Greece’s 'Golden Generation': the new factory of football talents | OneFootball

Cradle of Western civilisation, Greece gave the world democracy, the gift of oratory and the political and social foundations that still define us today. It was also there that the arts were transformed, and sport began a tradition that would become timeless with the Olympic Games. Now, the country that has given so much to the world is producing a remarkable generation of stars, and it looks set to be talked about for years to come.

Over the years, calling a promising group of players a 'golden generation' has proved more of a curse than a sign of good fortune. We certainly wish nothing but success to those aiming high in their careers.

But we need to talk about Greece’s own golden generation, which will be tested at a new level from this week onwards.

Without a World Cup appearance since 2014, Greece has not excited supporters this much since the team of Theo Zagorakis, Kostas Katsouranis, Angelos Charisteas, Georgios Karagounis and company conquered Europe in 2004 by beating Portugal in the final.

In March last year, a sublime display from Giannis Konstantelias and decisive contributions from Karetsas and Tzolis saw Greece beat Scotland in Glasgow and, for the first time in history, reach the top tier of the Nations League. The Greeks are in Group 2, alongside Germany, the Netherlands and Serbia.

Despite the strength of their rivals, the new cycle, aimed at the 2030 World Cup, begins with hope in Greece. Not only because they can compete with the continent’s major powers, but also because of the firepower in attack and the generation emerging with real influence in Europe’s leading leagues.

While Konstantelias is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament rupture and will only feature later in call-ups, coach Ivan Jovanovic has some big names in his first squad for the new cycle. It starts with a trio included in the Golden Boy voting.

Christos Mouzakitis won the Golden Boy fan vote last season after an assured campaign for Olympiacos. The 19-year-old midfielder from Athens was part of Greece’s Nations League promotion and already has 11 appearances for the senior national team.

A product of early success in Greek football, Mouzakitis is one of the signings made by newly promoted Premier League side Hull City. The Greek arrived late in the transfer window for €15 million and made his debut against Sunderland in the League Cup.

Another nominee is Konstantinos Karetsas, one of the most skilful names in the generation. Karetsas stood out for his assists last season in Belgium, providing 15 for Genk. It was enough for the youngster to make the leap to the Bundesliga.

He joined his compatriot Konstantelias at Signal Iduna Park and, despite also suffering an injury, has now recovered and been included in Jovanovic’s squad. The 18-year-old already has 10 caps, 3 goals and 1 assist for Greece and is seen as another gem that Dortmund are trying to polish in their “talent factory”.

The third name is Charalampos Kostoulas, who was one of the standout performers in the Premier League at the weekend, scoring and assisting against Arsenal. The 19-year-old forward already has 4 goals and 2 assists in 8 matches this season and is one of the leading figures for the Seagulls.

Bought last season from Olympiacos, Kostoulas is still looking for his first goals for Greece and will surely find them in this cycle towards the 2030 World Cup. The forward is one of the key names in Greece’s potent attack.

Another attacking name from Greece’s “golden generation” in the English game is Christos Tzolis. The Belgian league leader in goal involvements for Club Brugge, with an incredible 29 assists, Tzolis cost Arsenal €40 million. And the fee looks like a bargain...

The Greek has made a strong start to the season for the Gunners, already has four assists and has earned a place among the starters. Although still only 24, he already has 34 appearances, 9 goals and 3 assists for the Greece national team.

Goals are not in short supply...

Alongside young midfielders and wingers of great skill who provide assists, Greece also has plenty of attacking power through forwards capable of scoring regularly. Starting with their number 9: Vangelis Pavlidis is one of the leading scorers in European football at the start of this season.

More experienced than the names mentioned so far, and with more than 50 appearances for Greece, Pavlidis was the first to reach double figures in goals in the European season and has so far scored 14 in 13 matches for Benfica. Over the last three seasons, he has scored at least 30 goals in each one.

At the same age of 27, Tasos Douvikas is another option. The forward scored 14 goals in the historic campaign that took Como into the Champions League and was involved, with a goal, in the opening-day thrashing of Leipzig.

Ioannidis, 26, was unable to repeat the 23-goal, 10-assist season he produced for Panathinaikos in Portugal and is far less prominent than Pavlidis in Lisbon, but he is still an interesting third option up front.

Experience in defence

At the back, Greece has more experienced names, although there is a young defender of just 22: Kostas Koulierakis. A left-footed centre-back, he rose to prominence in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg and has since moved to Roma, where he is still looking for regular game time.

Konstantinos Tzolakis, 23, is a bet on the renewal of the goalkeeping position. The player is 23 and, after two standout seasons at Olympiacos, was transferred to Hull City, where he is already a starter in the Premier League.

The starting role in goal, however, remains with Odysseas Vlachodimos, who is into his second season in La Liga and is Sevilla’s first-choice goalkeeper. Vlachodimos made his name in Portugal with Benfica and also played for Nottingham Forest and Newcastle in the Premier League.

In central defence, Kostas Mavropanos has also been operating at a high level for some time. Developed by Arsenal, the centre-back has already played in the Bundesliga and is currently at West Ham United in the Championship, where he has made an attacking start to the season: 4 goals in 9 matches, the latest in the weekend derby against Millwall.

Kostas Tsimikas, the left-back now 30, is also playing in England, but at the top level. The defender has been with Liverpool since 2020, with a brief loan spell at Roma last season.

Georgios Vagiannidis (25), the full-back on the other side, managed seven assists last season for Sporting, but has had a quieter start to the campaign in Portugal, with only four appearances and a few matches on the bench without coming on.

Anagennisi - the rebirth of Greek football

If the 2004 team was built around more experienced standouts, the current Greece side has a very strong young core. And there are more prospects in the pipeline, still hoping to become part of this cycle.

In the Under-21 Euro qualifiers, Greece shares top spot in the group with Germany, including a victory away to the Germans. Stéfanos Tzímas (20) and Charalampos Kostoulas (19), forwards for Brighton, are highlights alongside Koutsias, who started the season with 5 goals in 7 matches for Famalicão in Portugal and also has ambitions of breaking into the senior side. Kontouris, of Panathinaikos, is seen as a midfielder of great potential, even if he is not yet ready for the highest level.

The presence of promising youngsters is not merely a generational coincidence. In recent years, the Hellenic Federation has launched the Anagennisi project, which means rebirth. The initiative has reshaped youth football in the country, focusing on children and young people aged 6 to 14.

A 'Unified Greek Identity' was drawn up to guide talent development in amateur and professional clubs. It sets out principles ranging from the ban on heading in younger age groups to the way a team should build play from the back with short passes, without aimless long balls from goalkeepers, in pursuit of a more constructive style.

The handbook, which according to the local federation has already reached 95% of the country’s regions, encourages feints and dribbling, reinforces the creation of passing triangles and redefines the goalkeeper’s role, making them a more influential figure in the attacking phase.

The federation has also broadened its approach in the search for new talent, structuring a methodology for identifying emerging prospects. To make it all work, regional coordinators and coaches are sent out to observe the daily routines of local clubs.

It is no coincidence that the word repeated when talking about Greece’s new golden generation is 'talent'. Over the years, it has never been in short supply in the land that is the cradle of our Western civilisation.