Stefanos Kapino

Stefanos Kapino

Kapino with Greece U19 in 2012
Personal information
Full name Stefanos Kapino
Date of birth (1994-03-18) 18 March 1994
Place of birth Piraeus, Greece
Height 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Olympiacos
Number 37
Youth career
0000–2007 Aetos Korydallos
2007–2011 Panathinaikos
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2011–2014 Panathinaikos 41 (0)
2014–2015 Mainz 05 2 (0)
2015– Olympiacos 3 (0)
National team‡
2009–2011 Greece U17 14 (0)
2011–2013 Greece U19 12 (0)
2013 Greece U20 7 (0)
2012– Greece U21 6 (0)
2011– Greece 5 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10 April 2016.
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 30 March 2016

Stefanos Kapino (Greek: Στέφανος Καπίνο; born 18 March 1994) is a Greek footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Olympiacos and the Greek national team.[1]

Early life

Stefan began playing football in the youth system of the amateur club Aetos based in Korydallos, Piraeus.[2] Although he was firstly approached by Olympiacos scouts,[3] and even trained with the team for two and a half months,[4] Panathinaikos were the ones to secure his signature in June 2007 for a fee of €17,000.[5] At Panathinaikos, he gradually established himself as a member of the starting lineup for the club's under-18 and under-21 teams.[6]

Club career

Panathinaikos

On 17 September 2011, during a Superleague match vs. Atromitos, he made his debut for the men's team, coming in as a substitute after his teammate Orestis Karnezis was sent off.[7] With that appearance, he became the youngest goalkeeper to ever play for Panathinaikos, at the age of 17 years, six months and nine days.[2]

Relegated to the bench initially, the balance of the match is suddenly upset when his teammate Orestis Karnezis was sent off. Therefore, the highly anticipated moment arrives for Kapino making his debut among the pros. The boy does not seem to suffer emotion, immediately taking courage through a series of parades that allow you to gain confidence and familiarity between the posts. Although affected by the network of hosts by Kostas Mitroglou, the game is balanced out by its thanks to the draw of Sebastian Leto four minutes from time. After this, his first convincing performance, Jesualdo Ferreira gives him confidence again for another eleven races considering the various vicissitudes (the sale of Alexandros Tzorvas to Palermo's injury and the suspension Stefanos Kotsolis), scoring a total of 12 appearances in the Superleague Greece.[8]

The next season (2012/13) was a catastrophe for Panathinaikos as four coaches exchange rates during the year, after finishing sixth in the league sadly. The passing of the baton on the bench of the greens between Jesualdo Ferreira, the Argentine Juan Ramon Rocha, Spanish Fabri and finally Giannis Vonortas did not offered the young keeper the possibility to perform in the League except only a presence in the league, the last to come home 3-2 win against Veria.[8][9]

Kapino has been described by the media as a rising star and has attracted the attention of famous European clubs, such as Napoli, Inter Milan, Arsenal and Manchester United. More specifically, in summer 2013, he was close to a move to Napoli. There were, however, some factors that have blasted the deal as reported reporters from Prasini newspaper and portal Pao World. Here's what they wrote: "Panathinaikos keeper Stefanos Kapino was very close to Napoli. The club was player's dream and recently the two clubs had reached an agreement for the transfer of the keeper to Campania, paying €400,000 immediately and €2 million the following year. After the agreement between the two teams, Benitez, the coach of Napoli, had told the owners of the club that he needed a keeper with more experience."[10]

The 2013–14 season proved to be the best season of the young keeper. He started as regular to most of the Superleague games and as a consequence was selected for the final squad of the 2014 World Cup.

Mainz 05

In 2014, Kapino moved to German Bundesliga side Mainz 05 for a transfer fee of reportedly €2.2 million and signed a four-year contract until 2018. He had to compete with Loris Karius for a spot in the starting grid. "Stefanos Kapino is a very mobile and quick-reacting goalkeeper," Mainz coach Kasper Hjulmand said. "He may still be young, but he already has extraordinary composure and experience. With Loris, Stefanos and Robin, we now have three very young goalkeepers with a lot of potential in our squad."[11][12] He made his Bundesliga debut on 7 February 2015 at home versus Hertha BSC as a 34th minute replacement for Christian Clemens after the starting goalkeeper Loris Karius was given a red card for a foul on the last man.

Olympiacos

Only after one year with Mainz, Kapino could not establish himself, he moved back to his native Greece to join Olympiacos on a three-year deal for a transfer of believed to be €2 million.[13][14] Kapino joined Olympiacos in a move which could have aroused controversy among Panathinaikos fans as the player came through Panathinaikos academy. Stefanos Kapino made his Greek Super League debut for Olympiacos FC on 21 March 2016 away to Asteras Tripoli.

International career

Kapino has been a member of the Greece under-17 and under-19 teams. He is the youngest player to ever play for Greece U17, having debuted at the age of 15.[6]

On 15 November 2011, at the age of 17 years and 241 days,[1] he made his debut for the men's national team in a friendly match against Romania,[15] thus setting a new record for the youngest player ever to represent Greece at men's level.[1][6]

Statistics

Club statistics

As of 10 April 2016 [16]
Club Season League Cup Champions League Europa League Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Panathinaikos 2011–12 120000000120
2012–13 1020000030
2013–14 280200000300
Mainz 05 2014–15 2000000020
Olympiakos 2015-16 30700000100
Career totals 4601100000570

International Statistics

As of 18 November 2015 [17]
Greece national team
YearAppsGoals
201110
201410
201520
Total40

Honours

Panathinaikos
Olympiacos

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Stefanos Kapino profile". uefa.com.
  2. 1 2 Livaniou, Savvas (19 September 2011). ""Είναι ένα όνειρο στα 17 σου" ("It is a dream for a 17-year-old")". Eleftherotypia (in Greek).
  3. ↑ Nikolopoulos, Nikos; Giamas, Tasos; Giannakoulopoulos Georgios (3 June 2007). "Από το Μίνι στην Παιανία (From "Mini" to Paiania)". Athlitiki Echo (in Greek). p. 20.
  4. ↑ ""Ο Ολυμπιακός τον είχε σίγουρο" ("Olympiacos had him for sure")" (in Greek). Gazzetta.gr. 22 November 2011.
  5. ↑ "Εχει το μπόι να σταθεί στο ύψος των περιστάσεων (Able to cope with expectations)" (in Greek). Ethnos. 21 November 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 "Greece’s next goalkeeping hero: Stefanos Kapino". The Independent. 20 November 2011.
  7. ↑ Papantonopoulou, Vassiliki (4 November 2011). "Greece sizing up new UEFA EURO 2012 options". Athens: uefa.com.
  8. 1 2 "Stefanos Kapino Panathinaikos, here is the identikit of the giant greek". iamnaples.it. 3 June 2013.
  9. ↑ "Το "φύγε εσύ-έλα εσύ" των προπονητών 2012-13". pas.gr.
  10. ↑ "Bakolias a TuttoNapoli: "Per Kapino al Napoli era tutto fatto, poi Benitez l'ha fatto saltare"" (in Italian). tuttonapoli.net. 19 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "Mainz sign Greek keeper Kapino". bundesliga.com. 16 July 2014.
  12. ↑ "1. FSV Mainz 05 verpflichtet griechischen Schlussmann Stefanos Kapino". ftbpro.com. 17 July 2014.
  13. ↑ "1. FSV Mainz accept Olympiakos bid for Kapino". www.sdna.gr. 15 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "Kapino undergoes Olympiakos medical". www.sdna.gr. 15 July 2015.
  15. ↑ "Romania end Greece's 17 match unbeaten run in friendly". The Guardian. 15 November 2011.
  16. ↑ "Stefanos Kapino profile". Soccerway. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  17. ↑ Stefanos Kapino at National-Football-Teams.com
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