Nikos Sarganis

Who is Nikos Sarganis?

Nikos Sarganis is a Greek retired football goalkeeper.

Born in Rafina, Attica, Sarganis started his football career as a fullback at Ilisiakos. He switched to goalkeeper under the guidance of his coach, Christos Rimbas, himself a capable goalkeeper of the 1930s.

Sarganis moved on to Kastoria FC in 1978 and played for the "furriers" until the end of the 1980 season. He was part of the team that shocked the Greek football world by winning the Greek Cup in 1980. Following that triumph, he transferred to Olympiakos where he would play from 1981 until the end of the 1985 season.

Sarganis then controversially joined Olympiakos' arch-rivals, Panathinaikos and played for the greens for the next five years. He continued his career with Athinaikos. He ended his career playing for PAOK in the 1993 season.

During his career Sarganis was capped 58 times by the Greece national football team. His international high point came on 15 October of 1980, when he preserved a 1–0 Greek victory in Copenhagen against Denmark. The Danish press gave him the nickname "phantom" by which he would be known throughout the rest of his career.