GUESS WHO’S GIAK?
Greek hero scores a cracker to put icing on cake of season he won’t forget
GIORGOS GIAKOUMAKIS admits a ton weight has been hoisted from his shoulders after signing off a memorable season in style.
The Celtic striker capped a magnificent second half of the campaign by bagging a superb header for his Greece in their 2-0 win over Kosovo.
Giakoumakis’ header ensured promotion to the Nations League B sections after a magical fortnight which has brought four straight wins without the loss of a goal.
The Parkhead striker was thrilled to play his part in the run of success for a team which is being reborn under manager Gus Poyet, below.
But, at the same time, Giakoumakis was just as delighted to put an end to the recent hoodoo which had been haunting him.
The hitman burst onto the senior international scene in November 2020 when scoring on his debut in a 2-1 victory over Cyprus.
However, since that strike, the Celtic striker had been unable to add to his tally.
Despite excellent scoring seasons at VVV Venlo and Celtic where he topped the league scoring charts in both Holland and Scotland in successive campaigns, Giakoumakis had not been able to notch again for his country.
But the big striker put that statistic to bed with his flying header for the opener against the Kosovans – just 12 minutes after arriving as a second-half substitute for his 11th cap.
The Hoops star confessed the goal drought for Greece had been on his mind and that it was an unforgettable moment to get on the score sheet.
Giakoumakis said: “It is definitely something that bothered me a lot.
“It bothered me because I was coming from two positive seasons. “I feel obliged to score but it did not work out in my first games, I did not have a clear mind. In my mind, I had to score and I’m glad I did. “In the first few matches we could have scored more times and I really wanted the goal. “Scoring with your club is beautiful but with your country, it is special and different. I am very happy. “I needed the goal, I was looking forward to this moment and I am happy. “I will definitely always try to help my team. The only thing I thought was missing was the goal, something that people know completes you as a striker. “From the moment the goal came, I tried to help for the rest of the game.”
Giakoumakis was set up for his terrific effort by old pal Petros Mantalos who admitted his assist had stopped the Celtic star burning his ear.
The pair were team-mates at AEK Athens and Mantalos joked: “Giakoumakis and I had previous, he had a complaint from the time at AEK that I did not give him an assist.
“Then, as soon as he scored the goal, he ran away from me! I was lost for words!”
Giakoumakis laughed and said: “I am happy because with Petros we have already been team-mates but he has not even assisted me in training either. This was the first!
“Somehow this had to be done and I hope other goals will now come in collaboration with him.”
Victory for the team was all that really mattered and Giakoumakis is delighted to be playing his part in the Greek resurgence under Poyet.
The national side had fallen from grace in recent seasons with the decline setting in immediately after Fernando Santos had taken them to the last 16 at the 2014 World Cup finals.
FA chiefs went through a succession of failed appointments, starting with Claudio Ranieri who lasted just four games before a shocking home loss to the Faroe Islands saw him booted out.
Kostas Tsanas, Uruguayan Sergio Markarian, German Michael Skibbe, Angelos Anastasiadis and Dutchman John van’t Schip all tried unsuccessfully to spark a revival before Poyet stepped into the post and got the team rolling.
It’s now five wins in six games for the former Chelsea midfielder and the supporters are believing again.
The 22,000-capacity Panthessaliko Stadium in Volos was packed to see Giakoumakis and his team-mates do the damage and win their C division with two games to spare.
Greece are now chasing a record they set back in 2013 – six straight wins on their way to those World Cup finals the following year.
Giakoumakis said: “As I said in the interview before the first match, we believed a lot in our potential from the first day we met. But it has definitely come faster than we expected.
“We deserved it 100 per cent and we rightly took the first place in the group.
“In every game we have creation. Not too many opportunities but enough to win with a bigger score.
“We had so many people by our side and we thank them for that. The area always shows that their people are beside the national team and I hope that, in the big cities, the people will be by our side.
“It’s our job to do well. It’s a good environment, with quality and the desire for success.
“We have started gelling together as a team and it is starting to take shape.”