Panagiotis Kone
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Birth name | Gjergji Kone | ||
Date of birth | 26 July 1987 | ||
Place of birth | Tirana, Albania | ||
Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | AEK Athens (executive director) | ||
Youth career | |||
1999–2004 | Olympiacos | ||
2004–2005 | Lens | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2005–2008 | AEK Athens | 24 | (2) |
2008–2010 |
Iraklis | 49 | (8) |
2010–2012 | Brescia | 31 | (1) |
2011–2012 |
→ Bologna (loan) | 31 | (1) |
2012–2014 |
Bologna | 59 | (11) |
2014–2018 | Udinese | 38 | (1) |
2016 | → Fiorentina (loan) | 1 | (0) |
2017 | → Granada (loan) | 2 | (0) |
2017–2018 | → AEK Athens (loan) | 13 | (1) |
2019–2020 |
Western United | 15 | (2) |
Total | 263 | (27) | |
International career‡ | |||
2006 | Greece U19 | 4 | (1) |
2006–2007 | Greece U21 | 8 | (0) |
2010–2015 | Greece | 28 | (2) |
Managerial career | |||
2020–2022 | AEK Athens (Technical Director) | ||
2022– | AEK Athens (Executive Director)[1] | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 03:29, 23 February 2020 (UTC). ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 October 2015 |
Panagiotis Kone (Greek: Παναγιώτης Κονέ, born 26 July 1987) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is the current executive director of AEK Athens.
Kone started playing football in the youth ranks of
He then signed for Udinese in 2014. After loan spells with Fiorentina, Granada and AEK Athens, Kone left Udinese in August 2018.
Kone represented Greece at various youth levels before making his senior debut in 2010. He was a member of the Greece squad that played in the 2014 World Cup.
Early life
He was born as Gjergji Kone[2] in Tirana, Albania,[3] and migrated to Greece with his parents Isaac, a biologist, and Leontina, a piano teacher,[4] and older brother to Athens when he was two years old.[4][5] He changed his name to Panagiotis as part of the naturalisation process.[6] He has said, regarding his identity and ethnicity, that he is a Greek.[7] Some of his relatives still live in Albania and whenever he visits the country, he presents himself as “Kone the Albanian” in order to prevent discrimination.[7] His brother, Sotiris, owns a bar in Athens.[4]
According to Albanian and Italian press he is of Albanian origin,[8][9][10] while he has stated that his family is ethnically Greek despite coming from Albania.[11]
Kone began his youth career at the
Club career
AEK Athens
After one year with Lens, Kone came back to Greece to join
Iraklis
Kone moved to
Contract dispute with Iraklis
In July 2010, Kone trained with Italian side Brescia[13] despite still being under contract with Iraklis. After this became known to Brescia, Kone no longer trained with the club. He requested and expected to have his contract with Iraklis terminated due to supposed debt by the club to him, but on 22 July 2010, the Hellenic Football Federation (HFF) decided against the request.[14] Nonetheless, Iraklis sold him to Brescia for a €800,000 transfer fee.[12]
Brescia
In July 2010, Kone made an attempt to play for a club outside the Greek borders, signing with
Bologna
Kone initially arrived at Bologna on a temporary basis as a replacement for the recently departed
In June 2013, Bologna officially reached a deal to buy-out Brescia's 50 percent ownership of Kone for a €1.6 million fee. At the time, he was co-owned by the two clubs. Prior to the deal, negotiations between the two had been troubled and there were fears the matter would go to a blind auction over the summer of 2013.
On 24 November 2013, Kone scored his first goal of the
Following the demotion, reports in Italy suggested that Palermo were keen to sign Kone, hoping to close the deal before the
Udinese
Despite Palermo and Torino's interest, Udinese confirmed the signing of Kone. No details were provided concerning the transfer fee or any contract details.[26]
On 22 January 2015, Kone scored the equalizing goal—a fierce, low volley—in the
On 23 August 2015, in the opening match of the
He started the
ACF Fiorentina
On 31 January 2016, Kone joined Fiorentina on a loan with the right of redemption from Udinese.[35] The deal is for an initial loan, but Udinese confirmed on their official website that Fiorentina will have the option to buy. Former Bologna midfielder Kone has struggled with injury problems this season, making only five league appearances for Udinese as a result.[36] On 4 February 2016, Kone poked surprising from Fiorentina's UEFA Europa League squad, a surprise for the midfielder as has been dropped from Paulo Sousa, coach of the club.[37] Panagiotis Kone made his Fiorentina debut in the Serie A match away to
Granada
On 19 January 2017, Kone was loaned to
Return to AEK
On 30 August 2017
After his loan, Kone has returned to
On 31 August 2018 he mutually solved his contract with Udinese.[45]
Western United
On 31 January 2019, Kone became the first signing for new
International career
Kone has represented
Kone was named in the provisional squad for UEFA Euro 2012. On 26 May 2012, he was sent-off during Greece's 1–1 draw with Slovenia in a pre-tournament friendly. "What happened with Kone is a shame. Sometimes in the heat of the match we lose our minds," Santos explained after the draw. Kone was eventually excluded from Greece's final 23-man squad.[48]
Two years later, Kone's exceptional season year with Bologna helped convince Santos to include the player in both the 30-man provisional World Cup squad and final 23-man squad for the 2014 World Cup.[49] On 7 June 2014, he scored his first goal with the Greece in a 2–1 friendly victory against Bolivia.[50]
On 15 June 2015, Kone, as a Greek player, sparked controversy after a photograph surfaced showed him just one day after Greece's
On 11 October 2015, Kone scored in a dramatic 4–3 win over Hungary for UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, meeting a José Holebas cross to net a powerful header. It was the first and only win for Greece in qualifying, where it finished last in Group F, meaning it will miss out on the final tournament.[52]
Career statistics
International goals
# | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 7 June 2014 | Red Bull Arena, Harrison, United States | Bolivia | 2–1 | Win | Friendly Match |
2. | 11 October 2015 | Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece | Hungary | 4–3 | Win | Euro 2016 Qualifying Match
|
Honours
AEK Athens
References
- ^ "PANAGIOTIS KONE \\ Technical Director". www.aekfc.gr. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
- ^ "Oriundi d'Europa. Ecco come si muove il Vecchio Continente". tuttomercatoweb.com (in Italian).
Gjergji Kone è nato in Albania e una volta trasferitosi in Grecia, nel processo di naturalizzazione, ha dovuto cambiare il nome in Panagiotis (Gjergji Kone was born in Albania and after he was moved to Greece, due to the naturalisation process he had to change his name to Panagiotis)
- ^ "Bologna: ultime notizie - Gazzetta dello Sport". www.gazzetta.it (in Italian). Retrieved 6 January 2016.
centrocampista greco di origine albanese (greek midfielder of Albanian origin)
- ^ a b c "Kone, che meraviglia". Corriere di Bologna. 3 March 2012.
- ^ "Αφιέρωμα της FIFA στον Έλληνα της Μπολόνια". sentragoal.gr. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
- ^ "Oriundi d'Europa. Ecco come si muove il Vecchio Continente". tuttomercatoweb.com (in Italian).
Gjergji Kone è nato in Albania e una volta trasferitosi in Grecia, nel processo di naturalizzazione, ha dovuto cambiare il nome in Panagiotis (Gjergji Kone was born in Albania and after he was moved to Greece, due to the naturalisation process he changed his name to Panagiotis)
- ^ a b Sport-fm (4 September 2011). Κονέ: "Ήρθα σε έναν σύλλογο με φήμη και ιστορία" (in Greek). sport-fm.gr. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
Έχω ακόμα κάποια μέλη της οικογένειάς μου στην Αλβανία, αλλά είναι όλοι τους Έλληνες (Some members of my family still live Albania, but they are all Greeks); (I have not been discriminated, but to prevent it I say "I am Kone, the Albanian")
- ^ "Udinese, Kone vola da Stramaccioni". gazzetta.it (in Italian).
Il centrocampista greco di origine albanese è il regalo per il nuovo centrocampo di Stramaccioni: nelle ultime ore sono stati limati anche gli ultimi dettagli, e oggi ha svolto le visite mediche a Udine, in serata poi è arrivato l'annuncio. (The Greek player of Albanian origin)
- ^ Florent Hozha. Albanian football players around the world. ADA. p. 180.
Ate dite Cana takoi ne fushe nje tjeter futbollist me gjak shqiptar, Panajot Konen e Kombetares Greke. I lindur ne Tirane me emrin Gjergji Kone, ai zgjodhi te luaje per vendin fqinj, edhe pse sipas burimeve familjare dhe dokumentave shteterore, familja Kone jane me origjine te paster shqiptare; te vendosur ne Tirane ne vitin 1987. (That day Cana met with another player of Albanian blood, Panajot Kone of Greece national team. Born in Tirana as Gjergji Kone, he chose to represent Greece national team, even though according to familiar sources and governmental documents the Kone family is of pure Albanian origin; settled in Tirana in 1987)
- ^ "Serie A, i tre giocatori TOP della 17esima giornata". 90min.com (in Italian).
Sicuramente è il gol della giornata, che rilancia il Bologna e affossa Mazzarri. Kone è di origine albanese ma di nazionalità greca, e si chiama Panagiotis, proprio come il centrocampista della Roma Tachtsidis, tanto voluto da Zeman. (Kone is of Albanian origin and of Greek citizenship)
- ^ Κονέ: «Ομάδα με ιστορία η Μπολόνια» (in Greek). novasports.gr. 4 September 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
Έχω ακόμα κάποια μέλη της οικογένειάς μου στην Αλβανία, αλλά είναι όλοι τους Έλληνες (Some members of my family still live Albania, but they are all Greeks)
- ^ a b SportEkspres (26 August 2010). "Futboll: Shqiptar apo grek? Gjergji Kone duhet të vendosë". kombetarja.com. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
- ^ "Biabiany, Obinna, Suazo: aperto un canale con l'Inter". Retrieved 15 July 2010.
- ^ "Μεγάλη δικαίωση του Ηρακλή στο θέμα Κονέ". Retrieved 22 July 2010.
- ^ "Εντυπωσιάζει με την Μπρέσια ο Κονέ". sport24.gr. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
- ^ "Bologna sign Brescia's Panagiotis Kone on loan". goal.com. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
- ^ "Bologna secure Kone". football-italia.net. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
- ^ "Kone signs new contract with Bologna". forzaitalianfootball.com. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
- ^ "FIFA Puskás Award: Ten best goals of the year announced". fifa.com. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ "Bologna 1 - Internazionale 1". espnfc.com. 24 November 2013.
- ^ "Bologna's sad demise". sbnation.com. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
- ^ "Disgruntled supporters reduce Bologna forward Kone to tears". forzaitalianfootball.com. 12 May 2014.
- ^ "Calciomercato, Palermo guarda Bologna: interessa il greco Kone". corrieredellosport.it. 24 May 2014.
- ^ "Κονέ, ο πρώτος στόχος της Παλέρμο". sport24.gr. 24 May 2014.
- ^ "Decisive move for Kone ready". transfermarketweb.com. 19 May 2014.
- ^ "Panagiotis Kone completes Udinese move". sportsmole.co.uk. 13 August 2014.
- ^ "Coppa: Napoli shoot-out sinks Udinese". football-italia.net. 22 January 2015.
- ^ "Udinese, Kone: 'Ieri ottima partita, mio gol importante'". calciomercato.com. 23 March 2015.
- ^ "Juventus - Udinese0-1". gazzetta.it. 23 August 2015.
- ^ "Udinese lose Kone to injury". football-italia.net. 13 October 2015.
- ^ "Lazio set up Italian Cup quarter-final with Juventus". channelnewsasia.com. 17 December 2015.
- ^ "Coppa Italia: Lazio-Udinese 2-1, troverà la Juventus ai quarti. L'ira dei friuliani". ansa.it. 17 December 2015.
- ^ "Guillermo Barros Schelotto off the mark as Palermo hammer Udinese". espn.co.uk. 24 January 2016.
- ^ "Kone verso la riconferma: un recupero prezioso per Iachini". tuttoudinese.it. 30 August 2016.
- ^ Όλες οι μεταγραφές στο Sport24.gr
- ^ Official: Fiorentina sign Kone
- ^ Ο Σόουζα "έκοψε" τον Κονέ από το Europa League
- ^ Empoli-Fiorentina 2-0, naufragio viola al Castellani
- ^ Δανεικός στη Γρανάδα ο Παναγιώτης Κονέ. novasports.gr (in Greek).
- ^ El internacional griego Kone se incorpora al Granada CF
- ^ Τελειώνει του Κονέ στην ΑΕΚ! (in Greek). Retrieved 30 August 2017.
- ^ Έμεινε ζωντανή η ΑΕΚ (in Greek). Retrieved 23 November 2017.
- ^ Εύκολη επικράτηση για την ΑΕΚ! (in Greek). Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ Ενοχλημένοι με Κονέ στην ΑΕΚ (in Greek). 17 July 2018.
- ^ Ο Κονέ έμεινε ελεύθερος από την Ουντινέζε (in Greek). 31 August 2018.
- ^ "Heraldsun.com.au | Subscribe to the Herald Sun for exclusive stories". myaccount.news.com.au. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "Αυστρία-Ελλάδα 1–2 (τελικό)". Retrieved 18 November 2010.
- ^ "Euro 2012: Panagiotis Kone dropped from Greece squad". bbc.com. 29 May 2012.
- ^ "Greece World Cup 2014 squad". telegraph. 19 May 2014.
- ^ "Ελλάδα - Βολιβία 2-1". sport24.gr. 7 June 2014.
- ^ "Kone sparks controversy for making Albanian gesture". sdna.gr. 15 June 2015.
- ^ "Greece - Hungary 4-3". sportinglife.com. 11 October 2015.