| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Panagiotis Gonias | ||
| Date of birth | (1971-10-06)6 October 1971 (age 54) | ||
| Place of birth | Livadeia, Greece | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1987 | Panathinaikos Kyriaki | ||
| 1987–1988 | Levadiakos | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1988–1992 | Levadiakos | 64 | (11) |
| 1992–1996 | Olympiacos | 57 | (0) |
| 1996–1998 | Iraklis | 33 | (7) |
| 1998–1999 | Sporting Gijón | 10 | (1) |
| 1999–2000 | Paniliakos | 27 | (5) |
| 2000–2002 | Panionios | 42 | (7) |
| 2002–2003 | Iraklis | 29 | (6) |
| 2003–2004 | Olympiacos | 16 | (1) |
| 2004–2005 | Messina | 3 | (0) |
| 2005 | Crotone | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 281 | (38) | |
| International career | |||
| 1997–1998 | Greece | 2 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2013 | Glyfada | ||
| 2015 | Episkopi | ||
| 2016 | Kallithea | ||
| 2017−2018 | Ergotelis | ||
| 2018−2020 | Wadi Degla | ||
| 2021 | Pyramids | ||
| 2022–2023 | Pyramids | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Panagiotis 'Takis' Gonias (Greek:Παναγιώτης 'Τάκης' Γκώνιας; born 6 October 1971) is a Greekfootball manager and a former player.
Gonias began his career at local clubPanathinaikos Kyriaki (not to be confused withAthens-based clubPanathinaikos F.C.) atKyriaki,Boeotia.[1] He then moved to the region's most prestigious clubLevadiakos, making his debut in theGreek Alpha Ethnki, the top-level football league inGreece. He then went on to play for a various top-levelGreek clubs, includingOlympiacos,Panionios and most successfully,Iraklis. After his good appearances withIraklis, Gonias was transferred in 1998 toSporting de Gijón in theSpanishSegunda Division. In 2004, he transferred toItaly andSerie A sideMessina, where he played the last season of his career, despite making a transfer toCrotone in 2005.
Gonias has made two appearances and has scored one goal forGreece.[2] He made his debut on 19 August 1997, managing to score with apenalty kick during a 2–1 victory overCyprus. He received his second and final cap six months later, coming in as a second-half substitute forKostas Frantzeskos during another international friendly game.
After his retirement, Gonias worked as a football commentator forGreek television, while also professionally taking upGolf inGlyfada,Athens.[3] However, he decided to return to professional football as amanager, starting his coaching career in 2013 atGlyfada and afterwards taking over management ofFootball League sideEpiskopi.[4] In July 2016, Gonias was appointed manager of fellow 2nd tier clubKallithea, leading them for 8 games with a 2−0−6 record. A proposed move toGamma Ethniki sideVolos NFC in June 2017 fell through,[5] and in August 2017 he was appointed head coach ofCretanErgotelis, newly back in theFootball League.[6]
Gonias' unique approach to the game was met with suspicion fromGreek media at first, even more so as theCretans struggled to earn points on the Table and became relegation contenders at an early stage during the tournament. Despite criticism from local media, as well as a portion of the club's fans, who often demanded Gonias be sacked from his post,[7]Ergotelis' board placed their full trust in their head coach' work.[8] After an experimental First Round, Ergotelis' squad significantly improved and maintained an impressive good form, winning several key matches, scoring many goals, maintaining ball possession rates close to 60%-70% and eventually battling their way out of the relegation zone.
Earning credit for Ergotelis' impressive improvement and acclaimed performances, Ergotelis' owner Maged Samy offered Gonias the head coach position at hisEgyptian Premier League clubWadi Degla starting from 12 June 2018.[9] On 11 February 2020, Gonias was dismissed from his duties at Wadi Degla.[10]
On 29 June 2021, he was hired by the Egyptian clubPyramids.[11] However, he was dismissed after twelve matches in September of the same year. In April 2022, he was reappointed for a second tenure,[12] then signed a new contract in September until 2025.[13] On 5 January 2023, he was sacked from his position as head coach.[14]
"In Greece we do not understand how the game of football is played. Even football players do not know how to play football. They know positioning on the court, but don't know the usefulness of the position. Football today is taught. Respect for the coach has disappeared in football. I have raised the bar and I will make it. I will succeed because of the know-how. When I was a player I was kicking a ball, I did not play football."
Gonias' teams place much emphasis on retaining possession of the ball and dictating play, often playing a high defensive line with the full backs pushing high up their respective sides. His teams are usually young, and rely heavily on passing and positional interchange to retain possession, a style of play reminiscent of thetiki-taka style of football. As a result, his teams often achieve possession percentages close to 60-70% throughout the game, but are also known to easily concede goals on the counterattack. His unwavering approach to the game regardless of the opponent and match progression, has often been openly questioned by the press and fans as inappropriate for the realities ofthe second tier of theGreek football league system.[15] Gonias has therefore built a reputation inGreece for his post-match analysis during statements to the press, and his tendency to get overly defensive when questioned about his tactics.[15][16]