23 Facts About Traianos Dellas

Traianos Dellas is a Greek football manager and former professional footballer, who played as a centre back.

Traianos Dellas was an integral part of Greece's Euro 2004 winning squad, during which he became the only player to score a silver goal in an international football match.

Traianos Dellas played alongside Fanis Katergiannakis, with whom they won Euro 2004 with Greece in Portugal.

Traianos Dellas returned to Aris again before joining Sheffield United in England.

Traianos Dellas is best remembered by Sheffield United fans for a game against Tranmere Rovers in March 1999.

Traianos Dellas's other goal with " the Blades" was an amazing 30-yard strike in a home game against Portsmouth which was a late winner.

In 1999 Traianos Dellas returned to Greece to sing for AEK Athens in a recommendation of Vasilis Dimitriadis.

Traianos Dellas won the Greek Cup in 2000 playing alongside players such as Demis Nikolaidis and Vasilios Tsiartas.

Traianos Dellas had a fairly good presence for two years in the team, but the intense competition that existed in the positions of central defenders and his lack of speed resulted in 2001 with the then presindent, Makis Psomiadis and the coach, Fernando Santos, considering the huge number of center backs in the roster, to release him.

However, Traianos Dellas was dropped from Perugia's first team after a disagreement over his contract and he did not make a single appearance in the last six months of the season, playing only eight matches overall.

Traianos Dellas renewed his contract in June 2007 for a further two years and became team captain.

On 5 June 2010, Traianos Dellas agreed to sign with AEK Athens again, this time for one year, possibly intending to end his career at the team he supports.

Nikos Liberopoulos returned at the club and alongside Traianos Dellas formed their leading duo.

On 12 December 2010, Traianos Dellas scored his first goal in the Greek championship after two years' absence, against AEL.

On 30 April 2011, Traianos Dellas won with AEK his second Cup.

Traianos Dellas played at AEK for one more season when on 26 May 2012, Dellas announced his retirement from professional football.

Traianos Dellas had an exceptional tournament at Euro 2004, partnering again with his former teammate at AEK, Michalis Kapsis in the centre of what became an almost impenetrable Greek defence, leading to him being voted onto the tournament all-star squad.

Traianos Dellas's absence was seen as a major factor in Greece's failed 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.

Two years later, Traianos Dellas helped Greece qualify for Euro 2008 but could not find his form of 2004 as Greece exited the group stage without any points and having scored just one goal.

Traianos Dellas was part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign but was not called up after the victory over Israel on 1 April 2009.

On 4 April 2013, Traianos Dellas was appointed as AEK Athens's new coach, replacing Ewald Lienen, with Akis Zikos being appointed as assistant manager.

Traianos Dellas successfully led the team back in the Super League in 2015.

Traianos Dellas married Greek model Gogo Mastrokosta on 11 September 2008.