- Sotiris Ninis
-
Sotiris Ninis 
Personal information Full name Sotiris Ninis Date of birth 3 April 1990 Place of birth Himara, Albania Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) Playing position Attacking midfielder, Right Winger Club information Current club Panathinaikos Number 7 Youth career 2000–2001 Giannis Pathiakakis Academies 2001–2003 Apollon Smyrnis 2003–2006 Panathinaikos Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2006– Panathinaikos 83 (10) National team‡ 2007– Greece U21 8 (2) 2008– Greece 18 (2) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 February 2011.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 27 March 2011Sotiris Ninis (Greek: Σωτήρης Νίνης) (born 3 April 1990 in Himarë, Albania) is a Greek footballer currently playing for Panathinaikos. Ninis is of Greek descent,[1][2] 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".[3]
Contents
Club career
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 Stadium. 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.
International career
Greece U21
Ninis played with Greece national under-19 football team 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.[4] 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.[5]
On 8 September 2009, Ninis scored the equaliser in a match against England U21's, which finished 1–1.[6]
Greece
Ninis was officially called up by Greece coach Otto Rehhagel on 16 May 2008 for the game against Cyprus on May 19.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9] 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, Greece 
Cyprus2–0 Win Friendly Match 2. 2 September 2011 Tel Aviv, Israel 
Israel1–0 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 Lens in 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.[10]
- Ninis is the youngest ever player to be chosen as captain of Panathinaikos, at the age of 18 years and 125 days.
Honours
Panathinaikos
- Super League Greece: 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
External links
[2] Ninis' winning goal in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match against Israel in Tel Aviv.
References
- ^ Manchester United target Sotiris Ninis: Top 10 things you need to know
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/southafrica2010/players/player=297316/profile.html
- ^ "Final the reward for determined Greece". UEFA. 2007-07-24. http://www.uefa.com/competitions/under19/fixturesresults/round=15067/match=300909/report=rp.html.
- ^ "Arsenal, Man Utd, Milan & Real Madrid Eager To Sign Panathinaikos Youngster". Premiership Latest Football News. 2008-05-28. http://www.premiershiplatest.com/news/arsenal-man-utd-along-milan-real-madrid--5510535.html.
- ^ Greece U21 1–1 England U21
- ^ "Dream comes true as Greece select Ninis". UEFA. 2008-05-16. http://euro2008.uefa.com/news/kind=1/newsid=696872.html.
- ^ "Record-breaker Ninis stars for Greece". UEFA. 2008-05-19. http://euro2008.uefa.com/news/kind=1/newsid=698048.html.
- ^ "Greece's Rehhagel sticks with favourites in final 23 for World Cup". Canadian Press. 2010-06-01. http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jsY7xmiTpZ7k7fW7TSeuuVRC-m_A.
- ^ "SotirisNinis.com – Facts". SotirisNinis.com. 2010-11-15. http://www.sotirisninis.com/Facts.html.
Super League Greece young footballer of the year 1995: Nikolaidis | 1996: Liberopoulos | 1997: Eleftheropoulos | 1998: Antzas | 1999: Iordanidis | 2000: Patsatzoglou | 2001: Seitaridis | 2002: Vallas | 2003: Mantzios | 2004: Tziolis | 2005: Lagos | 2006: Lagos | 2007: Ninis | 2008: Papastathopoulos | 2009: Koutsianikoulis | 2010: NinisGreece squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup 1 Chalkias • 2 Seitaridis • 3 Patsatzoglou • 4 Spyropoulos • 5 Moras • 6 Tziolis • 7 Samaras • 8 Papadopoulos • 9 Charisteas • 10 Karagounis (c) • 11 Vyntra • 12 Tzorvas • 13 Sifakis • 14 Salpigidis • 15 Torosidis • 16 Kyrgiakos • 17 Gekas • 18 Ninis • 19 Papastathopoulos • 20 Kapetanos • 21 Katsouranis • 22 Malezas • 23 Prittas • Coach: Rehhagel
Panathinaikos FC – current squad 2 Seitaridis · 3 Sarriegi (c) · 4 Boumsong · 5 Kanté · 6 Vitolo · 7 Ninis · 8 Ioannidis · 9 Toché · 10 Christodoulopoulos · 11 Leto · 14 Quincy · 17 Zeca · 18 Bjärsmyr · 19 Plessis · 22 Marinos · 23 Simão · 24 Vyntra · 25 Kotsolis · 26 Karagounis · 27 Karnezis · 28 Petropoulos · 29 Katsouranis · 31 Spyropoulos · 35 Mavrias · 36 Leontiou · 38 Cleyton · 39 Melissis · 40 Kapinos · 71 Rudolf · Manager: Ferreira
Categories:- 1990 births
- Living people
- Panathinaikos footballers
- Greek footballers
- Apollon Smyrnis players
- Greece international footballers
- Association football midfielders
- Northern Epirotes
- Superleague Greece players
- 2010 FIFA World Cup players
- People from Himarë
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