Giorgos Lanaris
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Georgios Lanaris | ||
| Date of birth | 26 June 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Veria, Greece | ||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Retired | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1990–1998 | Pontioi Veria | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–2000 | Iraklis | 0 | (0) |
| 1998–1999 | → Poseidon Nea Michaniona (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | Naoussa | 31 | (2) |
| 2001–2008 | Veria | 96 | (31) |
| 2008–2009 | Apollon Kalamaria | 4 | (0) |
| 2009 | Aetos Skydra | 0 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Pierikos | 2 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | Veria | 44 | (5) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 September 2015. | |||
Georgios Lanaris (Greek: Γεώργιος Λαναρής; born 26 June 1979 in Veria), was a Greek footballer known for his spell in Veria, as a Forward.[1]
Club career
Pontioi Veria
Lanaris loved football since his very young age. Despite his parents insisting on focusing to his school subjects he followed a football career. In the age of eleven he was inducted to Pontioi Veria where his coach Giorgos Kykeridis, later technical director of Veria, spotted him and focused on the player's progress. He stated back then "This kid knows how to play football, he can go far as a player, he got a left foot that is seldom for our football". He became soon a recognizable talent of Imathia region.[2]
Iraklis
In the summer of 98' Iraklis approached the player and after coming to an agreement with Pontioi they signed them to their club. This was the first professional contract that Lanaris signed to his career. The same summer he was given on loan for a year to Poseidon Nea Michaniona in order to gain experience. In the end of 1998–1999 season he returned to the club but he couldn't find his way to the main squad as many good players such as Savvas Kofidis, Ieroklis Stoltidis were part of the main squad. He was released on a free transfer in summer of 2000.[3]
Poseidon Nea Michaniona
Iraklis loaned Lanaris to Poseidon for a season. Despite his talent, he couldn't settle to the club and he only made four appearances, scoring no goals.[4]
Naoussa
In summer of 2000, Lanaris was approached by Naoussa. He signed to the club and in his first season he managed to play in thirty two games, scoring twice.[5]
Veria
After his great season with Naoussa, Lanaris was approached by Veria. The player agreed to move on a free transfer to the club in summer of 2001. The first two seasons he didn't make it to play in any match in Delta Ethniki, though he celebrated the promotion won as champions to Gamma Ethniki as well as the winning of Amateur's cup against Preveza. His first season as a Gamma Ethniki player will find him a spot on main squad. Lanaris played in thirty three games, scoring seven times, helping the club to not relegate. The next season, 2004–2005, would be the best of his career. He played in thirty matches and he scored seventeen times leading Veria to return to Football League as champions.
In his first season in Football League he played twenty five times and he scored eight goals. The following season, 2006–2007, and after a fight with Giorgos Arvanitidis, then president and owner of the club, would lead him to lose his main squad role as he played only in eight matches but he achieved to celebrate the return of the club to Superleague.
After Veria's promotion to Superleague, Lanaris decided to sign a contract to Apollon Kalamaria as he considered himself a free agent. Arvanitidis though had a different opinion on that as he claimed that Lanaris had signed a 1+1 year contract. The case went to the court where Veria won the case and Lanaris was forced to return to the club.
In Superleague, Lanaris didn't make any appearance as the fight with Arvanitidis caused him to lose his spot on the team permanently. He was released by the club on 30 June 2008 as his contract expired.
Apollon Kalamaria
Makis Katsavakis wanted to signed Lanaris too bad to his team. So after being released by Veria, Apollon Kalamaria, who were relegated to Football League along with Veria and Atromitos approached the footballer and achieved to sign him to the club. Lanaris didn't make it to impress in Kalamaria and he left after playing four games during 2008 winter transfer window.[6]
Aetos Skydra
The new year would find Lanaris joining Aetos Skydras. He didn't make any appearance to the club and he was released on a free transfer in summer of 2009.[7]
Pierikos
Lanaris joined Pierikos for the season 2009–2010 but he only played in two games. He was released on a free transfer again during the 2010 winter transfer window.[8]
Return to his home
As he reached the age of thirty two, Lanaris didn't have many options. After resolving his issue with Arvanitidis, Lanaris returned to Veria who was playing in Gamma Ethniki. There he found his old good self. He managed to find his spot in the main squad where he played fourteen times and he scored five times, leading Veria once again in a championship celebration. Veria returned to Football League again as champions.
The season that followed, Lanaris played another thirteen matches in Football League as the club was saved by relegation. The season 2011–2012 would be his last as a football player, but before he left football he had one more thing to do for the club that he had decided to dedicate his life to back in 2004. Lanaris, played in seventeen games, while Veria finished second and returned to Superleague.
Team manager
After retiring from football in summer of 2012, Arvanitidis offered Lanaris a spot in Veria's management team. Lanaris was named as Team Manager on 7 July 2012. He resigned from the post on 27 January 2013 claiming personal reasons though his resignation wasn't accepted. He quit this position in 2015 after he was accused of fixing matches and he was banned from any football activity by corruption interrogator.[9]
2015 Greek football scandal
Additional suspects include Veria F.C. Director of Football Giorgos Lanaris and former owner Giorgos Arvanitidis, regarding 6 January 2013 match of Olympiakos F.C. against Veria.[10] Veria player Nikolaos Georgeas and club's manager Dimitris Kalaitzidis at the time, testified in March 2015 that Lanaris following Arvanitidis orders demanded from Veria players to lose with a 3–0 score, which eventually happened.[11][12] According to Andreadis, both Marinakis and Arvanitidis had agreed on the match fixing.[13]
On 6 May 2015, interrogator of corruption, Mr. Andreadis, judged as suspect Lanaris for fixing matches along with Giorgos Arvanitidis. Lanaris was banned from any football activity and also he was not allowed to leave the country. As a result of Andreadis' decisions, Lanaris had to quit his team manager spot in Veria. Despite Andreadis' call, HFF's courts found Arvanitidis, Lanaris and Veria not guilty for any of the accusation. Even though, the bans are still on, till the trial.[14]
Honours
Veria F.C.
- Football League (Greece): 2
- Gamma Ethniki: 2
- Winner (2): 2004–05, 2009–10
References
- ↑ Profile at Soccerway.com
- ↑ Αφιέρωμα στο Γιώργο Λαναρή
- ↑ Αφιέρωμα στο Γιώργο Λαναρή
- ↑ Αφιέρωμα στο Γιώργο Λαναρή
- ↑ Αφιέρωμα στο Γιώργο Λαναρή
- ↑ Αφιέρωμα στο Γιώργο Λαναρή
- ↑ Αφιέρωμα στο Γιώργο Λαναρή
- ↑ Αφιέρωμα στο Γιώργο Λαναρή
- ↑ Γενικός Αρχηγός ο Λαναρής
- ↑ "Six Veroia players accused of bribery". sdna.gr. 20 May 2015.
- ↑ Το δικαστικό... ντέρμπι της Βέροιας κρίνει τη μάχη της παραμονής (in Greek). Ethnos Newspaper. 10 May 2015.
- ↑ 4η Αγ. ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΣ – ΒΕΡΟΙΑ 3–0. 20 September 2014.
- ↑ Κατηγορούμενος ο Μαρινάκης για το Ολυμπιακός-Βέροια (in Greek). 12 May 2014.
- ↑ Εκτός ποδοσφαίρου και ο Λαναρής