- Traianos Dellas
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Traianos Dellas 
Dellas with the Greek national football team.Personal information Full name Traianos Dellas Date of birth 31 January 1976 Place of birth Thessaloniki, Greece Height 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) Playing position Centre Back Club information Current club AEK Athens Number 5 Youth career 1987–1993 Aris Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1993–1997 Aris 22 (4) 1995–1996 → Panserraikos (loan) 39 (5) 1997–1999 Sheffield United 26 (3) 1999–2001 AEK Athens 40 (4) 2001–2002 Perugia 8 (0) 2002–2005 Roma 44 (2) 2005–2008 AEK Athens 45 (3) 2008–2010 Anorthosis 42 (3) 2010– AEK Athens 40 (4) National team‡ 2001–2009 Greece 53 (1) HonoursGold Greek Cup 2000 Gold UEFA European Championship 2004 Gold Greek Cup 2011 * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11:13, 22 September 2011 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11:13, 22 September 2011 (UTC)Traianos Dellas (Greek: Τραϊανός Δέλλας) (born on 31 January 1976 in Thessaloniki, Greece) is a Greek international footballer currently playing as a centre back for AEK Athens in the Greek Super League. He is known for being the only player to have scored a silver goal in the first half of extra time in a competitive match, in the Euro 2004 semi-final against the Czech Republic.
Contents
Club career
Aris
Dellas got his start with Greek side Aris for two years, where he helped the Hellenic football club of Thessaloniki to qualify for the Uefa Cup. He played together with Fanis Katergiannakis in 2004 when they won Euro 2004 with the Greek National Team in Portugal.
Panserraikos
In the summer 1995 Dellas moved on loan for one year to Panserraikos.
Sheffield United
He then returned to Aris again before joining Sheffield United in England. Dellas is best remembered by Sheffield United fans for a game against Tranmere Rovers in March 1999. With United 2–0 down, Dellas came on as a substitute and scored twice as they won 3–2. His only other Blades goal was an amazing 40 yard strike in a home game against Portsmouth.
AEK Athens
He returned to Greece with AEK, where he won the Greek Cup with the club of Athens, with big players like Demis Nikolaidis and Vassilios Tsiartas, gain the second place in the Greek Superleague.
Perugia
After this great performance, Dellas signed for the Italian club, Perugia F.C.. However, Dellas was dropped from Perugia's first team after a disagreement over his contract and he did not make a single appearance in the last six months of the season, playing only eight matches overall.
Roma
After leaving the club Dellas caught the attention of Serie A outfit AS Roma and he joined the team on a free transfer in 2002[1]. After finally establishing himself as a starter following the move of coach Fabio Capello to Juventus, Dellas's play was outstanding. He earned the peculiar honour of being one of only three players (including playmaker Francesco Totti and striker Vincenzo Montella) who were not consistently booed by the fans during training and games during Roma's disastrous 2004–05 season. After failing to renew his contract with the club, Dellas became a free agent. He would eventually miss nearly 8 months of football due to back and hernia injuries and thus, expected offers from the big clubs of Europe failed to materialize.
Return to AEK Athens
In the summer of 2005 Dellas decided to return to Greece, joining old team AEK, where he rejoined his former teammate and good friend Demis Nikolaidis[2]. He renewed his contract in June 2007 for a further two years and became team captain. Here Dellas played with big stars like Rivaldo, Pantelis Kafes and the new Greek talent Sokratis Papastathopoulos. On 23 July 2008, Dellas and AEK agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent after failing to agree on a new contract[3].
Anorthosis
On 24 July 2008 agreed to sign a two year deal with Cypriot football club Anorthosis Famagusta.[4] Dellas helped the team in Champions League in the season 2008–09, in the same group of Panathinaikos F.C. and Inter Milan of José Mourinho.
Third spell on AEK Athens
On 5 June 2010, Dellas agreed to sign with AEK Athens again, this time for one year, possibly intending to end his career at the team of his heart. Dellas in AEK Athens found Pantelis Kafes that together they won Euro 2004 with Greece. On 12 December 2010, Dellas scored his first goal in the Greek championship after two years absence, against AEL Larissa of Nikos Dabizas and Stylianos Venetidis that also they won Euro 2004 with Greece. Along with Pantelis Kafes, Nikos Georgeas and Nikos Liberopoulos, Dellas is the most respected AEK Athens player and rumors want him renewing his current contract until 2012. On 30 April 2011, Traianos Dellas won with AEK his second Greek Cup.
International career
Dellas earned his first cap for Greece in 2001 in a 2–2 draw with Croatia. Dellas had an exceptional tournament at Euro 2004, partnering Michalis Kapsis in the centre of what became an almost unpenetratable Greek defence, leading to him being voted onto the tournament all-star squad. During the semi-finals, he scored the last silver goal in the last minute of first half of extra time against the Czech Republic, allowing Greece to progress to the final.[5] The coach of Greece called him 'the Colossus of Rhodes' in respect of his performances in the tournament and the moniker is now widely used in the press.[6] After Euro 2004, Dellas continued to be the heart of the Greek defense, but missed nearly eight months in 2005 due to injury. His absence was seen as a major factor in Greece's failed 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. Two years later, Dellas helped Greece qualify for Euro 2008 but could not find his form of 2004 as Greece exited the group stage without any points and having scored just one goal. He was also part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign but was not called up after the victory over Israel on 1 April, 2009. Subsequently, he was not included in the provisional squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Personal life
Dellas married Greek model Gogo Mastrokosta on 11 September 2008.[7] They have one daughter.
Statistics
International
National team Season Apps Goals 
Greece2001 1 0 2002 4 0 2003 7 0 2004 13 1 2005 2 0 2006 5 0 2007 7 0 2008 12 0 2009 2 0 Total 53 1 Last updated: 2010-3-03
Source: Traianos Dellas at National-Football-Teams.comTraianos Dellas: International goals Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 2004-07-01 Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal 
Czech Republic1–0 1–0 2004 UEFA Euro Honours
- Greek Cup: 2
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- 1999–00, 2010–11
- Individual
References
- ^ Peter O`Rourke (2002-07-04). "Dellas excited by Roma switch". skysports.com. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11861_2240448,00.html.
- ^ "Dellas happy to return to AEK". uefa.com. 2005-09-19. http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=342702.html.
- ^ "Dellas and AEK part company". uefa.com. 2008-07-23. http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=734478.html.
- ^ Greek colossus bound for Anorthosis
- ^ Dellas nets dramatic winner
- ^ "Traianos Dellas Profile". UEFA. http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/tournament/players/player=21542/index.html. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
- ^ Euro 2008: predictions and profiles
External links
Greece squads Greece squad – UEFA Euro 2004 Winners (1st Title) 1 Nikopolidis • 2 Seitaridis • 3 Venetidis • 4 Dabizas • 5 Dellas • 6 Basinas • 7 Zagorakis (c) • 8 Giannakopoulos • 9 Charisteas • 10 Tsiartas • 11 Nikolaidis • 12 Chalkias • 13 Katergiannakis • 14 Fyssas • 15 Vryzas • 16 Kafes • 17 Georgiadis • 18 Goumas • 19 Kapsis • 20 Karagounis • 21 Katsouranis • 22 Papadopoulos • 23 Lakis • Coach: Rehhagel
Greece squad – UEFA Euro 2008 1 Nikopolidis • 2 Seitaridis • 3 Patsatzoglou • 4 Spyropoulos • 5 Dellas • 6 Basinas • 7 Samaras • 8 Giannakopoulos • 9 Charisteas • 10 Karagounis • 11 Vyntra • 12 Chalkias • 13 Tzorvas • 14 Salpigidis • 15 Torosidis • 16 Kyrgiakos • 17 Gekas • 18 Goumas • 19 Antzas • 20 Amanatidis • 21 Katsouranis • 22 Tziolis • 23 Liberopoulos • Coach: RehhagelAEK Athens F.C. – current squad 1 Kafes (c) · 2 Kontoes · 3 Helgason · 4 Manolas · 5 Dellas · 6 Cala · 7 Roger · 8 Beleck · 9 Leonardo · 10 José Carlos · 11 Sialmas · 12 Tsitas · 13 Rikka · 14 Makos · 15 Karabelas · 16 Argyriou · 17 Katsetis · 19 Lagos · 21 Vargas · 22 Guðjohnsen · 23 Dimi · 24 Burns · 28 Moschonas · 31 Georgeas · 33 Liberopoulos · 47 Bougaidis · 66 Englezou · 77 Klonaridis · 88 Foundas · 90 Gentsoglou · 92 Tsoukalas · 99 Arabatzis · Manager: Kostenoglou
Categories:- 1976 births
- Living people
- People from Thessaloniki
- Greek footballers
- Greece international footballers
- Greek expatriate footballers
- Association football defenders
- Association football central defenders
- Anorthosis Famagusta players
- AEK Athens F.C. players
- Aris Thessaloniki F.C. players
- Panserraikos F.C. players
- Perugia Calcio players
- A.S. Roma players
- Sheffield United F.C. players
- Serie A footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Cyprus
- Expatriate footballers in Italy
- Expatriate footballers in England
- UEFA Euro 2004 players
- UEFA Euro 2008 players
- UEFA European Football Championship-winning players
- Superleague Greece players
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