Alexandros Tzorvas
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Alexandros Tzorvas ( el, Αλέξανδρος Τζόρβας; born 12 August 1982) is a Greek former professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who played as a
goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
.


Club career


Early career

Ηe began his career as a member of the renowned (domazos academy)
Panathinaikos Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos ( el, Παναθηναϊκός Αθλητικός Όμιλος, literally in English: "Panathenaic Athletic Club" or Panathinaikos A.C.), also known simply as Panathinaikós , is a major Greek multi-sport club ba ...
football academy but, despite his potential, he found it hard to make the first team as the more experienced
Antonis Nikopolidis Antonis Nikopolidis ( el, Αντώνης Νικοπολίδης; born 14 January 1971) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and former manager of the Greece under-21 national team. He is regarded among the best ...
,
Konstantinos Chalkias Konstantinos "Kostas" Chalkias ( el, Κωνσταντίνος "Κώστας" Χαλκιάς; born 30 May 1974) is a retired Greek footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Previously he had played for Panathinaikos, Apollon Smyrni, Iraklis, Ports ...
and Stefanos Kotsolis provided more than full cover for the goalkeeping position. Due to the strong competition, and as the team laid hopes on him for the future in the next 4 years, he was loaned to the affiliated teams of Agios Nikolaos, Markopoulo and
Thrasyvoulos Thrasyvoulos Football Club ( el, Α.Ο. Θρασύβουλος Φυλής) is a Greek football club based in Fyli, Attica, currently in the A EPSDA. It was founded in 1938 and named after Thrasybulus, an ancient Athenial General who used Fyli as ...
in order to gain experience. In 2005 Panathinaikos recalled him from loan as a cover for Mario Galinović and Pierre Ebede.


OFI Crete

A lack of first team opportunities led to his trade to OFI with Orestis Karnezis – also a hot goalkeeping prospect – following the opposite path. A streak of very good performances made him quickly a starter for the team from
Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
even though his transfer was scrutinized by OFI fans, mainly because of what they see as one sided "colonial"-style agreements that their team is signing with Panathinaikos. In 2008, Tzorvas became the Second Greek Best Goalkeeper behind the legendary
Antonis Nikopolidis Antonis Nikopolidis ( el, Αντώνης Νικοπολίδης; born 14 January 1971) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and former manager of the Greece under-21 national team. He is regarded among the best ...
.


Return to Panathinaikos

During the 2008–09 season,
Panathinaikos Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos ( el, Παναθηναϊκός Αθλητικός Όμιλος, literally in English: "Panathenaic Athletic Club" or Panathinaikos A.C.), also known simply as Panathinaikós , is a major Greek multi-sport club ba ...
recalled him from OFI with
Arkadiusz Malarz Arkadiusz Malarz (; born 19 June 1980 in Pułtusk) is a Polish former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He currently serves as an goalkeeping coach for Legia Warsaw. Playing for his former club, Skoda Xanthi, he kept clean sheets in seven ...
taking the opposite way. Although Mario Galinović was considered the first option for the goalkeeper position for the 2008–2009 season, Tzorvas had his chances already in October being in the starting eleven for a few games for the Greek Superleague and the UEFA Champions League. For the 2009–10 Super League season, beginning from the match against
Aris Thessaloniki F.C. Aris FC ( el, ΠΑΕ Άρης), commonly known as Aris Thessaloniki FC, AFC or simply Aris, is a Greek professional football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece. Created in 1914 as ''Aris Thessaloniki Football Club'', t ...
, he is considered a basic choice for the goalkeeper position, mainly due to bad performances by teammate Galinović. Tzorvas is a die-hard fan of Panathinaikos. Once, in a game against Olympiakos at
Karaiskákis Stadium The Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium ( el, Στάδιο Γεώργιος Καραϊσκάκης), commonly referred to as the Karaiskakis Stadium ( el, Στάδιο Καραϊσκάκη, ), is a football stadium in Piraeus, Attica, Greece, and the ...
, he went in front of the partisan opposition fans and kissed the shamrock badge on his shirt.


Italy

On 26 August 2011 he moved to Italy, joining
Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...
club
Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
for €700,000; the player agreed a two-year contract with the club and will wear the No. 33 jersey for the Sicilian club, replacing
Salvatore Sirigu Salvatore Sirigu (, ; born 12 January 1987) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Fiorentina and the Italy national team. Sirigu began his career with Venezia, and then Palermo. In 2011, he moved to Paris Sa ...
who left weeks earlier in order to join
Paris Saint-Germain FC Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As F ...
. He debuted in ''rosanero'' on 11 September 2011, in the match won 4–3 against
Inter Inter may refer to: Association football clubs * Inter Milan, an Italian club * SC Internacional, a Brazilian club * Inter Miami CF, an American club * FC Inter Sibiu, a Romanian club * FC Inter Turku, a Finnish club * FK Inter Bratislava, a form ...
in
Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...
. Originally hired as starting goalkeeper, he fell out of favour with head coach
Devis Mangia Devis Mangia (; born 6 June 1974) is an Italian association football manager, most recently in charge of the Malta national football team. Managing career Early years Mangia started his coaching career at age 30, working alongside Sean Sogliano ...
following some unimpressive performances and ultimately lost his place to
Francesco Benussi Francesco Benussi (born 15 October 1981) is a retired Italian footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Club career Venezia Benussi started his career at Venezia, After he made his team debut in 1999–2000 season. He was loaned to Serie C1 clubs ...
. He was confirmed as second choice also by
Bortolo Mutti Bortolo Mutti (born 11 August 1954 in Trescore Balneario, Bergamo) is an Italian football manager and a former player, who was most recently manager of Livorno. His older brother Tiziano Mutti also played football professionally. To distinguish ...
, who replaced Mangia as Palermo boss in December, and then clearly relegated on the bench after Palermo opted to sign promising Italian international
Emiliano Viviano Emiliano Viviano (; born 1 December 1985) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Turkish Süper Lig club Fatih Karagümrük. Club career Brescia Born in Florence, Viviano is a product of Fiorentina and Brescia youth ...
during the January 2012 transfer window from Genoa. Alexandros Tzorvas will be looking to put a difficult season behind him when
Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...
football kicks-off later this month, but according to reports from Italy on Monday the Greek international might not get the chance to prove his
Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
critics wrong as a sensational transfer to league rivals
Udinese Udinese Calcio, commonly referred to as Udinese, is a professional Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, that currently plays in Serie A. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sports club, and on 5 July 1911 as a ...
is reportedly on the cards this summer. The former Panathinaikos shot-stopper was mentioned in a report released by
La Gazzetta dello Sport ''La Gazzetta dello Sport'' (; "The Sports Gazette") is an Italian daily newspaper dedicated to coverage of various sports. Founded in 1896, it is the most widely read daily newspaper of any kind in Italy (in 2018). History and profile ''La ...
as
Udinese Udinese Calcio, commonly referred to as Udinese, is a professional Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, that currently plays in Serie A. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sports club, and on 5 July 1911 as a ...
looks to fill the void between the sticks following the sale of
Samir Handanovic Samir (variantly spelled Sameer) is a male name found commonly in the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe. In Arabic, Samir () means holy, jovial, loyal or charming. In Albanian, it translates literally as “so good” but the connotation is clo ...
to
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter is ...
and the nerve-racking injury to expected starter Zeljko Brkic. For Tzorvas, a move away from the Sicilian club would provide a fresh start after a disastrous first season in Italy where a shaky
Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
back-line was partly responsible for Tzorvas’ struggles with the Rosanero. With
Udinese Udinese Calcio, commonly referred to as Udinese, is a professional Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, that currently plays in Serie A. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sports club, and on 5 July 1911 as a ...
set to compete in the play-off round of the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
, the Northeastern Italian club provides an attractive destination for Tzorvas despite the departure of many key players this season. In the summer 2012 he moved to
Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...
in definitive deal for €600,000 in 1-year contract,Genoa CFC SpA Report and Accounts on 31 December 2012 together with youth team striker Daniel Jara Martínez in temporary deal, in an exchange deal that took Swiss defender Steve von Bergen at Palermo for €1.7 million. The Greek international ‘keeper will back-up expected starter Sebastien Frey, while also competing with Canadian ‘keeper Robert Stillo for a spot on the bench. On 17 March 2013, Alexandros Tzorvas made his Genoa debut away to Fiorentina. His first game with the club was a catastrophe, as he smothered a Stevan Jovetić snapshot, but David Pizarro hit a fierce effort that took a massive deflection to loop over the goalkeeper and land on the crossbar. On 9 July 2013 Tzorvas returned to Greece to play for the newly promoted club of
Apollon Smyrni Apollon Smyrnis Football Club ( el, ΠΑΕ Απόλλων Σμύρνης), or in its full name Gymnasticos Syllogos Apollon Smyrnis ( el, links=no, Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Απόλλων Σμύρνης, ''Gymnastics Club Apollon o ...
as a free agent.


Apollon Smyrnis

On 9 July 2013 Tzorvas returned to Greece to play for the newly promoted club
Apollon Smyrni Apollon Smyrnis Football Club ( el, ΠΑΕ Απόλλων Σμύρνης), or in its full name Gymnasticos Syllogos Apollon Smyrnis ( el, links=no, Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Απόλλων Σμύρνης, ''Gymnastics Club Apollon o ...
as a free agent. Greece international Alexandros Tzorvas has agreed to join newly promoted
Greek Super League The Super League Greece 1 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λιγκ 1), or Super League 1, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced ''Alpha Ethniki'' at the top of ...
side
Apollon Smyrni Apollon Smyrnis Football Club ( el, ΠΑΕ Απόλλων Σμύρνης), or in its full name Gymnasticos Syllogos Apollon Smyrnis ( el, links=no, Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Απόλλων Σμύρνης, ''Gymnastics Club Apollon o ...
on a two-year deal, the club has confirmed. The Athenians are making their return to the Greek top flight for the first time in 13 years and have made Tzorvas the latest in a string of summer acquisitions. On 18 August 2013, he made his debut with the club in a 2–1 home win against
Aris Aris or ARIS may refer to: People * Aris (surname) Given name * Aris Alexandrou, Greek writer * Aris Brimanis, ice hockey player * Aris Christofellis, Greek male soprano * Aris Gavelas, Greek sprinter * Aris Howard, Former President of the Jama ...
. Tzorvas decision to return to Greece was not an easy one, knowing the differences between
Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...
and
Super League The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of wh ...
, but his enormous desire to regain his position in the
Greece national football team The Greece national football team ( el, Εθνική Ελλάδας, ) represents Greece in men's international football matches and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece play most ...
made him sign a contract with a team that is among the favorites for relegation. Eventually, he succeeded to be among Fernando Santos calls' for a friendly against South Korea


NorthEast United

On 1 September 2014, it was reported that he has signed a contract with
NorthEast United FC NorthEast United FC is an Indian professional football club based in Guwahati, Assam that competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club was founded on 13 April 2014 during the inaugural season of Indian Sup ...
to play in
Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
He started his first match against
Kerala Blasters FC Kerala Blasters Football Club (), commonly referred to as The Blasters, is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top tier of football in India. The club was established ...
, he was named man of the match with a clean sheet. On 23 December 2014, he left the club. After a decent spell at
NorthEast United FC NorthEast United FC is an Indian professional football club based in Guwahati, Assam that competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. The club was founded on 13 April 2014 during the inaugural season of Indian Sup ...
, the Greek press reported in March 2015 that Tzorvas was considering a return to India as he has been approached by two unidentified Indian clubs with significant offers.


International career

On 21 March 2008,
Otto Rehhagel Otto Rehhagel (; born 9 August 1938) is a German former football coach and player. Rehhagel is one of only two people who, as player and manager combined, has participated in over 1,000 Bundesliga matches (the other being Jupp Heynckes). In t ...
called Tzorvas as third choice goalkeeper for the friendly against
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
on 26 March at
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
, Germany. After the retirement of
Antonis Nikopolidis Antonis Nikopolidis ( el, Αντώνης Νικοπολίδης; born 14 January 1971) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and former manager of the Greece under-21 national team. He is regarded among the best ...
from the national team, Tzorvas became the second goalkeeper for Greece. He was named at the 23 man squad for
UEFA Euro 2008 The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of European ...
. He made his senior international debut for Greece on 19 November 2008 in a friendly match against
2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
champions
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
at the
Karaiskákis Stadium The Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium ( el, Στάδιο Γεώργιος Καραϊσκάκης), commonly referred to as the Karaiskakis Stadium ( el, Στάδιο Καραϊσκάκη, ), is a football stadium in Piraeus, Attica, Greece, and the ...
in Piraeus. One of Tzorvas's greatest career accomplishments to date came in Greece's 2009 home-and-away World Cup playoff with
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. Tzorvas turned away the Ukrainian attack for the entire 180 minutes over ties in Athens and Donetsk, sustaining the Greeks' 1–0 aggregate victory that sent the team to the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
in South Africa. At the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
, he was the starting goalkeeper in all three group matches, beating off competition from
Kostas Chalkias Konstantinos "Kostas" Chalkias ( el, Κωνσταντίνος "Κώστας" Χαλκιάς; born 30 May 1974) is a retired Greek footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Previously he had played for Panathinaikos, Apollon Smyrni, Iraklis, Portsm ...
and Michalis Sifakis. At the
UEFA Euro 2012 The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
, however,
Kostas Chalkias Konstantinos "Kostas" Chalkias ( el, Κωνσταντίνος "Κώστας" Χαλκιάς; born 30 May 1974) is a retired Greek footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Previously he had played for Panathinaikos, Apollon Smyrni, Iraklis, Portsm ...
took over his spot, and Michalis Sifakis played in the final group stage match against Russia and the quarter final against Germany.


Honours


Club

;Panathinaikos *
Super League Greece The Super League Greece 1 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λιγκ 1), or Super League 1, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced ''Alpha Ethniki'' at the top of ...
: 2009-10 *
Greek Cup The Greek Football Cup ( el, Κύπελλο Ελλάδος Ποδοσφαίρου), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Kypello Elladas is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation. The Greek Cup is the second most ...
: 2009–10


References


External links


OnSports profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tzorvas, Alexandros 1982 births Living people Association football goalkeepers Greece international footballers Greece under-21 international footballers Footballers from Athens Greek footballers Thrasyvoulos F.C. players OFI Crete F.C. players Panathinaikos F.C. players Super League Greece players Genoa C.F.C. players Apollon Smyrnis F.C. players NorthEast United FC players Serie A players UEFA Euro 2008 players 2010 FIFA World Cup players UEFA Euro 2012 players Expatriate footballers in Italy Expatriate footballers in India Greek expatriate footballers Greek expatriate sportspeople in Italy