ISL Players in focus Katsouranis and Koke

ISL Players in focus

1) Kostas Katsouranis: Kostas Katsouranis signed for FC Pune City in the inaugural season of India Super League. 114 international caps to his name -Kostas is one of the legendary names in the Greek football history.

Career overview:

Katsouranis started his career as a teenager for hometown club Panachaiki at the age of 16. He signed his first professional contract with them as he spent his next six years playing for the club. As his reputation grew as a player he moved to the club from the capital - AEK Athens. At AEK he enjoyed his most and the best memorable years as a player when had won the Greek player of the season in 2004-05. He spent four years with the club from capital as he embarked on a international journey and signed for Benfica. He signed for the Portuguese club where he grew as a player. Before he returned back to his homeland and signed with Panathinaikos, where he won his first league title, in his first season with the club, and then for PAOK.

Career Highlights:

• Winner, UEFA Euro Championship, with Greece, in 2004.
• Winner, Greece Super League, with Panathinaikos, in 2009-10.
• 2-time Super League ‘Greek Footballer of the Year’, in 2004-05 and 2012-13.

2) Sergio Contreras Pardo: Sergio Contreras Pardo who's commonly know as 'Koke' who plays for the team from NorthEast the second player on the list today whom we focus on.

Career overview:

In a much-traveled career, he represented clubs in Spain, France, Portugal, Greece, the United States, Azerbaijan, Germany, Bolivia and India. Currently playing for NorthEast United the Spanish forward has 3 goals and 1 assist to his name in the inaugural season of ISL. He started his youth career at Malaga and signed his first professional contract with Malaga B. In 2004 Koke joined French giants Marseille as he scored a goal in his first season playing ten times. he played another 24 and scored from it and was later loaned to Sporting Lisbon. Koke later joined Aris where he had his career's longest stay.

Career Highlights

• First-team debut for Málaga, February 2003.
• Led Málaga B to promotion to Spain’s second division, 2003.
• Runner-up, Coupe de France, with Olympique de Marseille, 2006.