Grigoris Georgatos (; born 31 October 1972) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a left-back. He was nicknamed the “Greek Roberto Carlos” and "the crazy bald" () due to his highly-aggressive play on the pitch and his shaved hairstyle.

Club career

Early career He began his career in 1991 at Panachaiki when his skills were first noticed in the Alpha Ethniki. After four and a half seasons in December 1995, he was transferred to Olympiacos. He came to the club playing as an attacking midfielder. He had to "fit" in the same line-up as Predrag Đorđević, so Dušan Bajević had he return to left-back. He gradually impressed with his performances lifting three consecutive championships with them from 1996 to 1997, when he finished as the side's top scorer despite his defensive role.

Internazionale In the 1998–99 season, while playing in a UEFA Champions League match against Juventus, Georgatos caught the eye of Italian club Inter Milan, signing him in the 1999–2000 season for €7 million. He settled well in Serie A, playing 28 matches and scoring 2 goals for Inter.

Despite that, the following season he returned to Olympiacos for a season-long loan, as he was sad and missed his family, house and Athens city. After his loan was over, he returned to the Serie A, with Georgatos choosing to rejoin Inter after losing his first-team place at the club from Piraeus.

Although he returned to Inter, he could not get back into the first-team because of an injury that kept him out for a while, playing only 10 matches and scoring 1 goal that season. With his second spell in Italy being unsuccessful, Georgatos expressed his desire to return to Greece. He asked to return to Olympiacos, but the red-whites refused as they had just signed Stylianos Venetidis who also played in the same position.

AEK Athens The boss of AEK Athens Chrarilaos Psomiadis, noticing the disire of Georgatos to return to his homeland took the opportunity and on 22 July 2002 he brought him to the club for a fee of €3 million There he was reunited with Bajević, as well as many teammates with the national team, such as Ilias Atmatsidis, Theodoros Zagorakis, Vasilios Tsiartas and Demis Nikolaidis. Due to the presence of Michalis Kasapis as the main left-back, Georgatos was used mainly as left midfielder to fin tin the squad. In his first season at the club he played 23 games as AEK finished third and also featured in four of the club's six UEFA Champions League matches. His performances with AEK gained the favour of the supporters, despite his red and white past. The following season, he scored six goals in six games but was unsettled at AEK in December 2003 he terminated his contract, paying his own release clause in order to return to Olympiacos.

Olympiacos In January 2004 he signed for Olympiacos and his first season of his third spell, he helped them finish at second place. During his spell at the club he won another three Championships and two Cups. In 2006 Georgatos expressed his intention to end his career at Olympiacos when he signed a one-year contract until July 2007, retiring at the end of the season.

International career He first appeared for Greece in a Euro 1996 qualifier against San Marino in September 1995. He prematurely retired from international football in September 2001, following a reported dispute with coach Otto Rehhagel. Georgatos played 35 times and scored 3 goals in total for Greece.

After football After the end of his career, Georgatos initially enacted with the administration of Panachaki, while since 2013 he was one of the heads of the Olympiacos academies.Sport24.gr Ο Γρηγόρης Γεωργάτος μέσα από 20 φωτογραφίες. From the summer of 2015 to the summer of 2016, he worked as the sports director of the Olympiacos with responsibility for the first team's competitive department.

Style of play Georgatos was known as an offensive fullback with an excellent crossing ability; his combative style at left back earned him the nickname, "the Greek Roberto Carlos."

Career statistics Club

Club performance League Cup Continental Total Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps GoalsGreece League Greek Cup Europe Total1991–92PanachaikiAlpha Ethniki3041992–932631993–942851994–95Beta Ethniki2671995–96Alpha Ethniki103Olympiacos1721996–9733670204261997–9830220824041998–99261262914115Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Total1999–2000InternazionaleSerie A28261--343Greece League Greek Cup Europe Total2000–01OlympiacosAlpha Ethniki2059260357Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Total2001–02InternazionaleSerie A101--20121Greece League Greek Cup Europe Total2002–03AEK AthensAlpha Ethniki23270813832003–0465003095Olympiacos13152001832004–0525371804042005–0622130302812006–07Super League Greece801030120 Country Greece34361Italy383Total38164

International Greece national teamYearAppsGoals1995401996001997601998501999113200070200120Total353

Honours

Olympiacos Alpha Ethniki/Super League Greece: 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07 Greek Cup: 1998–99, 2004–05, 2005–06

Individual Greek Footballer of the Year: 1998–99 Olympiacos Golden Eleven

References

External links