“I remember playing generally from a very young age with the boys at school, playing in our shop with my dad. My dad and my grandfather played a lot of football. My grandfather even played in the B National League. One day I was playing alone in the street when my cousin passed by and told me to join the team. He introduced me to the coach as a very good right back. I didn’t know what a back was, I didn’t know anything. I would kick the ball and fall over. But that’s how I started,” says eighteen-year-old Angeliki Pantieri from Rethymno, Crete, where she lives today. There, Angeliki competes wearing the jersey of the football team “Rea,” while she is training hard for the difficult “match” that awaits her.
The young back-midfielder is the first Greek woman to be tested by the Barcelona team, which, along with Lyon, is considered the best women’s team in Europe. Everything started when Angeliki played with the national youth team against Lithuania and Scotland, where scouts from the Catalans spotted her and invited her to the trials. As a result, Angeliki Pantieri is expected to travel to Barcelona in December to wear the “blaugrana” jersey.
One day I was playing alone in the street and my cousin passed by and told me to join the team. He introduced me to the coach as a very good right back. I didn’t know what a back was, I didn’t know anything. I would kick the ball and fall over.
Angeliki Pantieri was born and raised in Apollon, Rhodes. Initially, she joined the Apollon Academy, training only with boys. When she was 12 years old, the Ialysos Ladies team offered her a position. There she played for four years, with the club achieving promotion to the A National League in 2022. After a very successful year in the Women’s Football League, two teams knocked on the young defender’s door. These were AO REAS and OFI, with her initially closing a deal with the latter. However, she changed her mind and chose AO REAS. She also competes with the National Youth Team, where she was also noticed by the scouts of the Spanish team.
Angeliki Pantieri at the Apollon Academy.
“We played a friendly match, and one of them saw me. He came up, spoke to me and said that I am very good and that he believes a lot in me and that it shows I will play football. That’s how the trials were arranged for December. Whatever happens, just the trial is very important, it’s a big opportunity,” emphasizes Angeliki, who trains a total of four hours a day to prove worthy of this selection.
“A lot of pressure. Definitely discipline. You understand that there is no time for friends, late nights. All of this has to stop from now on; you have to get into a program and follow it correctly. You need to take care of your diet, your sleep, and do training. If you don’t do it, later you might feel guilty. As time goes on, things get more difficult. Because going unprepared to a team like Barcelona is a mistake. But it is an honor that they have chosen me. And I believe I still have a lot to give, no matter what happens,” explains Angeliki.
“There is no time for friends, late nights. All of this has to stop from now on; you have to get into a program, into a daily routine and follow it correctly. You need to take care of your diet, your sleep, and do training.”
“Society is ready for women in football”
For Mr. Giorgos Papakostas, coach of the national girls’ and youth teams, who initially spotted Angeliki, her selection is no surprise.
Angeliki Pantieri (bottom left) with the jersey of the National Youth Team.
“We have many new talents. We compete in the first category of Europe, something we have achieved in the last three years. And this is very important because the teams we compete against are at the highest level of European football. That is, in our group there will always be a team that is in the top 8 of Europe. Whether it is Spain, England, or Germany, countries that have a great history in women’s football in Europe. And this is very important because it gives girls the opportunity to see what football at a very high level in Europe is really like.”
“Many girls leave at a young age to play in teams abroad. One of them is Angeliki, who has made a very important step, and regardless of what happens in the future, she can pave the way for other girls.”
“We have a lot of girls who now have both talent and have developed both through Greek teams and academies. Many players leave at a young age to play in teams abroad. One of them is Angeliki, who has made a very important step, and regardless of what happens in the future, she can pave the way for other girls. I think Barcelona is the biggest club in women’s football right now, I would say even globally.”
For Angeliki, who grew up in a traditional environment where mainly boys played football, football is a one-way street. “I never had a problem because I didn’t pay attention to anything I heard from those around me, even though I had relatively strong support,” she confidently states. “Things are changing after all, more and more girls are playing football, and it is now accepted in society,” she adds. According to coach Giorgos Papakostas, women’s football is experiencing significant growth in our country, filling the stadiums.
“Imagine that in many Third National League championships, because the teams usually represent entire cities, like Larissa for example, 500 people even go to the matches. A derby can have up to 800 fans. In the early days, 10-15 years ago, only the relatives and friends of the athletes would attend. This shows that society is ready for women in football, and Greece can showcase players equal to those from foreign teams,” he concludes.