EURO hero Zagorakis elected in Greece
Sunday, March 28, 2021
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Theodoros Zagorakis, the captain of Greece’s UEFA EURO 2004 title-winners, is the new president of the Hellenic Football Federation (HFF).
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The 49-year-old was elected unopposed, and succeeds Evangelos Grammenos, who has completed his mandate.
Born in Kavala on 27 October 1971, Zagorakis played for PAOK, AEK, Leicester and Bologna, before hanging up his boots in his second spell at PAOK in 2007. He became an emblematic figure in Greek football, leading the national team to EURO glory in Portugal in 2004 and earning the UEFA Player of the Tournament award. He won 120 caps for Greece between 1994 and 2007.
After retiring from football, the father of two was president of PAOK from 2007 to 2012. In 2014, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament, and was re-elected in 2019.
Strengthening and developing
Zagorakis’s aim is, among others, to strengthen the prestige of the national team and help the development of grassroots football. “From the bottom of my heart, I wish to thank the representatives of all unions and football clubs for trusting me with the top position in Greek football,” he said after his election. “I want to assure everyone that I will honour their trust to the fullest.”
“There is a plan in place and an intent to succeed,” he added. “In this huge effort, nobody is redundant. I call upon every person in football to join us.”