Koulierakis: "If I returned to Greece, I'd do it for PAOK. They helped me grow."

The Roma defender looked back on his career in an interview, also talking about his possible return to his homeland.

Kostantinos Koulierakis gave an interview to Greek public broadcaster ERT , who met the Giallorossi defender in the capital for the programme Kalimera ipame ?.

During the interview, Koulierakis recalled his early days at PAOK , a club where he intends to return in the future, up to his experience at Wolfsburg and his arrival in Italy.

Koulierakis: "PAOK showed me the way to becoming a professional."

How did you get into PAOK's youth academy?
“I went to Thessaloniki, even though the trip had been canceled several times. Joining the PAOK Academy was a dream for me. When I found out, I was very happy, although of course I was also nervous. When I arrived at the academy, they had already decided to keep me on the third day; I didn't even need to complete a week. Maybe they wouldn't have kept me if I had arrived earlier.”

Did your parents follow you to Thessaloniki?
“No, I went alone and lived in PAOK's accommodation for three years. I wanted to go alone. I never asked my parents to come with me, even though they had been offered the opportunity, and I don't think my father even mentioned it to my mother. I wanted to face this experience alone. From the moment I joined the academy, my goal was to reach the first team, to succeed. That's why I never thought I missed my parents. I was very clear about what I wanted.”

How did you get to the first team?
"At first, I joined the first team for training, then I took part in the pre-season training, and from there I joined the first team, where I also played. I played for two years, then Wolfsburg came along, and now I'm at Roma. I had played two full seasons at PAOK, a great team with a lot of pressure. We won the league, lost some finals, and I felt satisfied and ready for the next step."

If you were to play in Greece again one day, which team would you choose?
"Of course I'd like to play for PAOK. As an athlete, you never know what the future holds, but definitely for PAOK, because I had some wonderful moments there and PAOK helped me grow. It showed me the path to becoming a professional."

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Andrea Papaccio Neapolitan

A freelance journalist, registered with the Campania Association of Journalists since 2023. I've worked for various publications, covering football, American politics, and television. A lifelong Roma supporter, I've been covering Roma for SiamoLaRoma since 2026, covering the team and the Giallorossi world every day.