Giorgos Tzavelas

Georgios Tzavellas

Tzavellas with Greece in 2010
Personal information
Date of birth	(1987-11-26) 26 November 1987 (age 30)
Place of birth	Athens, Greece
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing position	Left back / Centre back
Club information
Current team	Alanyaspor
Number	31
Youth career
1992–2006	Doxa Vyronas
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006–2008	Kerkyra	23	(2)
2008–2010	Panionios	45	(2)
2010–2012	Eintracht Frankfurt	27	(1)
2012–2013	Monaco	38	(3)
2013–2017	PAOK	78	(5)
2017–	Alanyaspor	43	(1)
National team‡
2009–	Greece	29	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:00, 28 April 2018 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 00:18, 28 March 2018 (UTC)

Georgios "Giorgos" Tzavellas (Greek: Γεώργιος Τζαβέλλας; born 26 November 1987) is a Greek professional footballer who plays for Turkish Süper Lig club Alanyaspor and the Greek national team as a left back.

Tzavellas began his professional career with Kerkyra in a home match against Larissa (0–0).In Kerkyra played in 23 games (two goals) before signed for Panionios in January 2008.

After signing for Panionios, Tzavellas was given the number 31. He made his debut on 13 September 2008 in the 0–1 away win versus Panserraikos. He scored his first goal on 7 December 2008 in the 45th minute in the 1–1 draw with Larissa. In his first full season, Tzavellas went on to make 17 appearances, scoring two goals. The 2009–10 season began brightly for Tzavellas as he cemented his place in the squad. In his second season with Panionios, he made a total of 24 appearances, starting all 24, but not scoring.

On 3 June 2010, the left back signed a three-year contract with Eintracht Frankfurt, which spent €1.2 million to sign him. He soon became a member of Eintracht's starting eleven. On 12 March 2011, Tzavellas scored his first Bundesliga goal during an away match against Schalke. He managed to beat German international goalkeeper Manuel Neuer with an effort from 73 meters, setting a new record for the longest distance a Bundesliga goal was ever scored from.

During the Bundesliga match against Werder Bremen on 8 April 2011, Tzavellas suffered a partial rupture of the cruciate ligament in his left knee. He missed the remainder of the 2010–11 season. Eintracht were relegated to 2. Bundesliga at the end of the season.

During summer 2011, Bundesliga new-boys Augsburg were reported to want the Greece defender, who was under contract until 2013, to strengthen their squad ahead of what promised to be a difficult season. At the same time, Tzavellas was rumoured to want to leave Eintracht Frankfurt following their relegation from the top flight. However, his agent, Paul Koutsoliakos, stated: "There is simply no truth in this." Eintracht Frankfurt general manager Bruno Hübner added: "We would refuse to accept any loan arrangements in this respect as something like this would just postpone a permanent transfer for the player. We would be in the same situation in 12 months."