Taxiarchis Fountas


Taxiarchis Fountas is a Greek professional footballer who plays as a forward for Austrian club Rapid Wien.

Club career

AEK Athens

Taxiarchis Fountas was scouted by Toni Savevski, the head of AEK Athens' youth academy at the time. On 17 March 2012. Fountas made his senior debut for AEK Athens against Asteras Tripolis being the youngest player to play for AEK Athens in a Superleague game aged 16 years 6 months and 13 days old. He played 31 minutes in this game. He made his first start for the club on 22 April on the final day of the 2011–12 regular season against Doxa Drama, completing the whole 90 minutes.
Fountas scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 win against Platanias on 28 October 2012, thus becoming the youngest player to score for AEK at the age of 17 years and 54 days. He scored another goal against Veria on 18 October 2012 and another one against PAS Giannina on 3 November 2012. He was also awarded the MVP award after this match. He scored his 4th goal again against Veria on 16 March 2013 with a fine left foot shoot. When the club was relegated, the player was released. He also scored a snipe against Everton in a friendly match in the summer of 2012.

Red Bull Salzburg

Reports stating that the Greek international Fountas is under contract with Red Bull Salzburg. "We have indeed longer employed with him, but there is still no enforcement," said Salzburg motorsport boss Ralf Rangnick. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder played for AEK Athens. The Greek club is currently on the verge of financial collapse. No one knows at present how it goes at AEK Athens, and thus is complicates the transfer. Whether the Greek youth team player who already dwells in Salzburg, will ride on Friday training camp in Germany, should decide at short notice. Eventually on September 2013, Fountas had joined the club on a four-year contract. After the signing of his contract, the club decided to play on loan for six months for Liefering in Austrian Football First League.
Fountas comes on loan to Grödig until end of season from local rivals Red Bull Salzburg. The 18-year-old midfielder has at the current standings in the Austrian Football Bundesliga on a contract until the summer of 2017. Fountas succeeded to make his first appearance in Bundesliga a week later.
On the beginning of the 2014–15 season, Fountas comes on loan to Panionios, returning to the Greek Superleague.
Fountas exceptional season with Panionios made Asteras Tripolis to start discussions with Red Bull Salzburg for obtain him on loan, with a buying option if the young player convince with his appearances. The Greek striker will play for Asteras Tripolis on loan from Red Bull Salzburg and is expected to have a duration of two years which clearly wanted and the player's side. On 2 January 2016, he scored his first goal with the club to a comfortable 4–0 home win against Panthrakikos. On 5 January 2015, few days after his first goal with his club in the Greek Superleague, he scored an amazing goal in a 3–0 away win against AEL for Greek Cup.

Panionios

On 21 July 2016, Taxiarchis Fountas, who was recently released from Asteras Tripolis, signed a one year contract and officially returned to Panionios. On 1 July 2017, under mutual agreement Panionios solved the player's contract.

Sonnenhof Großaspach

On 20 September 2017, as a free agent, Fountas signed a long season contract with German club SG Sonnenhof Großaspach.

St. Pölten

On 14 July 2018, after a year in Germany, Fountas signed a long season contract, with Austrian club St. Pölten.

Rapid Wien

On 9 May 2019, Fountas signed a deal with Austrian club Rapid Wien through the summer of 2022. The past season with SKN St. Pölten, Fountas made 22 total appearances and notched four goals in what was a successful campaign for the former international. His contract with St Polten was due to expire at the end of the season and Rapid Wien were quick to snap up the attacking player. On 4 August, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 away draw against former club St. Pölten and a week later he scored a brace against SC Rheindorf Altach, contributing to his team's first win of the season. On 29 September, in a 3–3 home draw against TSV Hartberg, he scored another brace.
On 20 October, he scored again in a 1–1 home draw game against Wolfsberger AC. On 15 December, he scored his third brace of the season, sealing a 3–0 away win against Admira Wacker, which included him in the Team of the Week in the Austrian Bundesliga for matchday 18. Fountas continued his breakout season throughout the fall, and he led Rapid Wien in scoring with 11 goals from 15 matches.
On 3 February 2020, Rapid Wien's fans named Fountas as the best player of 2019 thanks to his excellent performances with the Austrian club. On 16 February, his twelfth goal of the season came after a mistake by opponent player Thanos Petsos in a 2–0 home win game against WSG Swarovski Tirol. On 1 March, Fountas converted a pass from Christoph Knasmüllner to score the second goal in a 3–1 home win game against SV Mattersburg. He would score again on 7 March, benefiting from a serious mistake by Nemanja Rnić and finishing after winning the ball for his 14th goal of the season, in a 2–2 away draw against Wolfsberger AC. On 7 June, after the COVID-19 pandemic had suspended the league, he scored again in a 4–0 win game over SK Sturm Graz. Three days later, he scored the vital goal in a 1–0 away win against LASK Linz. A week later he scored again, sealing another 1–0 away win against TSV Hartberg. On 24 June, he scored a late goal after Ercan Kara's assist, in a disaster 2–7 home loss to league champions Red Bull Salzburg. On 1 July, he scored in his fifth game in a row sealing a vital 3–1 home win game against LASK.

International career

Fountas made his international debut for Greece on 13 June 2015, against Faroe Islands where in one of the worst nights of Greek international football, Faroe Islands beat Greece for the second time for the preliminary round of UEFA Euro 2016. He came in the match on 81 minute replacing Panagiotis Kone.

Career statistics

Club

Honours

Club

;Red Bull Salzburg