Michalis Konstantinou
Michalis Konstantinou (born February 19, 1978 in Paralimni, Cyprus) is a retired football (soccer) striker who played for several Cypriot and Greek clubs and Cyprus.
Konstantinou got his start in professional football playing for Enosis Neon Paralimni FC, but was picked up by Iraklis in 1997. His fame grew significantly during his stay at Iraklis, spurred by his goalscoring record: In 119 games, he scored 60 goals. In 2001, Panathinaikos bought him for € 11.3 million, which was the highest price ever paid in the annals of Greek football. With Panathinaikos, he had the opportunity to play in the Champions' League and earned praise for his role in the team's performance there, especially in his first year with the club. On July 14, 2005, although he had repeatedly told the Panathinaikos administration that he would either stay in Panathinaikos or go to a foreign team, he became a player of Olympiakos, signing a 3-year contract. After an unsuccessful stint with Olympiakos, Konstantinou returned to Cyprus in 2009 to play for Omonia.
In 2011, he signed with Anorthosis Famagusta and the following year with AEL Limassol. In January 2014 he announced his retirement.
National team
The spearhead of the Cypriot attack, he made his international debut against Latvia in February 1997 and subsequently averaged almost a goal every other game in his first 35 caps. His blossoming coincided with his nation's vast improvement as a footballing force, although they failed to reach the play-offs for either the 2000 or 2004 European Football Championship.
Over all, Konstantinou registered 84 international appearances with 32 goals scored. This makes him the alltime topscorer of Cyprus.
