Vasilis Lakis is a Greek retired footballer. He was nicknamed "Turbo" for his speed when attacking along the right wing and ability to provide accurate crosses for the strikers in the area.
Club career
Naoussa
Lakis started his career in for FAS Naoussa and he began his career as a defender but his earliest coaches, recognizing his natural ability, moved him to the attacking wing, where he has since shone. In FAS Naoussa Lakis played with players like the future Greek star Vassilios Tsiartas.
After Greece won Euro 2004, Lakis signed as a free agent for Crystal Palace in the Premiership. He made 18 league appearances for Palace. He notably missed the goal from 6 yards in the game against Arsenal at Selhurst Park while the score was 1-1. It is likely that Palace would have won the match had he scored. He was also sent off a in a 0–0 draw with Manchester United. Unfortunately the club was relegated the same year and Lakis decided to return to Greece and his previous club AEK Athens FC.
AEK Athens
He returned to long-time club AEK Athens FC and here he found players like, Traianos Dellas that came from the Italian gian A.S. Roma and as president Demis Nikolaidis. AEK Athens FC gained again the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League in the same group of A.C. Milan that they beat at home 1–0 with the goal of Júlio César. In the summer 2007 AEK Athens FC acquired the Brazilian Rivaldo from the rival Olympiacos and the club rich the top of Greek Championship with the Piraeus rival. He is a pacy right winger who can also play up front, known for his fast-paced end-to-end style of play. He is renowned in his home country for his habit of missing easy chances but his speed, cutting passes, and incisive runs into the box more than makeup for this failing.
On 2 July 2007, Lakis was released by AEK, on 3 July he signed a three-year contract with PAOK, which here he founds Theodoros Zagorakis as the president of the club and Zisis Vryzas as a player, that they won Euro 2004. Lakis helped his new team to gain the second place in the Greek Championship behind Olympiacos and qualifying PAOK for the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
Kavala
On 1 July 2009 he signed a two-years contract with the football clubAO Kavala. Here lakis found the goalkeeper Fanis Katergiannakis that he helped to promote the team in the Greek Championship after 10 years. His new club AO Kavala was the revelation of the Greek Championship fighting for the first six positions and Lakis become one more time one of the most important players with experience. Lakis with Kavala FC reached the semifinal of the Greek Cup against Panionios. In the semifinal Kavala FC will face Aris Thessaloniki F.C..
International career
Lakis made 35 appearances for the Greece national football team and scored his first goal in a friendly match, in April 2000 in Dublin against the Republic of Ireland, in Lansdown Road. The coach Otto Rehhagel called him for the qualification for Euro 2004 and he was included in the Greek squad that won Euro 2004 and made two appearances as a substitute against Portugal in the group-stage and France in the quarterfinal.
