims he "possesses a dizzying range of skills to go with sublime vision, an electrifying change of pace and fearsome long-range shooting skills".
Panathinaikos
Ninis began his career in 2004 as a youngster in Panathinaikos' football academies, joining from great academy of Apollon Smyrnis. During these 2 years, he became an integral part of the Panathinaikos Youth Squad and his coaches believe him to be the next promising talent of Greek football. As a result, on 22 December 2006, the club directors offered him a 5 year contract and just 2 weeks after that day, on 7 January 2007, Panathinaikos coach Víctor Muñoz selected him in the main squad for the match against Egaleo at the Olympic StadiumOlympic Stadium (Athens)
The Olympic Stadium "Spiros Louis" , is part of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. It is named after the first modern Olympic marathon race winner in 1896, Spiros Louis.-History:...
. His outstanding performance earned him the title of the Superleague Matchday MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
and he immediately became the hottest name in every Greek football quarter. He became the second youngest player ever to wear the club's shirt in a league match, at the age of sixteen (the first was Kostas Antoniou −15 years old- in 1978). In February 2007, he officially rejected a call to play for the Albanian Under-21 national team
Albania national under-21 football team
The Albania national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
. On February 18, Ninis lead Panathinaikos in a 4–1 win over rivals AEK Athens in the Olympic Stadium. Ninis scored one goal and assisted two others. On July 6, Ninis signed a professional contract with Panathinaikos.
The 2007/2008
Super League Greece 2007-08
2007-08 was the second season of the Super League's, and started on September 1, 2007. The defending champions were Olympiacos. Asteras Tripolis, Veria and Levadiakos were promoted from Beta Ethniki in the previous season.-Postponement:...
season was marred by injuries and non-selection. After coming on as a substitute against Olympiacos in the first game of the season, Ninis was hit by several injuries, a hamstring injury followed by stomach muscle injuries ruled him out of action for three months. It is thought that these injuries arose due to burnout from playing too many games at a young age. He eventually returned in December, but was not part of the Panathinaikos first team for the remainder of the 2007–2008 season. This decision by Panathinaikos coach Jose Peseiro
José Peseiro
José Vítor dos Santos Peseiro is a football manager, who most notably served as an assistant for Carlos Queiroz during his Real Madrid tenure and as a manager for Sporting until his resignation in October 2005....
was heavily criticised by all Panathinaikos fans.
The 2008/2009
Super League Greece 2008-09
-League table :||rowspan=8 style="background-color:white;"|-Results:...
season began well for Ninis. New manager Henk ten Cate
Henk ten Cate
Henk ten Cate is a Dutch football manager and a former professional player.In the 2005–06 season, he was the assistant of Frank Rijkaard at Barcelona that guided the team to a Champions League Trophy and La Liga title...
showed faith in Ninis by featuring him regularly in Panathinaikos' pre-season training. He repaid this faith through his performances against teams such as R. Charleroi S.C.
R. Charleroi S.C.
Sporting du Pays de Charleroi is a Belgian football club based in the city of Charleroi, in the province of Hainaut. Charleroi plays in the Belgian Pro League and their current spell at the highest level in Belgian football has started in the 1985–86 season...
Having entered the pitch at half-time, Ninis assisted three goals and scored one, aiding Panathiniakos to a 5–1 victory against the Belgian club. On 11 August 2008, it was revealed that ten Cate had selected Ninis to be one of the new captains of Panathinaikos, along with fellow players Dimitris Salpigidis
Dimitris Salpigidis
Dimitris Salpigidis Dimitris Salpigidis Dimitris Salpigidis (Greek: Δημήτρης Σαλπιγγίδης, (born 18 August 1981, Thessaloniki) is a Greek football striker. He plays for PAOK FC and the Greek national team.-Playing career:...
and Gilberto Silva
Gilberto Silva
Gilberto Aparecido da Silva, commonly known as Gilberto Silva, is a Brazilian footballer. He currently plays for Grêmio.Gilberto was raised in a poor family and as a child he balanced playing football with various labour jobs. He began his football career in 1997 with América Mineiro, where good...
.
On 23 September 2008, Ninis extended his contract with Panathiniakos for an additional four years to 2012, with a €10m buy-out clause into the agreement for any foreign team wanting to buy him, rising to €17m for a Greek side.
On Februar 2010, Ninis made his best appearances with Panathinaikos and generally in his personal career in the knockout stage of the Uefa Europa League against AS Roma. That days, Roma was in great form and was second in serie a
Serie 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...
, behind Inter. Having played well in the first match, in OAKA, he helped his team win 3-2. However in Olimpico, Roma he better, than any other time before. He wone a penalty, and Djibril Cisse
Djibril Cissé
Djibril Aruun Cissé is a French international footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Lazio as a striker. He is noted particularly for his speed and acceleration. Since 2005, he has held the title of Lord of the Manor of Frodsham....
made the equalizer for Panathinaikos, then the Greek young attaking midfilder scored from 28 meters and in the stoppage time of the first half he made a great pass to Djibril Cisse
Djibril Cissé
Djibril Aruun Cissé is a French international footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Lazio as a striker. He is noted particularly for his speed and acceleration. Since 2005, he has held the title of Lord of the Manor of Frodsham....
, and he didn't had problem to score. After these matches the official site of uefa exalted him, and a lot of big European clubs, like Manchester United got interested about him.
Greece U21
Ninis played with Greece national under-19 football teamGreece national under-19 football team
-Group 3:- Current squad :Represented Greece in the UEFA under 19 championship July 20- August 1 2011- See also :* Greece Under-19 2007 national team* Greece Under-19 2007 national team- External links :*...
in the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
The European Under 19 Football Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. The competition has been held since 1948. It was originally called the FIFA junior tournament, until it was taken over by UEFA in 1955...
in 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...
, where he scored the equaliser against Germany
Germany national youth football team
This article includes current squads of Germany U20, U19, U18, U17, U16 and U15 national football teams.-Current technical staff:- Germany national under-20 squad :- Germany national under-19 squad :- Germany national under-18 squad :...
, assisted two others and helped his team to progress to the final. Ninis was eventually selected by UEFA in the "U19 names to note", containing the best eleven players of the 2007 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. He was selected as the right midfielder in a 4–4–2 formation. Also he was selected by Uefa as the MVP of this tournament.
Ninis returned to duty for the Under-19 Elite qualifying round of the European Championships, after making his senior international debut. He was a key player in games against Moldova and the Netherlands, particularly impressing in the latter game. He assisted one goal, and scored the match winner from 12 yards as he kept Greece's hopes of qualification alive. His Man of the Match performance attracted scouts from Europe's Elite clubs such as Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, 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...
, Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and A.C. 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...
, who were assigned to watch him against Russia on 29 May 2008.
On 8 September 2009, Ninis scored the equaliser in a match against England U21's
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
, which finished 1–1.
Greece
Ninis was officially called up by GreeceGreece 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...
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....
on 16 May 2008 for the game against Cyprus
Cyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...
on May 19. This was Ninis' first ever senior call-up and offers him a chance to stake a claim for the Euro 2008 squad. Ninis, who impressed as Greece reached the final of last year's UEFA European Under-19 Championship, expressed his delight at the news, saying: "It's a dream come true and an extra motivation to work even harder and improve myself. I'm very happy."
On his debut Ninis scored the opening goal of the games versus Cyprus in the fifth minute, after a solid pass by Panathinaikos
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...
striker Dimitris Salpigidis
Dimitris Salpigidis
Dimitris Salpigidis Dimitris Salpigidis Dimitris Salpigidis (Greek: Δημήτρης Σαλπιγγίδης, (born 18 August 1981, Thessaloniki) is a Greek football striker. He plays for PAOK FC and the Greek national team.-Playing career:...
, Ninis slotted the ball underneath Antonis Georgallides
Antonis Georgallides
Antonis Georgallides is a Cypriot football goalkeeper who currently plays for AC Omonia and the Cypriot National Team. He also played for Anorthosis for six years...
and into the back of the net making the perfect debut and start for his country and becoming the youngest ever scorer for Greece with 18 years and 46 days, breaking Kostas Eleftherakis
Kostas Eleftherakis
Kostas Eleftherakis is a former Greek association football midfielder. His nickname was "the deer" .He started his career playing for Fostiras. He later joined Panathinaikos in 1968. At age 21 he played for Panathinaikos at 1971 European Cup Final in Wembley Stadium against Ajax Amsterdam...
' old record by 244 days. Ninis also won the Man of the Match award for his performance. He was, however, omitted from Greece's provisional Euro 2008 squad
UEFA Euro 2008 squads
The following is a list of squads for each nation competing at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. The tournament started on 7 June and the final took place in Vienna on 29 June 2008....
by coach Otto Rehhagel on 20 May.
On 1 June 2010, Otto Rehhagel named his official 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa. Ninis made the cut despite limited appearances for Greece. He was used twice, as a substitution in the matches against Nigeria and Argentina
2010 FIFA World Cup Group B
Group B of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 12 June and ended on 22 June 2010. The group consisted of Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic and Greece....
. He is also the youngest player to have been selected by Rehhagel, at just 20 years of age.
On 2 September 2011, Ninis scored the winning goal in a qualifying match for the UEFA Euro 2012 against Israel, in Tel Aviv. As a result of the victory, Greece is virtually assured a berth at the 2012 Euro.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 19 May 2008 | Patras Patras Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
2–0 | Win | Friendly Match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 2. | 2 September 2011 | Tel Aviv Tel Aviv Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with... , Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... |
1–0 | Win | UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifier | |
Records
- On 15 February 2007 Ninis became the youngest player to participate with a Greek football team in a European cup match, against RC LensRC LensRacing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
in FranceFranceThe 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...
. - In December 2007, Ninis won the HFF Young Player of the Year, as voted by fellow players and managers. Ninis is the youngest player to have won this award.
- On 19 May 2008 Ninis became the youngest ever player to score for Greece. This was the day of his senior international debut for Greece.
- Ninis is the youngest ever player to be chosen as captain of Panathinaikos, at the age of 18 years and 125 days.
Panathinaikos
- Super League GreeceSuper League GreeceThe 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...
: 2009–10 - Greek Cup: 2009–10
Individual
- Greek Young Footballer of the year: 2007, 2010
- Named in UEFA U-19 European Championships 2007 "Names to Note"; the best 11 players of the tournament.
- UEFA U-19 European Championships Silver medal (Greece).
- UEFA U-19 European Championships MVP
- Youngest scorer in history of Greek national team
- Youngest scorer of Panathinaikos