Giannoulis: “I’d rather set up a teammate than score myself”

We’re halfway through Dimitris Giannoulis’ second season at FC Augsburg. The Greece international joined the club from Norwich City in the summer of 2024, with former FCA player Konstantinos Stafylidis playing a role in the move. The 30-year-old recently made headlines as a goalscorer against Bayer Leverkusen, his second goal of the current campaign. Ahead of the match against Werder Bremen, Giannoulis spoke about his new striking instinct, how his friendship with Stafylidis came about and the changes that have taken place under interim head coach Manuel Baum.

First of all, an important question about your first name: is it Dimitris or Dimitrios? Both versions appear quite often.
Officially, it’s Dimitrios. But everyone really calls me Dimitris, so both are fine with me.

Most of your teammates at FCA simply call you Dimi. Has that always been your nickname?
No, that only started when I moved to England to join Norwich City. My friends in Greece call me “Giannou”, based on my surname. But Dimi is absolutely fine. I like it.

Let’s talk about the unfortunate 1-0 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt. How do you look back on the match?
I think we put in a solid performance. We played against a very good side – probably one of the best teams in the league. Even so, we created chances and put the ball in the back of the net twice. It’s very frustrating that both goals were chalked off. I was happy with the effort we put in, but you can’t really talk about a good game when you leave empty-handed.

It was the second game under interim head coach Manuel Baum. What has changed under his stewardship?
We’ve made a few adjustments defensively, and you could see against Leverkusen and Frankfurt that they worked. We’re getting tighter and closing down the space more, which gives us more stability. When you’re not conceding cheap goals, it automatically gives you more confidence going forward as well.

You’ve already scored twice this season, despite not being known as a regular goalscorer. You once said you prefer crossing to shooting. Has that changed?
Not really. I still prefer setting up goals to scoring them myself. But if a chance comes my way, of course, I’ll take it. As a full-back, my main job going forward is to put the ball across the box and create chances for our attackers. When they score, I’m just as happy as if I’d scored myself.

Next up is Werder Bremen. The Green-Whites have gone four games without a win. How do you assess the opposition?
Bremen are a good team, but so are we. It’s in our own hands. If we stay focused and stick to our plan, we can pick up three points and go into the winter break with a good feeling. That’s the most important thing right now.

Speaking of the break, Christmas is coming up. Do you have any plans?
Yes, I’m flying to Greece to see my family and friends. I’ll be there for almost ten days, and I’m really looking forward to switching off a bit. Spending time with family and friends is always special, especially when you don’t get to see them that often.

So you’re flying to Thessaloniki?
Yes, I fly into Thessaloniki, but my hometown is Katerini. That’s where I’ll spend the holidays.

You spent many years at PAOK Thessaloniki and made a name for yourself there. Do you still follow the club closely?
Absolutely. I watch almost every match, and I’m still in touch with some of the players. Dimitrios Pelkas, one of my best friends, plays there. Their last game before Christmas is on 21 December – maybe I’ll even go to the stadium. The team are in very good form at the moment.

How are you spending the days around Christmas?
Probably like most people: a family meal and then meeting up with old friends in the evening. Nothing special, just nice and relaxed.

In Germany, many people like to visit Christmas markets in the run-up to Christmas. Have you been to one?
Yes, here in Augsburg. It was really nice. I also tried mulled wine, very sweet but tasty. I really like the atmosphere. The only thing missing was a bit of snow.

Does it snow much in Greece?
Sometimes, if you’re lucky, but it’s quite rare. That said, we haven’t seen much snow here in Augsburg either so far.

You’ve been living here for around a year and a half now. Do you like it?
Very much. It’s a quiet city and you feel at home very quickly. I don’t need a lot of action around me. During the week, my routine is fairly simple anyway: training, recovery, and preparing for matches. Every now and then, I enjoy going out for a meal in the city.

Konstantinos Stafylidis also played a role in bringing you to Augsburg. How do you know each other?
We know each other from the national team, and we’re good friends. When I got the offer from FCA, I gave him a call. He spoke very positively about the club and the people here. He must have made a strong impression himself as well. I was surprised by how often people mentioned him to me. But I have to say: everything he told me about Augsburg has turned out to be true. I’m very happy with my decision.

Before that, you lived in Norwich. Are the two places similar enough?
Not really, at least not as cities. There’s more to do here, and Munich is very close as well. Overall, the environment here suits me better.

Do you have any expectations or resolutions for the new year?
Honestly, I don’t think too much about that. I want to stay healthy and continue playing as many matches as possible for FCA – that’s the most important thing. Off the pitch, things can carry on just as they are now. I don’t need much more than that to be happy.

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