Peter Philipakos

Peter Philipakos (Πέτρος Φιλιππάκος; born January 21, 1983) is an American retired soccer player who played as a midfielder.

Philipakos was born in the United States and played youth club soccer for nationally ranked Hewlett NOGA / Hewlett Blue Streak of Hewlett-Lawrence Soccer Club in Five Towns, New York.

Philipakos was a U.S. Youth Soccer Region I and Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) Olympic Development Program (ODP) player.

Ethnikos had had one of the stronger teams in Greek football for decades, but after being relegated for the first time in 1990, the club bounced between A' and B' Ethniki for a few seasons and then stalled in B' Ethniki after 1999.

After graduating from Glen Cove High School in Glen Cove, New York, Peter matriculated to St. John's University in 2001.

In his freshman year at St. John's, he played as a left-side attacking midfielder.

In 23 appearances (18 starts) he scored 3 goals, helping St. John's win the 2001 Big East Conference Championship.

They reached the 2001 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship College Cup (Semifinals).

After the 2001 season, Philipakos transferred from St. John's to American University.

He spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons playing as an outside-midfielder and second-striker, making 37 total appearances (35 starts), scoring 12 goals and adding 7 assists.

In late December 2003, after completing his junior year, Philipakos tried out with AEK Athens of A' Ethniki (now called the Greek Super League).

He was ineligible to appear in competitive matches in the 2003–04 season since AEK already had the maximum-allowed number of non-European Union players on its roster.

Philipakos never played for AEKby the end of the 2003-04 season AEK approached bankruptcy.

Philipakos was among a host of players who left the club as a result.

Philipakos then signed a 3.5-year professional contract with the club on January 9, 2004.

Philipakos’ Greek citizenship papers could not be processed in time for the club to register him as a Greek player; although he could train with the team until the start of the 2004-05 season.

In July 2004 AEK coach Dušan Bajević controversially signed with Olympiacos, AEK's Piraeus-based A' Ethniki rivals.

He recruited Philipakos to sign a one-year contract with Olympiacos, Greece's most successful club, on July 31, 2004.

Philipakos took part in Olympiacos’ preseason tours of Spain and Cyprus, but just before the 2004–05 season he suffered an inguinal hernia on his left side that required surgery and forced him to miss season's first half.

Olympiacos became A' Ethniki champions and Greek Cup winners in the 2004-05 season, with Philipakos making a total of 6 appearances (2 starts), playing primarily as a right-sided midfielder.

At the end of the season, Olympiacos renewed Philipakos’ contract for 2 years.

Philipakos debuted for Olympiacos on January 19, 2005, in the Greek Cup against Iraklis at Kaftanzoglio Stadium.

Philipakos made his league debutand first starton February 27, 2005, against Chalkidona (now called Atromitos) at Olympiacos’ Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium and he made his European debut on March 16, 2005, in the UEFA Cup Round of 16 against Newcastle United at St James' Park.

During the season the Greek media continually compared Philipakos to former Olympiacos star winger Stelios Giannakopoulos.

Bajević resigned from Olympiacos in June 2005.

In July, Olympiacos hired Norwegian manager Trond Sollied.

Sollied and Philipakos experienced a tumultuous relationship.

Sollied brought in Nigerian Haruna Babangida to play Philipakos’ position, making Philipakos of little use.

In early September 2005, Peter requested to leave the club, and was made to train on the side at Olympiacos’ Renti training complex until a resolution could be found.

On October 31, 2005, Philipakos was officially released.

Philipakos is the only Greek-American to have ever played in a league match for Olympiacos.

On January 25, 2006, Philipakos signed a 6-month contract with Aris to finish the 2005-06 season.

That season Aris was playing in B' Ethniki for the just the second time in the club's long history, and during the winter transfer period manager Nikos Anastopoulos hired Philipakos and defender Efthimios Kouloucheriswho had also been recently released by Olympiacos.

Philipakos made a total of 6 appearances for Arisall as a substitute, in between injuries.

On April 16, 2006, Aris took on Ethnikos Asteras at Aris’ Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium Aris dominated the match but could not convert any of their chances to score, and the match ended 0-0.

After the match, Philipakos grabbed his shirt and ripped it from the neck down as he left the field.

Aris fans became outraged that he would do such a thing to the club symbol.

Philipakos apologized, but was not forgiven.

Less than a week later and a week before the contract expired, Philipakos and Aris agreed to terminate the contract early.

On July 26, 2006, Philipakos signed a 2-year contract with another B' Ethniki club, Piraeus-based Ethnikos Piraeus.