Top Greek international soccer player Tasos Douvikas told the audience at a public event in Athens that the “many hardships” he endured in his career made him stronger so he could keep going.
“I never backed down,” said the 24-year-old forward, who was voted in November by his Greek colleagues as the Best Greek Player Playing Abroad for the season 2022-23. He is also among top scorers in the Dutch Eredivisie championship and the Spanish Copa del Rey in recent seasons.
Douvikas, currently signed with Celta de Vigo, a team playing in Spain’s La Liga championship, saw his career skyrocket when he left his Greek team of Volos for Utrecht, Holland, in 2021.
Greek soccer player becomes top scorer in Dutch and Spanish championships
It was in 2021 that Utrecht signed Tasos Douvikas on a four-year contract for a fee that exceeded €1 million. The talented striker soon proved to be a major asset for his new team, scoring at important games, such as Utrecht’s come back from a 2–0 deficit to a 3–2 win against SC Cambuur on February 5, 2022, when he was voted man of the match for his performance.
After three seasons with the club, Douvikas concluded his term with Utrecht in May 2023 as one of two top scorers of the Eredivisie for 2022-23. This spot was shared with PSV Eindhoven’s Xavi Simons with a total 19 goals in the 32 league matches he played in which he also contributed four assists.
In addition, he scored another 3 goals for Utrecht in the European play-offs and the KNVB Beker, the Dutch Football Cup.
In August 2023, Douvikas signed a five-year contract with RC Celta de Vigo, a Spanish La Liga team, for €12 million.
Upon the announcement of his signing, the club commented that Douvikas “is a lethal player in the box, a striker with a nose for goal, who constantly seeks out spaces” as well as “a signing of extraordinary quality with which RC Celta strengthens its squad.”
At the time, the talented striker also already had 15 games with the Greek national team since his 2021 debut.
In his first season with Celta, Douvikas was again among the top scorers for 2023-24, this time in the Copa del Rey championship. He scored 6 goals, like Spaniards Asier Villalibre of Athletic Bilbao and Abdón Prats of RCD Mallorca.
Tasos Douvikas’ motto for success
Born in Argos on the Peloponnese in southern Greece, Douvikas knew since the age of five that soccer would be the great love of his life, as he revealed to interview host Vasilis Samprakos during the public event organized by his agency, Prosport, in Athens on June 26, 2024.
The Greek ace revealed that his motto is “the only failure is to not try,” and added that hard work, dedication, and faith to his dream are his triptych for success.
The support of his family has also been crucial in helping him dream big and achieve his goals, he admitted.
“I have always hoped to play at top level [championships], which is now happening, and I have always liked Spain very much, so this is a dream come true,” Douvikas said of his current contract with RC Celta.
Despite his enviable and extraordinary success so far, the Greek striker won’t rest on his laurels as yet: “I still have much higher goals, which I hope to achieve this upcoming season,” he noted.