Almost 14 years ago, a very talented Greece U19 squad travelled to Estonia to play in the 2012 UEFA European U19 Championship tournament.
This was a time when participating in major tournaments at senior level was second nature for the Ethniki and Greek football fans alike. Many from this squad were highly rated and tipped to replace the ageing players in the men’s team and continue the then-trend of qualifying for major tournaments constantly.
That line of thought looked on the money at the time, even though the Greek Super League was not in a good place and the financial crisis had begun to impact Greek football on the whole. These players backed up the lofty expectations many placed on their young shoulders and qualified for the final of the tournament, eventually falling to Spain 1-0.
En route to the final, the team finished second in the group stage with six points out of a possible nine, dispatching Estonia and Portugal. They then faced an England team possessing several big names in the semi-final and advanced with an extra-time winner from Babis Lykogiannis.
Although Greece did not manage to win the tournament, many tipped a lot of these players to go on and have big careers in the game. Overall, some did, some didn’t, while others failed to hit the heights they could have for a plethora of reasons, and others completely disappeared.
Given the Ethniki has failed to qualify for a major tournament since the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, we are in the midst of an international break at the moment, and some of these players are now entering the final stages of their respective careers, now feels a good time to reflect on what this squad is up to in 2026. We’ve seen hyped generations before and after this, and this should act as a reminder to temper expectations from time to time.
Goalkeepers
Stefanos Kapino
First cab off the rank, the highly-rated youth prospect at the time was at Panathinaikos, having already made his senior debut at club level. Fast forward a few years later, and he got his big move to Mainz 05 for a fee of €2.2 million. However, he barely featured and returned to Greece with Olympiacos one year later, where he was mostly a back-up.
Since then, he has featured sporadically for the likes of Nottingham Forest, Werder Bremen and Panetolikos, and currently finds himself in the top flight of Swiss football since 2024 playing for a club by the name of FC Winterthur, who are headed for relegation this season. He made nine appearances for the Ethniki with his last coming in 2017.
Sokratis Dioudis
The Thessaloniki-born shot-stopper started in the final, where he pulled off a string of sensational saves, and duly made the Team of the Tournament. At the time, he was at Aris, and in 2014 he got his move to Club Brugge for a fee of €200,000, but was never sighted in Belgium.
Since then, he returned to Aris and made a name for himself at Panathinaikos during turbulent years for the club. He then went abroad to Poland and Turkey for a year each and now finds himself back at his boyhood club Aris for a third stint. He made two appearances for the Ethniki.
Defenders
Nikos Marinakis
The right back, now aged 32, has amassed over 200 appearances domestically in the Greek Super League. He came through the ranks at Panathinaikos and was a squad member in the senior squad until 2017. He then went to Panetolikos and now finds himself at OFI in his native Crete where he is a first-team semi-regular. He has never been capped at senior level.
Kostas Stafylidis
The left-back was a key player for this team at the time and featured in the Team of the Tournament. Another that was tipped for a big future, injuries and bad transfers sadly stunted his development.
A product of the PAOK academy, he got his big move to Bayer Leverkusen in 2013 for a fee of €1.5m but struggled to break into the first-team and was loaned out to Fulham a year later. FC Augsburg then signed him for €2.1m where he spent four years (during which he had another loan spell in England but this time at Stoke City). Stints at Hoffenheim and VfL Bochum followed in Germany and as of right now, he finds himself playing for APOEL in Cyprus. He has 32 caps for the Ethniki and has scored two goals.
Mavroudis Bougaidis
The giant centre-back was another tipped for a huge career and also found himself in the Team of the Tournament. A product of Aris, AEK beat a host of clubs to his signature in 2011 and he went straight into the first-team at a young age during tough years at Enosis. He played in the UEFA Europa League with AEK, but also suffered relegation.
He signed with La Liga club Granada but was stuck in their B team and then became a journeyman, playing abroad and in the lower leagues in Greece for various clubs, but finally found a home in the Polish second tier in 2021 at Chrobry Glogow for four years. He now plays for Ilioupoli in Super League 2 and has never made a senior Ethniki appearance.
Kostas Triantafyllopoulos
Another imposing centre-half, the Panathinaikos academy graduate spent four years in the men’s team before his move to Asteras Tripolis. He then moved abroad to Poland where he plied his trade at top-flight side Pogon Szczecin and then Gornik Zabrze. Now aged 32, he finds himself back at Asteras Tripolis where relegation is on the horizon. He is another that has zero senior caps.
Charalampos Lykogiannis
Never the flashiest player, it is probably underestimated just how much of a good career Lykogiannis has had. The reliable left-back only has six Ethniki caps having been stuck behind several strong rivals, but he has played in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, as well as in Serie A for Cagliari and his current club Bologna.
The Olympiacos academy graduate first left Greece in 2015 for an undisclosed fee to Sturm Graz. A criticism often levelled at Greek players when they move abroad is their lack of first-team minutes. However, Lykogiannis has been a first team regular wherever he has gone.
Midfielders
Panagiotis Ballas
The defensive midfielder was on the books of Atromitos for a total of six years until 2016 and has since bounced around the lower leagues in Greece, playing for the likes of AEL, Panionios, Anagennisi Karditsa and Egaleo. He never made a senior appearance for the Ethniki, and as of 2025 plays for Nestos Chrysoupoli.
Charalampos Mavrias
The pacy right-sided winger and wingback never hit the heights expected of him. Tipped for a massive career after leaving his boyhood club Panathinaikos for Premier League outfit Sunderland in 2013 for an estimated fee of €3m, unfortunately that was as good as it got.
Mavrias barely featured on Wearside and was back on loan at the Trifylli in 2015. After departing Sunderland, he moved to Karlsruher SC, Rijeka, Hibernian, Omonoia, Apollon Limassol and Panetolikos where he has been a regular since 2023. He has 13 Ethniki caps with his last coming in 2021.
Spyros Fourlanos
Another Panathinaikos academy graduate, Fourlanos left Greece for Club Brugge in 2013, but was back a year later and has become a journeyman in the lower leagues. As of 2026, he is playing in Super League 2 for Marko and has no Ethniki caps.
Georgios Katidis
By far the most controversial name on this list by some distance, the attacking midfielder was expected to enjoy a great career for club and country after being a key player of this side in 2012. Named in the Team of the Tournament, the captain left his boyhood club Aris for AEK and that is where it all unraveled.
He scored the winning goal in a match against Veria in 2013 and celebrated by doing a Nazi salute. Aged 20 at the time, he later went public saying he did not know the meaning behind the gesture, but was banned for life by EPO and was ineligible to represent Greece ever again. That also seemed to ruin a once promising career, as he left AEK and went from club-to-club both domestically in Greece and abroad in Europe. After departing Czech club FK Pribram in 2018, he had three years away from the game and returned in 2021 for Irodotos in Super League 2. His last club was AE Moschatou in 2023.
Konstantinos Rougalas
The Olympiacos academy graduate left Piraeus permanently in 2015 for Iraklis, having had several loan spells away beforehand. Another journeyman with zero Ethniki caps, he has played for a total of 18 clubs in his career to date and is currently at Foinikas Polychnis as of 2025.
Dimitris Kourbelis
The Arcadia-born defensive midfielder progressed through the ranks at local club Asteras Tripolis where he emerged as a key player. By 2016 ,he was well known within Greek football circles as an Ethniki player in waiting and Panathinaikos signed him for €500,000. He was a mainstay at the Greens during difficult years and despite having several offers on the table to depart, he opted to stay loyal.
Eventually, he was made club captain and stayed for a total of seven years. He has made over 50 appearances for the Ethniki since 2017, has scored three goals to date and is still getting picked by Ivan Jovanovic almost a decade later. He has had a very good career overall, now playing in Saudi Arabia for Al-Khaleej, although discussions will soon have to be had about a changing of the guard in midfield at international level.
Vasilis Bouzas
The midfielder spent five years at Panionios, but, after leaving in 2016, has bounced around several clubs both domestically in the Greek lower leagues and the Middle East. He has zero Ethniki caps at senior level and as of 2024 plays for Ethnikos Neo Keramidi.
Andreas Bouchalakis
The Cretan midfielder spent three years at local club Ergotelis before being signed by Olympiacos for €150,000 in 2013. He went from Olympiacos to Nottingham Forest and back to Olympiacos, where he stayed until 2023, becoming a key player along the way for both club and country.
Overall, he has enjoyed a good career, amassing 47 appearances for the Ethniki at senior level and scoring one goal, with his last appearance coming in 2023. He spent two years at Hertha Berlin and as of 2025 admirably plies his trade for Panetolikos.
Forwards
Dimitris Diamantakos
The Olympiacos academy graduate spent three years in the men’s squad at his boyhood club but barely featured due to having loan spells at Panionios, Aris and Ergotelis.
The striker then moved to Germany and spent five years there playing for Karlsruher SC, VfL Bochum and St Pauli. He subsequently moved to Hajduk Split, with a small loan spell in Israel for Ashdod. Between 2022 and 2025 he was in India, playing for Kerala Blasters and East Bengal. As of 2025, he has been at APOEL. Despite featuring in the Team of the Tournament at the time, he only went on to make five appearances for the Ethniki between 2014 and 2017.
Giannis Gianniotas
The pacy winger was a key player of this side, having featured in the Team of the Tournament at the time. He has enjoyed a decent career but could have done better, particularly if he was able to lock down a place at a club for the long haul.
The Aris academy graduate first departed Greece for Fortuna Dusselforf in 2013 for €450,000, but was quickly back at Asteras Tripolis for a loan spell. He was then signed by Olympiacos in 2015 but barely featured due to loans at APOEL and Real Valladolid. He then joined AEK in Greece, followed by Apollon Limassol, Apollon Smyrnis and Levadiakos. As of 2025, he has gone full circle by rejoining Aris. Gianniotas made nine appearances for the Ethniki between 2015 and 2018 and scored two goals.
Anastasios Bakasetas
Last, but certainly not least, Tasos Bakasetas is one of the most debated players of his generation. The 32-year-old versatile attacking midfielder/forward came through the ranks at Asteras Tripolis and joined Panionios in 2015 for an undisclosed fee for a productive stint. That caught the attention of his boyhood club AEK. He spent three years at Enosis and was a part of the squad that won a league title in 2018. He then won another league title at Trabzonspor in 2022. Panathinaikos then came calling in January 2023, where he still plays now, at the time of publication.
The much-maligned and much-defended current captain of the Ethniki continues to divide opinion amongst Greek football fans, but overall he has had a great career, particularly at international level. What he may lack in creativity and speed, he makes up for in work rate and a fine left foot.
Sure, discussions will need to be had sooner rather than later about a changing of the guard, but his statistics speak for themselves. Bakasetas has amassed over 80 caps at senior level and sits comfortably inside the top 10 for all-time Ethniki appearances. He has also scored 19 goals for the Ethniki, placing him in sixth place for top goalscorers in Ethniki history.
Leave a Reply