Dimitris Giannoulis is officially a PAOK player once again, with the “Double-Headed Eagle of the North” announcing at noon on Thursday (August 6) the return of the Greek international left back.
The black-and-white club presented the signing through a beautiful and touching video, with the central message “Home is where the heart is,” welcoming the 30-year-old soccer player back to Toumba.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The club’s announcement: “PAOK FC
announces the signing of Dimitris Giannoulis. The Greek international fullback has signed a contract with PAOK through June 30, 2029.
As has long been expected, Dimitris Giannoulis is returning to PAOK and Toumba, where his heart beats strongest.
Dimitris Giannoulis was born in Katerini on October 17, 1995, and took his first steps in soccer at the Vatanikos youth academy. PAOK’s scouts discovered him, and the club signed him at the age of 18. In the summer of 2014, it was decided to loan him to Pierikos so he could get playing time.
In the Football League—a sort of “training ground”—he made 28 appearances, playing primarily as a left winger, and left an excellent impression. The next stop on his “rural” journey was Veria.
There, he “retired” as a winger and reinvented himself as a fullback. Although he familiar with the position, he made 26 appearances with a performance that earned him the title of Super League Rookie of the Season and, along with it, the right to vie for a spot on PAOK’s roster.
At Toumba, he didn’t get the playing time he’d hoped for, so in January 2017 he went out on loan again to Cyprus and Anorthosis, where he played in eight matches.
That summer, he moved to Athens to join Atromitos. During his year and a half in Peristeri, he established himself as one of the best fullbacks in Greece, was called up to and made his debut for the national team, and received offers from Rennes and Sampdoria. In total, he played in 54 matches for the Athens-based team and recorded 14 assists.
In the summer of 2019, he returned to Toumba, this time to cement his place in the lineup. The experience he had gained at Pierikos, Veria, Anorthosis, and Atromitos had transformed him into a well-rounded left back, and he was now ready to claim a leading role at PAOK.
It didn’t take long for him to prove right those who believed in his potential. With his speed, explosiveness, relentless runs forward, and ability to create plays from the left flank, he developed into one of the team’s most influential players. During the 2019–20 season, he made 47 appearances across all competitions, scored three goals and recorded ten assists, marking one of the most productive seasons for a left-back in the club’s history.
His outstanding form continued into the following season. By January 2021, he had played in 24 matches, scoring two goals and providing five assists, establishing himself as one of the cornerstones of Pablo García’s team. A few days after finalizing his transfer to England, he returned to Greece to play in the Greek Cup final against Olympiacos, helping the team win the trophy and bringing the second chapter of his time at PAOK to a perfect close.
In total, while wearing the PAOK jersey, he made 79 appearances, scored five goals, and provided 15 assists, winning one Greek Cup and leaving his mark as one of the most modern and influential left backs ever to wear the black-and-white jersey.
In January 2021, Norwich City moved decisively to sign him, initially acquiring him on loan through the end of the season. The agreement included a mandatory buyout clause subject to certain conditions, which were triggered after the team’s promotion to the Premier League. Yannoulis thus became yet another player to make the leap from PAOK to one of the world’s top leagues.
During his three-and-a-half years playing in England, he appeared in 103 official matches for Norwich, scoring two goals and providing six assists. He played in both the Premier League and the Championship, helping the team in two promotion campaigns, and stood out for his consistency, his on-field discipline, and his consistent performances against some of European soccer’s top players.
In the summer of 2024, after his contract with Norwich ended, he moved to Germany to play for Augsburg, opening yet another important chapter in his career. He quickly adapted to the demands of the Bundesliga and established himself as a key player for his new team, proving that he can perform with the same consistency and effectiveness at every level of European soccer.
Alongside his club career, Giannoulis has been a regular member of the Greek national team since 2018. Having played for all the youth national teams, he established himself on the senior team as the first choice at left back, representing his country in European Championship and World Cup qualifiers and racking up over 30 international appearances.”
*photo source: paokfc
