Athens Kallithea FC appoint Georgios Simos as manager

Athens Kallithea FC are pleased to announce that Georgios Simos has been appointed as first team manager. Simos, 44, has signed a contract through the 2023/24 season.

Born in Ioannina, Simos began his playing career at Panathinaikos and eventually moved on to top flight clubs OFI Crete, Chalkidona, Larissa, and Ionikos. He would spend one season at Kallithea in the penultimate season of his career before hanging up his boots in July 2011.

In August 2012, Simos returned to Panathinaikos to begin his coaching career, quickly rising through the academy to lead the Under-15, Under-17, and Under-20 teams in successive seasons, before taking on the AEK Athens Under-20 team for two seasons.

In July 2019, Simos was appointed as first team manager at OFI Crete, and in his debut season he would guide the historic Heraklion-based club to a fifth-place finish in Super League 1 and their first qualification for the UEFA Europa League in 20 years.

Simos would leave the Cretan side in March 2021 and three months later was appointed manager of the Greece Under-21 national team, with whom he finished third behind Portugal and Iceland in qualification for the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

Taking over for Leonidas Vokolos, Simos is set to make his debut on the bench on Monday 5 December as AKFC host AEK Athens B at Grigoris Lamprakis Stadium in Matchday 5 of the 2022/23 Super League 2 season.

To this point in the current season, AKFC have advanced to the Round of 16 of the Greek Cup and have earned six points from two wins and one loss through their first three Super League 2 matches.

Welcome, Georgios.