Dropped in 2. Bundesliga, now in the CL! This scorer took Undav's path | OneFootball

If you look at the current top scorers in Europe’s top leagues, right behind superstars like Raphinha or Lamine Yamal, one name appears that Jürgen Klopp and his DFB team should also have on their radar. Vangelis Pavlidis already has ten goal contributions in seven matches and is currently one of the hottest scorers in Europe. However, he had to take a detour to achieve his dream of becoming a footballer.

His path is somewhat reminiscent of Deniz Undav’s career: both were once overlooked by the German professional system and fought their way into the national team via a roundabout route.

"He was very ambitious and never gave up," recalled his former Bochum U19 coach Thomas Reis in an interview with '90Plus' two years ago. Head coach Gertjan Verbeek did give him his 2. Bundesliga debut for VfL in May 2016 at the age of 17, but after that his momentum stalled. Only three more brief appearances followed. Since Bochum did not have a reserve team at the time, the striker barely got any playing time at senior level.

For that reason, he went on loan to Borussia Dortmund II, but that did not really work out either. "He wouldn’t have made the leap in Bochum," Reis admitted in hindsight. If you don’t make your breakthrough in the Ruhr area, sometimes you have to find new paths. For Pavlidis, that meant canals and the Eredivisie instead of open-pit mines and the Regionalliga West.

The Netherlands was a perfect fit

The Eredivisie was exactly the right league for his style of play at the time. Top-flight side Willem II became his breakthrough, even though a certain Alexander Isak was playing up front. Pavlidis moved out to the wings, fought for a regular place, and was signed permanently for just €250,000. Today, his market value is over €20 million.

In the Netherlands, he refined his technique, his composure in front of goal, and his movement. He had known since childhood that he would have to work hard for his dream. He never had perfect technique. "There are so many thousands of kids who want to become footballers. And fortunately I understood early on: to make it, I have to be more hardworking than everyone else. Goals are a matter of hard work. Scoring goals is not something that comes naturally. Every extra session helps you become more precise. For that, you have to practice, practice, practice," he said in an interview two years ago.

That relentless hard work paid off, also in the form of spectacular goals. A Zlatan-like solo goal in a Willem II shirt even earned him a nomination for the official FIFA Puskás Award in 2021.

He may have gone home empty-handed there, but in the meantime he was repeatedly rewarded with call-ups to the Greek national team. To this day, he has made 57 appearances.

The final accolade came after his move to AZ Alkmaar. None other than Louis van Gaal, then still head coach of the Netherlands, praised the Greek during a visit as "a real Louis van Gaal striker." He can dribble, cross, control the ball, and pass. Van Gaal also said: "If you give him the ball, he scores."

Now he is shining in the Champions League

Benfica also recognized that he can score plenty of goals and signed the striker in 2024. In the previous season alone, he recorded 36 goal contributions in 53 matches across all competitions. Among other things, he scored once and provided two assists in a 4-2 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League league phase. From the Regionalliga West to the Champions League and the spotlight at Benfica in under six years: Deniz Undav sends his regards.

While the Stuttgart man has to watch from in front of the TV, Pavlidis will be there on Sunday. Whether he starts up front against the DFB team or initially comes off the bench because of the fierce competition in Greece’s attack is secondary. The mere fact that he is here is his personal triumph over the German youth development system. Pavlidis did not need a fancy youth academy to succeed. Hard work, determination, and an unerring instinct in front of goal were enough.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

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