Ioannis Matzourakis
Encyclopedia
Ioannis Matzourakis is a Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....

 association football manager and former player. He is currently employed by Kavala FC.

Spending his child life in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

, Matzourakis began his footballing career for the Romanian side of CFR Cluj
CFR Cluj
CFR Cluj is a Romanian professional football club from the city of Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Romania. The club had spent most of their existence in the lower divisions, except for a spell in Divizia A in the 1970s, until they received significant financial backing from Árpád Pászkány in 2002...

, where he became the team's top goalscorer in 1968–1969. He was later transferred to Rapid Bucharest where he played until the age of 22.

In 1971, he returned to Greece and played for PAOK FC
PAOK FC
P.A.O.K. F.C. is a Greek association football club based in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is the largest supported football club in Macedonia.PAOK FC is the football department of Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans , a multi-sport club. Since its formation in 1926 the football club...

 and two years later he was transferred
to AEL Larissa
AEL 1964
AEL 1964 F.C., fully the Athletic Union of Larissa 1964 , is a Greek association football club based in the city of Larissa, capital of Greece's Thessaly region. The club is also known, unofficially, as Larissa. It is the only FC outside the two big Greek cities, Athens and Thessaloniki, to have...

 where he ended his career.

He began his career as a coach in the 1980s, by coaching first Egaleo FC
Egaleo FC
Egaleo F.C. is a Greek football club based in Egaleo, a suburb of Athens. Founded in 1931, it currently plays in Greece's fourth division, holding home matches at Stavros Mavrothalassitis Stadium, with a 14,000-seat capacity....

 and then he coached Chalkida and Kavala. Then, in 1987–88 he went to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

 and coached APOP Paphos and later for Pezoporikos. Returning to his country the following season he was coach of Naousa. As a coach he won his first title with his team APOEL
APOEL FC
APOEL F.C. is a professional football club based in Lefkosia , Cyprus and they are one of the founding members of the Cyprus Football Association. APOEL is one of the most popular football teams in Cyprus and they are the most successful with an overall tally of 21 championships, 19 cups and 12...

, which coached them in 1989–90, when he went back to Cyprus. That season APOEL became champions.

For three years, since 1990 he was coach for Pierikos but then he went back to Cyprus and to his previous team APOEL in 1993 until 1995.

Returning to Greece, he coached Larissa, in 1995–96 and then he employed for Skoda Xanthi
Skoda Xanthi
Skoda Xanthi F.C. , or F.C. Skoda Xanthi Athletic Club, is a Greek football club, based in the city of Xanthi. The club currently competes in the Super League Greece.-History:...

. He coached the team for four years until 1999 and he returned to the team in 2004 for two years. It is considered that his best work was for Xanthi with their chairman Christos Panopoulos
Christos Panopoulos
Christos Panopoulos is a Greek businessman. He is the owner of Viamar SA, the Greek importer and distributor of Skoda cars, and Skoda Xanthi, a Greek football club from the town of Xanthi.-References:*...

. The second time when he worked for them, Xanthi achieved their greatest success in their history. As a coach of the team, Xanthi became 5th in 2005–06
2005-06 in Greek football
The 2005-06 Greek Football season saw Olympiacos claim its second consecutive and 34th Greek title in the Alpha Ethniki. However, the season was somewhat overshadowed by the suspension of the Greek FA by UEFA, which jeopardized the European places of the Champions League, UEFA Cup, and Intertoto...

, a position which gave them the right to play in UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup 2006-07
The 2006–07 UEFA Cup was the 36th UEFA Cup, Europe's second tier club football tournament. On 16 May 2007, at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Sevilla won their second consecutive UEFA Cup, defeating Espanyol 3–1 on penalties after the match finished 2–2 after extra time...

.

The greatest moment in his career was with Olympiacos in 1999–2000 became champions and the following season
UEFA Champions League 2000-01
The 2000–01 UEFA Champions League was the ninth edition of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA's premier European club football tournament, since it was renamed from the European Cup in 1992, and the 46th tournament overall. The competition was won by Bayern Munich , who beat Valencia 5–4 on...

 when he coached the "Legend of Piraeus" in UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

.

Olympiacos Piraeus

On 9 April 2000, the day of the Greek parliament elections, Olympiacos' chairman Sokratis Kokkalis sacked manager Alberto Bigon
Alberto Bigon
Alberto "Albertino" Bigon is an Italian football manager and former player.-Playing career:Bigon started his playing career for his native city team Padova. He made his Serie A debut with SPAL in 1967, but obtained most of his playing triumphs with AC Milan, where he played from 1971 to 1980...

. Matzourakis was the manager of Skoda Xanthi
Skoda Xanthi
Skoda Xanthi F.C. , or F.C. Skoda Xanthi Athletic Club, is a Greek football club, based in the city of Xanthi. The club currently competes in the Super League Greece.-History:...

 by this time, but on 10 April 2000, one day after Bigon left, Matzourakis signed for 1,5 year in Olympiacos.

By this time, Olympiacos was first in the league
Alpha Ethniki 1999-2000
- Standings :' : Cup winner 1999-2000' : Title holder' : Promoted from Beta EthnikiPts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;- Match table :-UEFA Cup Places:AEK qualified through the Cup, the 3rd...

 with 68 points, 1 point over Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...

. Matzourakis promised he will lead the team to 8 wins in the 8 remaining matches, that meant Olympiacos wins the championship.

His first match in the team was against Iraklis at OAKA. Olympiacos started the game well, they had many misses, but they won only 1–0 with a goal by Luciano de Souza
Luciano de Souza
Luciano de Souza, simply Luciano , is a former Brazilian football player and currently the football manager of Kalloni which competes in Greek Football League...

 in the 90+2 minute. Olympiacos continued winning and remained first, although Panathinaikos lost 1–0 away to Panahaiki and Matzourakis' team, with 8 wins in 8 games, celebrated its forth consecutive championship.

In the summer transfer period, Zlatko Zahovic
Zlatko Zahovic
Zlatko Zahovič is a retired Slovenian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.After making a name for himself in Europe in Portugal, most notably with Porto and Benfica, he went on to have unassuming spells in Spain and Greece...

 was transferred to Valencia FC, although other
high-class players, such as Ze Elias, Grigoris Georgatos (on loan from Inter), Par Zetterberg
Pär Zetterberg
Pär Zetterberg is a Swedish former football midfielder, who played most of his career for R.S.C. Anderlecht.Zetterberg started his career at his local club, Falkenbergs FF, but after only seven games at senior level he became professional, joining the Belgian team RSC Anderlecht...

, Christian Karembeu
Christian Karembeu
Christian Karembeu is a retired French international footballer and current scout for Arsenal Football Club...

, Gabriel Alvez
Gabriel Alvez
Jorge Gabriel Álvez is a Uruguayan footballer. He currently plays for Central Español in the Primera División Uruguaya.-Club career:...

 and the young Nery Castillo
Nery Castillo
Nery Alberto Castillo Confalonieri , is a Mexican international footballer who currently plays for Aris.He began his career at Uruguayan club Danubio, moving to Greece at the age of 16 to play for Olympiacos....

, moved to Olympiacos. With these additions, Matzourakis' team became more powerful and celebrated wins over Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...

 (2–1) and Valencia FC (1–0) at home in the 2000–01 Champions League
UEFA Champions League 2000-01
The 2000–01 UEFA Champions League was the ninth edition of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA's premier European club football tournament, since it was renamed from the European Cup in 1992, and the 46th tournament overall. The competition was won by Bayern Munich , who beat Valencia 5–4 on...

. Although, Olympiacos was unable to win away, and due to a loss to Heerenveen S.C. 1–0 in Holland, the Greek champions finished 3rd with 9 points and failed to qualify to the second round. Due to this, Olympiacos fans were booing Matzourakis in the match against Liverpool FC (2–2) for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup 2000-01
In perhaps the most bizarre European final ever, the 2000–01 UEFA Cup was won by Liverpool in a dramatic golden goal final against Deportivo Alavés for their third title in the competition. It completed a unique cup treble for the club, as they also won the FA Cup and the League Cup that season...

.

In the final match of the group stage against Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...

 at Gerland, Matzourakis made a substitution changing Giovanni, and the Brazilian attacked his coach verbally, with Matzourakis responding. This incident forced the fans to boo Olympiacos' coach at the match against Liverpool.

This, along with an argue with Lampros Choutos
Lampros Choutos
Lampros Choutos is a Greek footballer who plays as a striker.During his career, he played equal periods of time in his country and Italy.-Early years:...

, forced Matzourakis to leave the club, while Olympiacos was first in the league, 4 points over Panathinaikos and AEK. His successor Takis Lemonis
Takis Lemonis
Takis Lemonis is a former Greek football player , former manager of Cypriot champion Omonia and current manager of Panionios.-Playing career:...

 continued, winning the championship 12 points over Panathinaikos and 17 points over AEK.

After 2000

Back in Cyprus in 2002, he coached Anorthosis Famagusta and AEL Limassol
AEL Limassol
Athlitiki Enosi Lemesou , commonly known as AEL Limassol , is a Greek Cypriot multisport club based in the city of Limassol, the port of Cyprus....

, and in 2003, AEL qualified to the Cypriot Cup final after 14 years, and was beaten on penalties by Anorthosis 5–3 after a draw 0–0.

After working in Xanthi for two years, he gave up by coaching the team on 26 September 2006, after the bad results of the team. He returned to Cyprus in January 2007, this time for AC Omonia
AC Omonia
Athletic Club Omonoia Nicosia is a professional football club that plays in the Cyprus capital city Nicosia. The club was established in 1948 and became a member of the Cyprus Football Association in 1953...

, replacing their previous coach Ioan Andone
Ioan Andone
Ioan Andone is a Romanian football coach and former player.-Career:He made his Divizia A debut with Corvinul Hunedoara in 1979. He later went to Dinamo Bucureşti where he helped win the league title in 1984 and 1990 and the cup title in 1984, 1986 and 1990. In 1990 he was bought by Spanish team...

 without success. He was fired after his team was beaten in the Cypriot Cup Final by Anorthosis Famagusta.

On 14 December 2007 he was appointed manager of Veria, and his spell there was followed by good results. The team escaped the relegation zone, but on 11 March 2008 he was sacked after a home loss to his former club Olympiacos 0–1. Rumours suggested that Matzourakis will become the manager of Olympiacos for the second time after he left Veria, because Olympiacos' coach Takis Lemonis
Takis Lemonis
Takis Lemonis is a former Greek football player , former manager of Cypriot champion Omonia and current manager of Panionios.-Playing career:...

 was also sacked after that match. Although, Jose Segura
Jose Segura
Jose Altagracia Segura Mota is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played during three seasons at the major league level for the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants. He was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent in...

 succeeded Lemonis at Olympiacos, and Veria was relegated after Matzourakis left.

After that season, Matzourakis returned to Xanthi, but he was sacked before the start of the 2008–09 season. On 20 November 2008 he became the coach of OFI Crete
OFI Crete
OFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...

 but he couldn't prevent the team from relegation and was sacked after the end of the season. On 22 September 2009 he once again returned to Xanthi, although the team's results were disappointing and he was sacked on 23 February 2010.

In March of 2011 he signed as the head coach of Kavala
Kavala
Kavala , is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala peripheral unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos...

's local team, Kavala FC. His debut wasn't good, because his team lost 0-1 from Olympiakos Volou. In April he was quit from the Macedonian Team and his last match with Kavala, was Kavala versus Atromitos.
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