George Tsamouras will be the latest addition in the group of Greek-Australians who have played professional football in Greece.
After flying to Greece to participate in trial practices for Panathinaikos and Asteras Tripolis, Tsamouras has accepted an offer for A.S.A. Karditsa and will play for them in Greece’s second division, Super League 2.
Tsamouras established himself in Newcastle, NSW, where he has spent his entire football career up until now.
Specifically, Tsamouras first played for Newcastle Olympic FC, which he joined at age 6, and rejoined at age 13, to help the team win the U14s and U15s NNSW NPL Premierships. In between, Tsamouras had a three-year stint in the prestigious Skill Acquisition Program (SAP), where he underwent rigorous training to expand his skillset and build the most solid foundation for his athletic career.
Tsamouras impressive run with Newcastle Olympic FC earned him the team’s U15s Player’s Player of the Year, while – most importantly – was his pathway to join the Newcastle Jets Academy in 2022. There, Tsamouras maintained the same pace, helping the U16s Newcastle Jets secure the Premiership in 2022, and the U20s win the FNSW League Two Men’s Premiership for 2023.
After formally becoming a Greek citizen and obtaining the Greek passport, Tsamouras attracted the interest of several Greek professional football teams, which could now sign him as a domestic/European player. Although Tsamouras did not make either Panathinaikos’ or Asteras Tripolis’ youth squads, he joined Karditsa, and will play for the team’s U20s side this season, aiming at joining the men’s’ squad next year.
In an interesting twist of fate, A.S.A. Karditsa and the city of Karditsa has now become Tsamouras’ home, a home that both his grandparent left to migrate to Australia, several decades ago. The Greek-Australian midfielder is expected to establish himself at Karditsa, which may just be his first stop on his football journey in Greece.
