Konstantinos Laifis Explained

Konstantinos Laifis
Birth Date:19 May 1993
Birth Place:Paralimni, Cyprus
Currentclub:APOEL
Clubnumber:34
Position:Centre-back, left-back, defensive midfielder
Youthyears1:2007–2009
Youthclubs1:Enosis Neon Paralimni
Youthyears2:2009–2012
Years1:2012–2016
Caps1:63
Goals1:8
Years2:2013
Clubs2:Alki Larnaca (loan)
Caps2:15
Goals2:1
Years3:2016–2018
Clubs3:Olympiacos
Caps3:0
Goals3:0
Years4:2016–2018
Clubs4:Standard Liège (loan)
Caps4:68
Goals4:2
Years5:2018–2024
Clubs5:Standard Liège
Caps5:172
Goals5:10
Years6:2024–
Clubs6:APOEL
Caps6:0
Goals6:0
Club-Update:5 May 2024
Nationalyears1:2009–2010
Nationalyears2:2010–2012
Nationalcaps2:8
Nationalgoals2:0
Nationalyears3:2013–2014
Nationalcaps3:6
Nationalgoals3:0
Nationalyears4:2014–
Nationalteam4:Cyprus
Nationalcaps4:51
Nationalgoals4:3
Nationalteam-Update:18 June 2023

Konstantinos Laifis (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Κωνσταντίνος Λαΐφης; born 19 May 1993) is a Cypriot footballer who plays for APOEL and the Cyprus national team. He previously played in the Cypriot First Division for Anorthosis and Alki Larnaca and in the Belgian Pro League for Standard Liège. He plays as a centre-back or at left-back.

Early life and career

Laifis was born in Paralimni. As a boy, he played tennis to a good standard, and played football for the junior teams of his local club, Enosis Neon Paralimni. When he was 16, he took up an apprenticeship with English club Nottingham Forest's youth academy, together with several other Cypriot players.[1] [2] In his second year, he played increasingly regularly for the under-18 team and scored once as Forest finished second in their section of the FA Premier Academy League.[3] He remained with the club into a third year, but returned to Cyprus in late 2011, where he trained with Anorthosis Famagusta and then agreed a short-term contract with them.[4] His contract with Forest was cancelled by mutual consent,[5] and he formally signed for Anorthosis in the January 2012 transfer window.[6]

Anorthosis Famagusta

Laifis made his first-team debut for Anorthosis the next month, in their 2011–12 Cypriot Cup second round second-leg match against Second Division club APOP Kinyras, as a 61st-minute substitute for Vincent Laban.[7] That was his last competitive appearance until July 2013, when injuries to Valentinos Sielis and Andreas Avraam left a vacancy at left back for pre-season friendlies.[8] Laifis performed well enough to be given a place in the starting eleven for the second leg of the second qualifying round match against Allsvenskan club Gefle. He played the full 90 minutes as Anorthosis let slip a 3–0 lead from the first leg and were eliminated 4–3 on aggregate.[9]

Alki Larnaca

Laifis was loaned to Alki Larnaca early in the 2013–14 season.[10] He made 15 appearances, scoring once, in First Division matches, before returning to Anorthosis in late January 2014.[11]

Return to Anorthosis

Laifis made 10 First Division appearances in what remained of the 2013–14 season,[12] and continued as a first-team regular, with 24 league appearances in the following season and 29 in 2015–16.[13] [14]

Olympiacos and Standard Liège

In June 2016, Laifis signed for Super League Greece club Olympiacos. He said "When Olympiacos makes a move, there is nothing else in a player's mind. It was the best thing for my career. I didn't even have to think twice. I am joining Greece's greatest club."[15] A week later, they loaned him to Belgian First Division A club Standard Liège for two years with an option to purchase.[16] After half season in Standard Liège, the Cypriot defender is one of the most remarkable players till now. In Italy, Sky Sports reports that Laifis is in the viewfinder of three clubs: Fiorentina, Torino and Bologna. Three clubs added to the list that already contained Freiburg and other German clubs. His agent had just declared that the defender felt very good at Belgium and that he could not say more about a possible return to the Olympiacos. "I have not organized his loan to Standard, but the relations between the two clubs are excellent and the Olympiakos is watching him closely."[17] On 1 July 2018, after two successful seasons in Belgian First Division A, Olympiakos sold the international Cypriot defender to Standard Liège on a fee estimated to €1.5 million. Laifis signed a three-year contract with the Belgian club.

APOEL

On 13 August 2024, Laifis signed a three-year contract with APOEL.[18]

International career

Laifis represented Cyprus internationally at all under-age levels.[2] [19] He helped the under-19 team reach the elite qualification round of the 2012 European championships,[20] and made his first appearance for the under-21s in March 2013, when he played the first half of a 2–0 defeat to Belgium in a qualifier for the 2015 European under-21 championships.[21] He played the whole of their next qualifier, a 3–0 win at home to Northern Ireland,[22] and retained his place for a friendly in Romania.[23]

He made his senior debut on 16 November 2014 in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier against Andorra. Cyprus won 5–0.[24]

International goals

Scores and results list Cyprus' goal tally first.[25]

No Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 13 November 2016 GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus align=center 1–0 align=center 3–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2. 13 November 2017 Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia align=center 1–2 align=center 2–3 Friendly
3. 21 March 2019 GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus align=center 5–0 align=center 5–0 UEFA Euro 2020 qualification

Club statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Anorthosis2011–12Cypriot First Division001010
2012–1300000000
2013–1410010110
2014–1524430274
2015–1629440334
Total6388010728
Alki Larnaca (loan)2013–14Cypriot First Division15120171
Olympiacos2016–17Super League Greece
Standard Liège (loan)2016–17Belgian Pro League3010061362
2017–183815000431
Standard Liège2018–193912071482
2019–202831060353
2020–213115171433
2021–221721000182
2022–233112000331
Total2141016126325614
Career total2921926127334523

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2009–2010 Academy Players . https://web.archive.org/web/20100527012515/http://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/page/AcademyNews/0%2C%2C10308~1728825%2C00.html . Nottingham Forest F.C . 27 May 2010 . dead .
  2. Web site: Academy Players 2010–11 Season . https://web.archive.org/web/20100929185446/http://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/page/AcademyNews/0%2C%2C10308~2127043%2C00.html . Nottingham Forest F.C . 29 September 2010 . dead .
  3. Web site: Academy Reports 2010–11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110905020807/http://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/page/AcademyNews/0%2C%2C10308~2132671%2C00.html . Nottingham Forest F.C . 5 September 2011 . dead .
  4. News: http://www.sentragoal.com.cy/article.asp?catid=19170&subid=2&pubid=128875099 . el:Επένδυσε στον Κωνσταντίνο Λαΐφη . el . Invested in Constantinos Laifis . sentragoal.com.cy . 29 November 2011 . 17 August 2013.
  5. Web site: List of Scholars Whose Registrations have been Cancelled by Mutual Consent Between 01/01/2012 and 31/01/2012 . The Football Association . 18 August 2013.
  6. News: http://www.balla.com.cy/3/14_Protathlima_Marfin_Laiki/13948_Anorthosi_Egrafete_stin_KOP_ke_o_La%CE%90fis . el:Ανόρθωση: Εγγράφεται στην ΚΟΠ και ο Λαΐφης . el . Anorthosis: Laifis registered with CFA . balla.com.cy . 31 January 2012 . 17 August 2013 . https://archive.today/20130814152154/http://www.balla.com.cy/3/14_Protathlima_Marfin_Laiki/13948_Anorthosi_Egrafete_stin_KOP_ke_o_La%CE%90fis . 14 August 2013 . dead .
  7. Web site: Anorthosis vs. APOP Kinyras 3–0 . Global Sports Media . Soccerway . 18 August 2013.
  8. News: http://www.24sports.com.cy/index.php?pageaction=kat&modid=1&artid=67888 . el:Αρπάζει την ευκαιρία ο Λαΐφης . el . Laifis grabs his chance . 24sports . 6 July 2013 . 18 August 2013.
  9. Web site: UEFA Europa League 2014: Gefle–Anorthosis . UEFA . 18 August 2013.
  10. News: http://sports.politis-news.com/cgibin/hweb?-A=125023&-V=onlinenews . el:Αλκή: Πήρε ακόμη ένα ταλέντο . el . Alki: got another talent . politis-news.com . 30 August 2013 . 25 November 2015 .
  11. News: http://www.kerkida.net/articles/a-katigoria/eidiseis/anorthosi/27254-epestrepse-o-laifis . el:Επέστρεψε ο Λαΐφης . el . Laifis returned . kerkida.net . 31 January 2014 . 25 November 2015 . 4 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075255/http://www.kerkida.net/articles/a-katigoria/eidiseis/anorthosi/27254-epestrepse-o-laifis . dead .
  12. Web site: K. Laifis . Soccerway . Perform Group . 25 November 2015.
  13. Web site: http://backend.cfa.com.cy/Gr/players/1762710/155601%26SeasonID%3D43 . el:ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΣ ΛΑΙΦΗΣ Στατιστικά 2015 . el . Konstantinos Laifis Statistics 2015 . Cyprus Football Association . 9 July 2016 . 16 August 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160816235900/http://backend.cfa.com.cy/Gr/players/1762710/155601%26SeasonID%3D43 . dead .
  14. Web site: http://backend.cfa.com.cy/Gr/players/2175542/155601 . el:ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΣ ΛΑΙΦΗΣ Στατιστικά 2016 . el . Konstantinos Laifis Statistics 2016 . Cyprus Football Association . 9 July 2016 . 17 August 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160817001804/http://backend.cfa.com.cy/Gr/players/2175542/155601 . dead .
  15. News: Olympiacos sign Konstantinos Laifis from Anorthosis . Mario . Hajiloizis . SigmaLive.com . 30 June 2016 . 9 July 2016.
  16. Web site: Laifis Konstantinos rejoint les Rouches . fr . Konstantinos Laifis joins the Reds . Royal Standard de Liège . 9 July 2016 . 9 July 2016 . 13 July 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160713145214/http://www.standard.be/toutes-les-news/lire/~laifis-konstantinos-rejoint-les-rouches.htm?lng=fr . dead .
  17. Web site: Après la Bundesliga, le Calcio s'intéresse à Laifis . fr . sportsactu.be . 25 December 2016 . 26 December 2016.
  18. Web site: APOEL FC. Έναρξη συνεργασίας με Κωνσταντίνο Λαΐφη. Beginning of cooperation with Konstantinos Laifi. 13 August 2024. 13 August 2024. el.
  19. News: Forest's latest investment could be their wisest yet . Taylor, Paul . Nottingham Evening Post . 31 March 2011 . 18 August 2013 . 30 August 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110830180722/http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Paul-Taylor-column-Forest-s-latest-investment-wisest/story-12172201-detail/story.html . dead .
  20. Web site: Kostas Laifis: Under-19 . UEFA . 18 August 2013.
  21. Web site: Belgium up and running against Cyprus . Scholten, Berend . UEFA . 25 March 2013 . 18 August 2013.
  22. Web site: Cyprus ease past Northern Ireland . UEFA . 30 May 2013 . 18 August 2013.
  23. Web site: Amical: U21 Romania – U21 Cipru 0–2 . ro . Romanian Soccer . 14 August 2013 . 18 August 2013.
  24. Web site: Efrem powers Cyprus to Andorra triumph . Leonidou, John . UEFA . 16 November 2014 . 10 February 2015.
  25. Web site: Laifis, Konstantinos. National Football Teams. 7 February 2017.