Phoenix Rising has signed midfielder Panayioti “Panos” Armenakas via transfer from Loudoun United, the club announced today. He will be available for selection for Rising’s match against Pittsburgh Riverhounds this Saturday.
“Panos is a great addition” said Phoenix Rising head coach Juan Guerra. “He is someone we spent a lot of time watching in the offseason and we are excited to finally bring him to the Club. His technical ability combined with his work rate and tactical understanding will give us more options going forward.
“He comes in very hungry and ready to make an impact. I am sure he will fit in with his teammates and our style of play right away.”
Armenakas appeared in 12 matches with Loudoun United this season. Prior to his stint with Loudoun United, Amernakas played with Danish first-division side Vendsyssel.
“I am very excited to be joining a big club like Phoenix and looking forward to the rest of the season,” Armenakas said. “First step is to take it game by game and to try to integrate into the system as quickly as possible, help the team out to get wins and continue toward the positive.”
“I bring a lot of technical ability. I was brought here to try to hurt teams offensively as much as possible. I know that Phoenix is a big possession based team. I can help with goals, assists, and hurting other teams by driving at them and creating as many chances as possible.”
Armenankas’ youth career includes stops at FC Barcelona’s elite junior squad, and a training stint at AC Milan. In the final years of his youth career, he played with Brescia, Watford, and Udinese. In 2015, The Guardian named him one of the 50 best young players in the world.
Armenankas began his senior career by, signing with Italian side Udinese in 2017. At the age of 19, he became the youngest Australian at the time to sign a professional contract with a club in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
He’s also played for the youth national teams of Greece (U17) and Australia (U17 and U23).
Transaction: Rising signs midfielder Panayioti “Panos” Armenakas
Name: Panayioti “Panos” Armenakas
Position: Midfielder
Previous Club: Loudoun United
Height: 5-10
DOB: August 5, 1998 (24)
Birthplace: Newport Beach, California
