%20rotate(-8.06)%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22336.19%20136.81%20330.16%2094.25%20326.06%2071.19%20326.44%2071.13%20335.22%2093.54%20352.29%20134.52%20373.95%20131.46%20362.7%2052.01%20350.02%2053.8%20356.05%2096.36%20360.15%20119.42%20359.77%20119.48%20350.99%2097.08%20333.91%2056.09%20312.25%2059.15%20323.51%20138.6%20336.19%20136.81%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22402.91%2059.3%20412.36%20126.02%20427.17%20123.92%20417.72%2057.21%20431.59%2055.24%20429.79%2042.51%20387.23%2048.53%20389.04%2061.27%20402.91%2059.3%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22463.51%20118.77%20458.69%2084.71%20474.68%2082.44%20479.51%20116.5%20494.36%20114.4%20483.11%2034.95%20468.26%2037.06%20472.96%2070.25%20456.96%2072.52%20452.26%2039.32%20437.4%2041.43%20448.65%20120.88%20463.51%20118.77%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22540.5%20107.87%20538.77%2095.68%20518.91%2098.49%20515.77%2076.29%20535.63%2073.47%20533.93%2061.5%20514.07%2064.32%20511.11%2043.42%20530.98%2040.61%20529.25%2028.42%20494.53%2033.34%20505.78%20112.78%20540.5%20107.87%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22299.03%20155.17%20301.29%20171.58%20542.78%20138.39%20540.5%20121.97%20299.03%20155.17%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
Arsenal have just signed Greek international Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge. A lot is expected of the 24-year-old, who has just helped Brugge win the Belgian Pro League.
Some fans will remember him from his time at Norwich City. He played for the Canaries in the Premier League and the Championship after joining them from PAOK. Norwich sent him on loan to Twente and Fortuna Düsseldorf before he joined Brugge permanently.
The Gunners needed a left-winger after letting Leandro Trossard join Besiktas. Trossard was influential last season but is now in his thirties. Tzolis, who has 34 caps for Greece, is a young option on the left flank for Arteta.
Tzolis will be competing with Gabriel Martinelli for a starting spot. However, he can also play up front and wide on the right. After missing out on Morgan Rogers, Arsenal fans will be pleased to get this signing over the line.
The 3 other Greek players who have played for Arsenal
Dinos Mavropanos
Dinos Mavropanos joined Arsenal from PAS Giannina in 2018. However, he would go on to make just eight appearances for the Gunners. During his time at the Emirates, he was sent on loan to Nürnberg and VfL Stuttgart. He then joined Stuttgart permanently.
Mavopanos then returned to the Premier League with West Ham United. Last season, he impressed with the East London side and won their Hammer of the Year award. However, the Hammers were relegated.
The center-back is too good for the Championship and has been linked with a return to Arsenal. Bundesliga clubs including Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen are also interested in him. The Hammers will do well if they keep him.
Perhaps Jarrod Bowen committing to West Ham will help convince Mavropanos to stay too. Mavropanos is a Greece international with 42 caps, so ideally would want to be playing top-flight football.
Stathis Tavlaridis
Like Mavopanos, Stathis Tavlaridis had limited experience in Arsenal's first team. He also made just eight appearances for the Gunners. He was sent on loan to Portsmouth and then to Lille before joining the French side permanently.
Tavlaridis made a name for himself in Ligue 1, winning the Intertoto Cup with Lille. He also played for Saint-Étienne. French supporters nicknamed him 'Taureau,' which means the bull, due to his feisty style of play.
He played for the Greek side Iraklis before joining Arsenal. Tavlaridis would return to Greece to play for AEL, OFI, Atromitos, Panathinaikos, and Aris before retiring. He played three times for Greece, which included representing them at the Confederations Cup in 2005.
After his playing days, Tavlaridis worked as a scout for AEK Athens and as head of scouting at AE Larisa. He was promoted to sporting director with Larisa. His last role was as head of scouting at Atromitos.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos
Sokratis Papastathopoulos is the Greek player that Arsenal fans will remember the most. He made 69 appearances for the Gunners, scoring six goals and setting up two. He helped the Gunners win the FA Cup in 2020 and appeared as a substitute in the final against Chelsea.
Papastathopoulos also started the Europa League final in 2019. However, that day the Blues defeated Arsenal 4-1. The defender had solid experience before he joined Arsenal. He had already represented AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Werder Bremen, Genoa, and AEK Athens. Papastathopoulos won Serie A with Milan and the DFB-Pokal with Dortmund.
The centre-back would go on to play for Olympiacos, where he won the Super League Greece twice. Papastathopoulos then played for Real Betis before retiring. His last game came in the final round of the 2023/24 campaign against Real Madrid. He earned 90 caps for Greece and represented them at both the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
Add us as a preferred source on Google