Liberopoulos — Frankfurt’s scoring stud

The talk of the German Bundesliga these days is TSG Hoffenheim and its ability to rise from the second tier in Germany to first place in the German top flight. The newly-promoted club has shocked many in its successful attempt – at least thus far – to dethrone defending champions Bayern Munich. Even on the scoring charts the team from south-western Germany leads the way with Hoffenheim’s Vedad Ibisevic leading the Bundesliga in scoring with a remarkable output of 18 goals thus far.

Though Hoffenheim has continued to make headlines week after week, success does come with a Greek flavour. Eluding the radar, despite scoring consistently for his club, Nikos Liberopoulos has quietly emerged as Eintracht Frankfurt’s scoring stud.

Now Frankfurt is no stranger to Greek talent, with several Greece internationals applying their trade at the Commerzbank Arena in recent years. With a large Greek population inhabiting the municipality of Frankfurt, the nest of ‘Die Adler’ has been kind to all Greeks. Just last year, a total of three current members of Otto Rehhagel’s Greece were a part of the Frankfurt roster. Ioannis Amanatidis, Sotiris Kyrgiakos, and Evangelos Mantzios all suited up for Frankfurt last term.

This year the Greek baggage is much lighter, with Mantzios’ half-year loan deal from Panathinaikos over, while Kyrgiakos joined AEK Athens during the offseason.

Liberopoulos was added to the Eintracht Frankfurt equation this summer, where he was supposed to team up with club captain and fellow Greece international Ioannis Amanatidis in the Frankfurt frontline. Unfortunately the latter suffered as injury blow early in the season, forcing Amanatidis to sit out for much of the term. With his patriot still on the sidelines, the bulk of expectations have fallen on the shoulders of Liberopoulos.

With this season being his first year playing for a club outside the Greek Super League, the struggles to cope have not scathed a player known as a legend with his former club AEK. In fact, the player simply known as ‘Libe’ in Greece has being the driving force to Frankfurt’s success in recent weeks. A fine track record in the last handful of Bundesliga fixtures has seen Liberopoulos pave the way to victory with several tallies.

Finding it hard to fit in with his new club in the early weeks of the season, Liberopoulos has transformed into Frankfurt’s favourite son. Not only has scoring been somewhat of a routine for the Greece international, scoring in pairs has been the norm for one of Greece’s clutch strikers.

His brace in a 4-0 demolition of VfL Bochum this past weekend was just the most recent two-goal game for Liberopoulos, who has previously completed such a feat against VfB Stuttgart, and Hannover 96; furthermore he scored the winner in a 3-2 win over Energie Cottbus. In the DFB Pokal – Germany’s version of a domestic cup competition – Liberopoulos scored once in Frankfurt’s opener against Pfullendorf, but more goals won’t follow as Hansa Rostock ended Frankfurt’s cup dreams.

Though this may be a unique adventure for Liberopoulos, there has been a longstanding trend featuring Greek success in the Bundesliga. Several talents from Greece have found their feet in Germany, with plenty fulfilling roles as reputable strikers.

The likes of Amanatidis, and Angelos Charisiteas have been critical parts of their club’s success, but Liberopoulos’ scoring touch is reminiscent of Theofanis Gekas’ goal rush from two years ago. Coincidentally, in his first year in the Bundesliga, Gekas finished atop the scoring charts with twenty goals. Liberopoulos though is not set for a twenty goal season, but surely something about the Bundesliga is a catalyst to success for Greece’s finest.