Biography
Who is Panagiotis Kone?
Early life and migration
Panagiotis Kone was born as Gjergji Kone in Tirana, Albania, on July 26, 1987. He migrated to Athens, Greece, with his parents, Isaac and Leontina, and his older brother when he was two years old. During the naturalisation process, he changed his name to Panagiotis. His father worked as a biologist, while his mother was a piano teacher, and his brother Sotiris eventually came to own a bar in Athens.
As a young teenager, Panagiotis began his youth career at the Olympiacos youth academy. Just before his 17th birthday, French club Lens showed interest in him, leading to a transfer for four hundred thousand euros. He represented Greece at various youth levels before eventually making his senior international debut in 2010.
Club career in Greece
On July 29, 2005, Panagiotis returned to Greece to join AEK Athens and sign his first professional contract. Olympiacos claimed rights to the player based on a law regarding amateur footballers playing abroad, leading to six months of litigation. The Hellenic Football Federation ultimately vindicated AEK in December 2005. During his early seasons, he wore the number 10 shirt, but switched to number 22 after the arrival of former Ballon d'Or winner Rivaldo.
In August 2008, after his contract with AEK was terminated, Panagiotis moved to Iraklis. Across two seasons with the club, he made forty-nine league appearances and scored eight goals. In July 2010, he trained with Italian side Brescia despite still being under contract with Iraklis, leading to a dispute before he was officially sold to Brescia.
Playing in Italy
Panagiotis signed with Brescia Calcio ahead of the 2010-11 Serie B season, showing strong technical training and pace. Following Brescia's relegation, he joined Bologna on loan for the 2011-12 season as a replacement for Francesco Della Rocca. In June 2013, Bologna bought out Brescia's ownership stake for one point six million euros, and the player extended his contract until June 2017.
During his time in Italy, Panagiotis scored well-known goals, including a scissor-kick volley against Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo. In May 2014, Bologna suffered relegation to Serie B following a home defeat against Catania. Despite interest from Palermo and Torino, Udinese subsequently confirmed the signing of Panagiotis in 2014. He later joined Fiorentina on loan in January 2016 before leaving Udinese in August 2018.
International career
Panagiotis played for Greece at various youth levels before earning his first senior cap in 2010. His international career reached a major milestone when he was selected as a member of the Greece squad that competed in the 2014 World Cup.
While on international duty with Greece in October 2015, Panagiotis suffered a calf injury that kept him out of action for over two months. He returned to competitive play in December 2015, scoring against Lazio in the Coppa Italia.
Birthday and age
Panagiotis Kone was born on July 26, 1987, which makes Panagiotis 39 years old today. That birthday falls under the Leo sign. Panagiotis shares the date with 50 other famous people.
Explore more
