Stratos Apostolakis
Encyclopedia
Efstratios "Stratos" Apostolakis (born 17 May 1964), nicknamed The Turbo, was a Greek
football
er.
The former Defender was no stranger to controversy as a player, his switch from Olympiacos to Panathinaikos
in 1990 led to the cancellation of the Greek Super Cup
as the authorities feared riots.
As a footballer though he played his best years for Panathinaikos being one of the key players behind Club's European runs in 1992
and 1996
. He played with Panathinaikos through 1998. He was one of the best defenders his country has ever seen.
He also spent six months as a coach with Panathinaikos in 2001, before resigning from his position at the end of the year and eventually taking up the task of coaching the Olympic team for Athens 2004
.
During his playing career, Apostolakis was capped 96 times by the National Football Team of Greece
(5 goals) and was a member of the 1994 World Cup
squad. His 96 caps stood as a Greek record until it was broken by Theodoros Zagorakis
.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
football
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...
er.
The former Defender was no stranger to controversy as a player, his switch from Olympiacos to 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...
in 1990 led to the cancellation of the Greek Super Cup
Greek Super Cup
-Official edition:-External links:*...
as the authorities feared riots.
As a footballer though he played his best years for Panathinaikos being one of the key players behind Club's European runs in 1992
European Cup 1991-92
The 1991–92 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won for the first time by Barcelona after extra time in the final against Sampdoria, giving Spain its first championship trophy since 1966. The winning goal was scored by Ronald Koeman with a free-kick. This was the last tournament...
and 1996
UEFA Champions League 1995-96
The 1995–96 UEFA Champions League was the 41st season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, and the fourth since its rebranding as the UEFA Champions League. The tournament was won by Juventus, who beat defending champions Ajax on penalties in the final for their first championship...
. He played with Panathinaikos through 1998. He was one of the best defenders his country has ever seen.
He also spent six months as a coach with Panathinaikos in 2001, before resigning from his position at the end of the year and eventually taking up the task of coaching the Olympic team for Athens 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...
.
During his playing career, Apostolakis was capped 96 times by the National Football Team of Greece
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...
(5 goals) and was a member of the 1994 World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
squad. His 96 caps stood as a Greek record until it was broken by Theodoros Zagorakis
Theodoros Zagorakis
-Kavala:Zagorakis was a defensive midfielder who usually operated on the right hand side of midfield. He started his career with Kavala, the club that also produced Zisis Vryzas, with whom he became close friends...
.