Peter Philipakos
Encyclopedia
Peter Philipakos is a Greek-American
football (soccer) midfield
player currently playing for Greek
Football League (second division) club Iraklis Psachna
.
, New York
on Long Island
, and was a U.S. Youth Soccer Region I and Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) Olympic Development Program (ODP) player.
, in Glen Cove, New York on Long Island, Peter matriculated to St. John's University in 2001. In his freshman year with St. John's, Philipakos, playing as a left-sided attacking-midfielder, made 23 total appearances (18 starts) and scored 3 goals, helping St. John's win the 2001 Big East Conference
Championship and advance as far as the 2001 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
College Cup (Semifinals). After the successful 2001 season, Philipakos surprisingly transferred from St. John's to American University
. Philipakos spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons with American, playing as an outside-midfielder and second-striker, and over those two seasons he made 37 total appearances (35 starts), scoring 12 goals and adding 7 assists.
, Greece-based club AEK Athens of A' Ethniki
(now called the Greek Super League
). Philipakos impressed AEK's legendary Serbia
n manager Dušan Bajević
during the trial period and ultimately signed a 3.5-year professional contract with the club on January 9, 2004. The Greek-American player would be ineligible to appear in competitive matches for the club for what was left of the 2003-04 season though, since at the time of the signing AEK already had the maximum-allowed number of foreign-born (non-European Union
) players on its roster, and Philipakos’ Greek citizenship papers could not be processed in time for the club to register him as a Greek player; this meant he could only train with the first team until the start of the 2004-05 season. Philipakos would never get to play a competitive match in an AEK shirt thoughby the end of the 2003-04 season AEK was in serious danger of falling into bankruptcy, and Philipakos would ultimately be among a host of players who would have to leave the club as a result.
By the time AEK's financial problems really came to the surface, Bajević had already resigned from the club, and in July 2004 he controversially signed up for his second stint in charge of Olympiacos, AEK's Piraeus
-based A' Ethniki rivals. When Philipakos became free from AEK, Bajević called on the young Greek-American once againPhilipakos signed a 5-year contract (with club options after the first and third years) with Olympiacos, Greece's most successful club, on July 31, 2004.
Philipakos immediately made a very significant impression on his new club with his performances during Olympiacos’ preseason tours of Spain
and Cyprus
, but just shy of the start of the 2004-05 season he suffered an inguinal hernia
on his left side that would require surgery and force him to miss the first half of the season. After recovering and returning to normal training in December 2004, Philipakos made his competitive debut for Olympiacos on January 19, 2005 in the Greek Cup
against Iraklis at Kaftanzoglio Stadium
. Philipakos made his league debutand first starton February 27, 2005 against Chalkidona (now called Atromitos) at Olympiacos’ Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium
and he made his European debut on March 16, 2005 in the UEFA Cup
Round of 16 against Newcastle United
at St James' Park
. During the season the Greek media continually compared Philipakos to former Olympiacos star winger Stelios Giannakopoulos
. Olympiacos would go on to become A' Ethniki champions and Greek Cup winners in the 2004-05 season, with Philipakos making a total of 6 appearances (2 starts) in all competitions, playing primarily as a right-sided midfielder. At the end of the season, Olympiacos renewed Philipakos’ contract for the next 2 years.
Philipakos would suffer a blow when Bajević resigned from Olympiacos in June 2005. In July 2005, Olympiacos replaced Bajević with Norwegian
manager Trond Sollied
. Right from preseason, Sollied and Philipakos experienced a tumultuous relationship, and when Sollied brought in Nigeria
n Haruna Babangida
to play Philipakos’ favored right-sided attacking position, Philipakos was of little use to the new manager. In early-September 2005, Peter impetuously requested to leave the club, at which point he was made to train on the side at Olympiacos’ Renti training complex until a resolution could be found. On October 31, 2005, Philipakos was officially released from Olympiacos.
Philipakos is the only Greek-American to have ever played in a league match for Greek giants Olympiacos.
to play out the rest of the 2005-06 season. That season Aris was playing in B' Ethniki
for the just the second time in the club's long history, and during the winter transfer period
manager Nikos Anastopoulos
a former Olympiacos star playercalled on Philipakos and defender
Efthimios Kouloucheris
who like Philipakos had also been recently released by Olympiacosto help the club make an immediate return to A' Ethniki. Philipakos made a total of 6 appearances for Arisall as a substitutein between missing time due to two separate, minor injuriesone coming in strange fashion when an opposing player accidentally stepped on his foot during a stoppage. His career in Thessaloniki would end abruptly and controversially though. On April 16, 2006, Aris took on Ethnikos Asteras at Aris’ Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadiumthe second-to-last match of the campaign, and a match crucial to the team's promotion
hopes. Aris dominated the match but could not convert any of their chances to score, and the match ended 0-0. After the match, Philipakos, who entered the match at half-time, pulled his shirt out of frustration with the result and ripped it from the neck down as he walked to the changing room. Aris fansalready riled up from their own frustration with the poor resultbecame outraged that he would do such a thing to the Aris shirt, the revered symbol of the club. Philipakos apologized to the fans, and explained his act was simply a product of frustration and was not a sign of a lack of respect or affection for the club, but he would not be forgiven. Less than a week later Philipakos and Aris agreed to terminate his contract earlythat is, one week before the end of the season and the expiry of his contract. Aris would go on to win the last match of the season and earn promotion back to A' Ethniki.
star Giovanni and former AEK and Sevilla FC
star Vassilis Tsiartas
to lead the team, and Philipakos joined as well. The Ethnikos project looked good on paper, but Philipakos’ experience with the club would be a nightmare. Shortly after Philipakos signed, President Nikos Pirounias agreed to sell a controlling interest in the club to a group of new investors fronted by Cypriot
businessman Fivos Moridis, and from the time of Moridis’ arrival Philipakos was unpaid and relegated to the bench; he would not be alone in his problems under the new ownershipsuperstars Giovanni and Tsiartas as well as several other summer signings all left the club in the middle of the season. In January 2007 Philipakos took legal action against the club for his unpaid wages, but as the matter dragged on he ultimately decided to drop the case so that he could latch on somewhere else. Philipakos officially cut ties with Ethnikos in February 2007, but because the release came after the close of the winter transfer period, he was unable to be registered by a European club for the remainder of the 2006-07 season. Philipakos made only 3 appearances for Ethnikos in the 2006-07 season.
where New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer
had already begun preseason training. Philipakos underwent a 2-week trial with New York, but he entered the trial very unfit and did not show well. On February 28, 2007, the club announced they would not sign Philipakos to a contract.
Bruce Arena
, then sporting director and head coach of New York, said of Philipakos’ trial, "I don't think he showed too well. He was pretty unfit and we just didn't have the time for him. He obviously is a player who has some potential there. We are not able to wait four to six weeks."
of the Czech
first division, the Gambrinus Liga
. Philipakos impressed manager Zdeněk Ščasný
(who also had passed through Greece, coaching Panathinaikos
and OFI Crete
) during the trial period, and he signed a 1-year contract (with a 1-year option) with the club on May 9, 2007.
In a friendly match against SK Slovan Varnsdorf
just prior to the start of the 2007-08 season Philipakos suffered an athletic pubalgia (more commonly referred to as a "sports hernia") on his right side and concomitantly tore his adductor longus muscle
on the same side. Doctors in the Czech Republic did not detect the sports hernia though. Once the adductor healed, Philipakos made his Gambrinus Liga debut against FK Mladá Boleslav
on September 16, 2007. As the sports hernia was never detected and corrected though, Philipakos still struggled with pain and could not continue to play after his debut. Several more misdiagnoses in the Czech Republic left him in limbo for several weeks, but a trip to Germany finally revealed that Philipakos actually had a sports hernia, and in November 2007 Philipakos had the problem surgically repaired at the Hernienzentrum clinic in Munich
, Germany by world-renowned hernia operation specialist Dr. Ulrike Muschaweck.
After undergoing the sports hernia surgery in Munich, Philipakos fully recovered and returned to normal training in late November 2007, just prior to the beginning of the league's winter break; by that time though, Most was in last place in the league and poised for relegation. In anticipation of the drop, Most began a clear out of the squad during the winter breaktop scorer Goce Toleski
was sold to Slavia Prague, Canadian international Andrew Hainault
was loaned to Sparta Prague, and the club offered to work out a release with several other players, including Philipakos. Philipakos decided to agree to a release in January 2008. As expected, at the end of the season Most was relegated to the Druhá Liga
, the Czech second division.
club Vejle
, but he returned to Greece after only a few days, as he was bothered by an ankle injury. In the next transfer window, in January 2010, Philipakos signed a 6-month contract with Greek
Football League 2 club Chersonissos
. Philipakos re-signed with Chersonissos for the 2010-11 season, returning as team captain.
On October 14, 2011, Philipakos signed a 1-year contract with Football League club Iraklis Psachna
.
On November 27, 2011, in the fourth week of the 2011-12 Football League season
, Philipakos played in Iraklis Psaxna's first win in the Greek second tier in club historya 2-0 defeat of Diagoras
.
qualification matches against Georgia
and Albania
. Philipakos declined the invitation, citing a desire to focus on Olympiacos duties, while also adding he was not ready to close the door on the prospect of one day representing the United States.
Greek American
Greek Americans are Americans of Greek descent also described as Hellenic descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States, while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim to be of Greek descent...
football (soccer) midfield
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
player currently playing for Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Football League (second division) club Iraklis Psachna
Iraklis Psachna F.C.
Iraklis Football Club is a Greek football club, based in Psachna, Euboea.-History:In 2009-10, Psachna earned promotion to the third tier of Greek football, Football League 2, for the first time in club history, as champions of Delta Ethniki Group 7....
.
Youth Soccer
Born in the United States, Peter Philipakos played his youth club soccer for nationally-ranked Hewlett NOGA / Hewlett Blue Streak of Hewlett-Lawrence Soccer Club, in Five TownsFive Towns
The Five Towns is an informal grouping of villages and hamlets in Nassau County, New York, United States on the South Shore of western Long Island adjoining the border with Queens County in New York City. Despite the name, none of the communities is a town...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, and was a U.S. Youth Soccer Region I and Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) Olympic Development Program (ODP) player.
College Soccer
After graduating from Glen Cove High SchoolGlen Cove High School
Glen Cove High School, commonly referred to as GC, or GCHS, is the only public high school in the Glen Cove City School District. Located at 150 Dosoris Ln., Glen Cove, on the North Shore of Long Island, GCHS sits upon of land. The current building has been in use since 1962, and prior to that...
, in Glen Cove, New York on Long Island, Peter matriculated to St. John's University in 2001. In his freshman year with St. John's, Philipakos, playing as a left-sided attacking-midfielder, made 23 total appearances (18 starts) and scored 3 goals, helping St. John's win the 2001 Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
Championship and advance as far as the 2001 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
The NCAA began conducting a Men's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1959 with an eight-team tournament. Currently, the tournament field consists of 48 teams...
College Cup (Semifinals). After the successful 2001 season, Philipakos surprisingly transferred from St. John's to American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
. Philipakos spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons with American, playing as an outside-midfielder and second-striker, and over those two seasons he made 37 total appearances (35 starts), scoring 12 goals and adding 7 assists.
AEK Athens FC
In late-December 2003, after completing his junior season with American University, Philipakos went on trial with historic AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece-based club AEK Athens of A' Ethniki
Super League Greece
The Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
(now called the Greek Super League
Super League Greece
The Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
). Philipakos impressed AEK's legendary Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n manager Dušan Bajević
Dušan Bajevic
Dušan Bajević is a Bosnian football manager and former Yugoslav international.-Playing career:...
during the trial period and ultimately signed a 3.5-year professional contract with the club on January 9, 2004. The Greek-American player would be ineligible to appear in competitive matches for the club for what was left of the 2003-04 season though, since at the time of the signing AEK already had the maximum-allowed number of foreign-born (non-European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
) players on its roster, and Philipakos’ Greek citizenship papers could not be processed in time for the club to register him as a Greek player; this meant he could only train with the first team until the start of the 2004-05 season. Philipakos would never get to play a competitive match in an AEK shirt thoughby the end of the 2003-04 season AEK was in serious danger of falling into bankruptcy, and Philipakos would ultimately be among a host of players who would have to leave the club as a result.
Olympiacos
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
-based A' Ethniki rivals. When Philipakos became free from AEK, Bajević called on the young Greek-American once againPhilipakos signed a 5-year contract (with club options after the first and third years) with Olympiacos, Greece's most successful club, on July 31, 2004.
Philipakos immediately made a very significant impression on his new club with his performances during Olympiacos’ preseason tours of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and 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...
, but just shy of the start of the 2004-05 season he suffered an inguinal hernia
Inguinal hernia
An inguinal hernia is a protrusion of abdominal-cavity contents through the inguinal canal. They are very common , and their repair is one of the most frequently performed surgical operations....
on his left side that would require surgery and force him to miss the first half of the season. After recovering and returning to normal training in December 2004, Philipakos made his competitive debut for Olympiacos on January 19, 2005 in the Greek Cup
Greek football Cup
The Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
against Iraklis at Kaftanzoglio Stadium
Kaftanzoglio Stadium
Kaftanzoglio stadium is a sports stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece. The stadium was built with money donated by the Kaftanzoglou Foundation, hence its name. At the time of its opening on 27 October 1960, the stadium was one of the highest quality stadiums in the Balkans...
. Philipakos made his league debutand first starton February 27, 2005 against Chalkidona (now called Atromitos) at Olympiacos’ Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium
Karaiskakis Stadium
Karaiskakis Stadium is in the Neo Faliro area of Piraeus, Greece. It is the home ground of Olympiacos F.C. and is named after Georgios Karaiskakis , hero of the Greek War of Independence, who was mortally wounded near the area....
and he made his European debut on March 16, 2005 in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
Round of 16 against Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
at St James' Park
St James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
. During the season the Greek media continually compared Philipakos to former Olympiacos star winger Stelios Giannakopoulos
Stelios Giannakopoulos
Stylianos "Stelios" Giannakopoulos , popularly known as Stelios, is a retired Greek footballer who is currently president of the Greek Professional Footballers Association...
. Olympiacos would go on to become A' Ethniki champions and Greek Cup winners in the 2004-05 season, with Philipakos making a total of 6 appearances (2 starts) in all competitions, playing primarily as a right-sided midfielder. At the end of the season, Olympiacos renewed Philipakos’ contract for the next 2 years.
Philipakos would suffer a blow when Bajević resigned from Olympiacos in June 2005. In July 2005, Olympiacos replaced Bajević with Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
manager Trond Sollied
Trond Sollied
Trond Johan Sollied is a Norwegian football manager and retired player, currently managing the Belgian first division team Gent....
. Right from preseason, Sollied and Philipakos experienced a tumultuous relationship, and when Sollied brought in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n Haruna Babangida
Haruna Babangida
Haruna Babangida is a Nigerian footballer who currently is free agent.Babangida is a hard working, quick right wing who can also play on the left side.He is the younger brother of Tijani Babangida and Ibrahim Babangida...
to play Philipakos’ favored right-sided attacking position, Philipakos was of little use to the new manager. In early-September 2005, Peter impetuously requested to leave the club, at which point he was made to train on the side at Olympiacos’ Renti training complex until a resolution could be found. On October 31, 2005, Philipakos was officially released from Olympiacos.
Philipakos is the only Greek-American to have ever played in a league match for Greek giants Olympiacos.
Aris FC
On January 25, 2006, Philipakos signed a 6-month contract with ArisAris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Football Club , also known as God of war and the Yellows, is a Greek football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Formed in 1914, the club was a founding member of Macedonian Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation, they currently compete in...
to play out the rest of the 2005-06 season. That season Aris was playing in B' Ethniki
Beta Ethniki
Football League, former Beta Ethniki, is the second highest professional football league in Greece.-History:In its first years, the system of conduct was very intriguing. It began in 1954 as regional championship, separated in two groups, North and South. Then, the participating teams were the...
for the just the second time in the club's long history, and during the winter transfer period
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
manager Nikos Anastopoulos
Nikos Anastopoulos
Nikos Anastopoulos is a Greek former football player, one of the most prolific strikers in the Greek league during the late 1970s and the 1980s. With 29 goals he is the all time highest scorer for the Greek national football team. Since retiring as a player he has become a football manager...
a former Olympiacos star playercalled on Philipakos and defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
Efthimios Kouloucheris
Efthimios Kouloucheris
Efthimios Kouloucheris is a defender playing for Aris Thessaloniki. He started his career at Proodeftiki FC and later at Olympiakos. He was transferred to Aris Thessaloniki F.C. in January 2006.-References:...
who like Philipakos had also been recently released by Olympiacosto help the club make an immediate return to A' Ethniki. Philipakos made a total of 6 appearances for Arisall as a substitutein between missing time due to two separate, minor injuriesone coming in strange fashion when an opposing player accidentally stepped on his foot during a stoppage. His career in Thessaloniki would end abruptly and controversially though. On April 16, 2006, Aris took on Ethnikos Asteras at Aris’ Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadiumthe second-to-last match of the campaign, and a match crucial to the team's promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
hopes. Aris dominated the match but could not convert any of their chances to score, and the match ended 0-0. After the match, Philipakos, who entered the match at half-time, pulled his shirt out of frustration with the result and ripped it from the neck down as he walked to the changing room. Aris fansalready riled up from their own frustration with the poor resultbecame outraged that he would do such a thing to the Aris shirt, the revered symbol of the club. Philipakos apologized to the fans, and explained his act was simply a product of frustration and was not a sign of a lack of respect or affection for the club, but he would not be forgiven. Less than a week later Philipakos and Aris agreed to terminate his contract earlythat is, one week before the end of the season and the expiry of his contract. Aris would go on to win the last match of the season and earn promotion back to A' Ethniki.
Ethnikos Piraeus (first stint)
On July 26, 2006 Philipakos signed a 2-year contract with another B' Ethniki club, Piraeus-based club Ethnikos Piraeus. Ethnikos had one of the stronger teams in Greek football for decades, but after being relegated from A' Ethniki for the first time in its history in 1990, the club bounced between A' and B' Ethniki for a few seasons and then stalled in B' Ethniki after 1999. Ahead of the 2006-07 season, ambitious Ethnikos signed up former Olympiacos and FC BarcelonaFC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
star Giovanni and former AEK and Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
star Vassilis Tsiartas
Vassilis Tsiartas
Vassilios Tsiartas is a retired Greek international football player who played as an attacking midfielder. Although he was famed for his lackadaisical playing style, his ability was never in question and he was in many ways the epitome of a player who wears the number 10 shirt...
to lead the team, and Philipakos joined as well. The Ethnikos project looked good on paper, but Philipakos’ experience with the club would be a nightmare. Shortly after Philipakos signed, President Nikos Pirounias agreed to sell a controlling interest in the club to a group of new investors fronted by Cypriot
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...
businessman Fivos Moridis, and from the time of Moridis’ arrival Philipakos was unpaid and relegated to the bench; he would not be alone in his problems under the new ownershipsuperstars Giovanni and Tsiartas as well as several other summer signings all left the club in the middle of the season. In January 2007 Philipakos took legal action against the club for his unpaid wages, but as the matter dragged on he ultimately decided to drop the case so that he could latch on somewhere else. Philipakos officially cut ties with Ethnikos in February 2007, but because the release came after the close of the winter transfer period, he was unable to be registered by a European club for the remainder of the 2006-07 season. Philipakos made only 3 appearances for Ethnikos in the 2006-07 season.
New York Red Bulls
In February 2007, upon securing his official release from Ethnikos, Philipakos returned to his native New York, and then was off to Bradenton, FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
where New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
had already begun preseason training. Philipakos underwent a 2-week trial with New York, but he entered the trial very unfit and did not show well. On February 28, 2007, the club announced they would not sign Philipakos to a contract.
Bruce Arena
Bruce Arena
Bruce Arena is a former coach of the United States men's national soccer team as well as a former professional soccer and lacrosse player...
, then sporting director and head coach of New York, said of Philipakos’ trial, "I don't think he showed too well. He was pretty unfit and we just didn't have the time for him. He obviously is a player who has some potential there. We are not able to wait four to six weeks."
FK SIAD Most
After his New York trial, Philipakos spent the next month working to return to a high fitness level, and shortly thereafter, in April 2007, he went on trial with FK SIAD MostFK SIAD Most
FK Baník Most is a Czech football club based in the city of Most, approximately 75 kilometers north-west of Prague.The club's home stadium is Fotbalový stadion Josefa Masopusta....
of the Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
first division, the Gambrinus Liga
Gambrinus Liga
The Gambrinus liga is a Czech professional league for football clubs. At the top of the Czech football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 16 clubs, operating a system of promotion and relegation with the Czech 2. Liga. Seasons run from August to May,...
. Philipakos impressed manager Zdeněk Ščasný
Zdenek Šcasný
Zdeněk Ščasný is a Czech football manager and former player.Ščasný has won the Czech league championship six timesfour times as a player and twice as a coachand the Czech Cup three timestwice as a player and once as a coach....
(who also had passed through Greece, coaching 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...
and 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...
) during the trial period, and he signed a 1-year contract (with a 1-year option) with the club on May 9, 2007.
In a friendly match against SK Slovan Varnsdorf
SK Slovan Varnsdorf
FK Varnsdorf is a Czech football club located in Varnsdorf, Czech Republic. On 25 June, 2010, the club was promoted to the second tier of the Czech football league system, despite finishing only 6th in the previous season's ČFL...
just prior to the start of the 2007-08 season Philipakos suffered an athletic pubalgia (more commonly referred to as a "sports hernia") on his right side and concomitantly tore his adductor longus muscle
Adductor longus muscle
In the human body, the adductor longus is a skeletal muscle located in the thigh. One of the adductor muscles of the hip, its main function is to adduct the thigh and it is innervated by the obturator nerve...
on the same side. Doctors in the Czech Republic did not detect the sports hernia though. Once the adductor healed, Philipakos made his Gambrinus Liga debut against FK Mladá Boleslav
FK Mladá Boleslav
FK Mladá Boleslav is a Czech football club from Mladá Boleslav.- Recent times :The team was promoted to Gambrinus liga for the first time in its history in 2004 and in their first top-flight season fought against relegation, eventually finishing in 14th place...
on September 16, 2007. As the sports hernia was never detected and corrected though, Philipakos still struggled with pain and could not continue to play after his debut. Several more misdiagnoses in the Czech Republic left him in limbo for several weeks, but a trip to Germany finally revealed that Philipakos actually had a sports hernia, and in November 2007 Philipakos had the problem surgically repaired at the Hernienzentrum clinic in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany by world-renowned hernia operation specialist Dr. Ulrike Muschaweck.
After undergoing the sports hernia surgery in Munich, Philipakos fully recovered and returned to normal training in late November 2007, just prior to the beginning of the league's winter break; by that time though, Most was in last place in the league and poised for relegation. In anticipation of the drop, Most began a clear out of the squad during the winter breaktop scorer Goce Toleski
Goce Toleski
Goce Toleski is a football player from the Republic of Macedonia who currently plays for Czech club FK Mladá Boleslav.-Macedonia:Toleski signed for FK Rabotnicki in January 2004.In summer 2006, Toleski left for FK Renova.-Germany:...
was sold to Slavia Prague, Canadian international Andrew Hainault
Andrew Hainault
André Hainault is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer.-Czech League:Hainault began his professional career with Montreal Impact in the USL First Division in 2004, and played three competitive games for the team prior to signing with small Czech...
was loaned to Sparta Prague, and the club offered to work out a release with several other players, including Philipakos. Philipakos decided to agree to a release in January 2008. As expected, at the end of the season Most was relegated to the Druhá Liga
Czech 2. Liga
The 2. liga or Druhá liga is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in the Czech Republic. The top two teams are promoted to the Gambrinus liga.-Structure:There are 16 clubs in the Czech 2. Liga...
, the Czech second division.
Ethnikos Piraeus (second stint)
While Philipakos was in the Czech Republic, Nikos Pirounias took back control of Ethnikos. In February 2008, Pirounias, upon learning that Philipakos had dissolved his contract in the Czech Republic the previous month, called on the Greek-American to return to Ethnikos. Though Philipakos was unable to be registered to play in league matches for the remainder of the 2007-08 season since the transfer period had already closed, he rejoined the team in training and would sign a 1-year contract with the club to play the 2008-09 season. Philipakos remained healthy throughout the 2008-09 seasonan important step for him after he had missed so much time due to his sports hernia while in the Czech Republic the previous seasonand made 12 appearances in all competitions for Ethnikos, which was a career-high season total. In summer 2009, Philipakos chose not to re-sign with Ethnikos.Chersonissos
In August 2009, Philipakos accepted a trial invitation from DanishDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
club Vejle
Vejle Boldklub
Vejle Boldklub is a Danish football club with proud traditions from the town of Vejle. The club has won the Danish championship five times and the Danish cup title six times....
, but he returned to Greece after only a few days, as he was bothered by an ankle injury. In the next transfer window, in January 2010, Philipakos signed a 6-month contract with Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Football League 2 club Chersonissos
Olympiakos Chersonissos F.C.
Chersonissos F.C. is a professional football club based in Chersonissos, Crete in Greece, currently competing in Gamma Ethniki, the Greek third division.-History:...
. Philipakos re-signed with Chersonissos for the 2010-11 season, returning as team captain.
Iraklis Psachna
On September 9, 2011, Philipakos signed a 1-year contract with Greek club Ionikos. In late September, Ionikos was found guilty of committing contract forgery during the 2010-11 season and was punished by being relegated from the Football League to Football League 2, and soon after the club voluntarily withdrew from Football League 2 to Delta Ethniki. As a result, Ionikos' players were free to sign with another club.On October 14, 2011, Philipakos signed a 1-year contract with Football League club Iraklis Psachna
Iraklis Psachna F.C.
Iraklis Football Club is a Greek football club, based in Psachna, Euboea.-History:In 2009-10, Psachna earned promotion to the third tier of Greek football, Football League 2, for the first time in club history, as champions of Delta Ethniki Group 7....
.
On November 27, 2011, in the fourth week of the 2011-12 Football League season
2011–12 Football League (Greece)
The 2011–12 Football League is the second division of the Greek professional football system, and it's being held for the second year under the name Football League after previously being known as Beta Ethniki. The regular season began late, on 29 October, due to the Koriopolis scandal and the...
, Philipakos played in Iraklis Psaxna's first win in the Greek second tier in club historya 2-0 defeat of Diagoras
Diagoras F.C.
Diagoras FC is a football club based in Rhodes, Greece. It was founded in 1905. Diagoras is named after the island's famous hero Diagoras. The team first played under Ottoman Rule until the short lived independence of the Dodecanese in 1912...
.
International career
On March 18, 2005, Philipakos was called by the Greek Under-21 National Team for UEFA European Under-21 ChampionshipUEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The European Under-21 Football Championship is a football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. It is held every two years. The competition has existed in its current form since 1978. It was preceded by the Under 23 Challenge Cup which ran from 1967 to 1970...
qualification matches against Georgia
Georgia national under-21 football team
The Georgian U-21 national football team is the football team representing Georgia in competitions for under-21 year old players.-Current squad :The following players were called up for the European Under-21 Football Championship...
and Albania
Albania national under-21 football team
The Albania national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
. Philipakos declined the invitation, citing a desire to focus on Olympiacos duties, while also adding he was not ready to close the door on the prospect of one day representing the United States.
Honors
- Olympiacos
- A' EthnikiSuper League GreeceThe Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
(now called Greek Super LeagueSuper League GreeceThe Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
): 2004/2005 - Greek Cup: 2004/2005
- A' Ethniki