The2ndMouse Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...D=2007707010319 BRENTWOOD — Not many high school athletes go pro after their junior season. But Alex Darsinos of Brentwood plans to do just that with Greek soccer club AEK Athens. He will forgo his senior year at Montgomery Bell Academy, and his agent is in negotiations with AEK Athens. Darsinos hopes to become the first player from the Franklin-based Tennessee Futbol Club to sign a pro contract with a major European team. He arrived in Greece on Tuesday. "It's absolutely fantastic to have a player who has come through our system since the age of 9 do something like this," said Ajit Korgaokar, the club's boys' director. "So we're starting to see the fruits of our labor." Korgaokar said Darsinos could become the first player in the state to sign with a major European team. "AEK Athens is a top European club," Korgaokar said. "The team he has signed for . . . will be in the European Championship League next summer, which is basically the pinnacle at club level anywhere in the world. The European Championship is considered the best tournament in the world." He tried out in the spring AEK Athens (18-4-8) finished second in the Greek Super League this season and signed Brazilian World Cup star Rivaldo in May to a two-year contract that could be worth $2.7 million per season. The 35-year-old midfielder helped lead Brazil to the 2002 World Cup championship. "This club has obviously got a lot of ambition," Korgaokar said. "People in America might start hearing a little bit more about AEK in the next few years because of what they've achieved, and hopefully we'll see Alexander Darsinos' name in there somewhere." The forward led MBA with 23 goals this season and was named The Tennessean's All-Midstate Soccer Player of the Year. "At the youth level he's always played as a striker, but when he goes there, he may not be a striker," Korgaokar said. "He may be playing the midfield. That's what they'll determine once he gets there. They'll figure out where he's best suited." Darsinos earned a spot on the team during an April tryout in Greece on spring break. "He's always had a knack for scoring, and he's always been an extremely hard-working player," Korgaokar said. "He finds a lot of different ways to score. Alex is not that big of a player — he's about 5-foot-8 — but he's extremely strong and quick." Darsinos had other offers Korgaokar said Darsinos' decision to play in Greece was a particularly tough one because so many other offers were on the table. "He was a 4.0 student at MBA," Korgaokar said. "He was offered full rides at many of the top universities. Some of the top college programs around — Clemson, Virginia, George Washington, Maryland all (made offers) to Alexander. George Washington is one of the most expensive schools in the country — $52,000 a year — so that could be a $200,000 scholarship." The college opportunities were hard to pass up, but Darsinos left to pursue his dream. He won't be able to play in college because he has been paid to play. Darsinos will finish high school at an American community school in Greece. His father, Angelo, was born in Korinth, Greece, and moved to the U.S. in 1967. "Since Alex was a good student, I wanted him to go to college and play in college and then whatever happened happened," Angelo said. "But his dream was to play pro, and I let him do his dream. I tried to talk him out of it, but he promised me he's going to go to school." Alex speaks Greek, which should ease his transition to his father's homeland. His parents plan to spend some time with him over there during the summer. AEK Athens saw something in Darsinos that made them believe he has the potential to be a professional. "Very few kids ever make it into the professional ranks, but obviously they saw something that they thought was the base for what they could work with," Korgaokar said. "Otherwise, they wouldn't have been interested at all." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genome Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Has there been any news on this anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The2ndMouse Posted March 18, 2008 Author Share Posted March 18, 2008 He has his own FACEBOOK Group and this thread is posted in it ... :tup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.