Stadium announcers in the German league can breath a sigh of relief as it was announced Tuesday Werder Bremen's Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos will now simply be known by his first name.
The 23-year-old has played all four of Bremen's German league games this season, giving Bundesliga announcers and broadcasters alike nightmares trying to get their tongues around his unusual name.
But the German Football League (DFL) have now listed the 23-year-old, who has won 19 caps for Greece, as simply Sokratis.
He is on loan from Italian side Genoa and Bremen's opponents can expect to see more of him this season.
"He does not shy away from tackles and is very intense when he goes in for them," said Werder coach Thomas Schaaf.
On Tuesday, Sokratis was in the Greece squad for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Latvia in Riga.
Source: AFP
