Dimitris Gakis
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dimitris Gakis | ||
| Date of birth | 15 September 1955 | ||
| Place of birth | Koufalia, Greece | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1974–1978 | Aris Thessaloniki | ||
| 1978 | Kastoria | ||
| 1978–1986 | Panetolikos | ||
| 1986–1988 | Levadiakos | ||
| 1988–1989 | Panserraikos | ||
| 1989–1990 | PS Kavala | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21 June 2026 | |||
Dimitris Gakis (Greek: Δημήτρης Γάκης; born 15 September 1955) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is best known for being one of the few goalkeepers who scored goals by taking his team's penalties, notably becoming Panetolikos' top scorer in the 1983–84 Second Division season with 11 goals.[1][2]
Club career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Gakis began his career with P.A.O. Koufalion, and at the age of nineteen, he transferred to Aris. At Aris, he was the reserve goalkeeper to Nikos Christidis and Stelios Papafloratos, playing only 14 official matches over four seasons.[1]
Kastoria
[edit]In the summer of 1978, Gakis transferred to Kastoria, where he was the backup to Nikos Sarganis and played only three league matches.[1]
Panetolikos
[edit]Following Kastoria, Gakis joined Panetolikos, where he remained for seven years. He is among the players with the most appearances in the club's history with 237 matches.[1]
Gakis was one of the goalkeepers who scored goals by taking his team's penalties. He scored his first goal in February 1980 in a Greek Cup match against AEK. From his second season, he began to execute most of the team's penalties.[1] In the 1983–84 season, he became Panetolikos' top scorer for the Second Division championship with 11 goals, sharing the top scorer title with Giorgos Mandellos.[1][2]
In May 1984, Gakis was called to take a crucial penalty in an away match against Xanthi, when Panetolikos was fighting for survival and needed the three points. However, the penalty was saved by Xanthi's goalkeeper, Alekos Katsiouanis. This missed penalty would have made him the team's top scorer, leaving second-placed Mandellos behind, and would likely have kept Panetolikos in the division, as they were relegated that year by just one point.[1] Panetolikos was relegated to the Third Division for the second time since the Beta Ethniki was established.[1]
Later career
[edit]In the summer of 1986, Gakis transferred to Levadiakos for two seasons, the second of which he played in the First Division.[1]
He completed his career playing for Panserraikos (Second Division 1988/89) and PS Kavala (Third Division 1989/90).[1]
Career statistics
[edit]Club statistics
[edit]| Club | Country | Years | Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aris Thessaloniki | Greece | 1974–1978 | First Division |
| Kastoria | Greece | 1978 | First Division |
| Panetolikos | Greece | 1978–1986 | Second Division |
| Levadiakos | Greece | 1986–1988 | First Division |
| Panserraikos | Greece | 1988–1989 | Second Division |
| PS Kavala | Greece | 1989–1990 | Third Division |
| Career total | 16 years |
Honours and notable achievements
[edit]Individual
[edit]| Achievement | Description |
| Panetolikos top scorer (1983–84) | 11 goals in Beta Ethniki (Second Division) - all penalties, shared title with Giorgos Mandellos |
| Goalscoring goalkeeper | One of the few goalkeepers to score goals taking penalties (11 during 1983–84 season) |
| Club appearance record | 237 appearances for Panetolikos - 10th player in club history by appearances |
| Penalty specialist | Right-footed penalty taker, cooly executed all team penalties from 1980 onwards |
Personal life
[edit]Gakis lives in a village outside Thessaloniki. He follows Panetolikos and wishes for the team's progress.[1]