Marios Ikonomou

Marios Oikonomou (; 6 October 1992 – 1 June 2026) was a Greek professional footballer who played as a centre-back.

Club career

PAS Giannina Born in Ioannina, Oikonomou began playing football with PAS Giannina. He signed his first professional contract in January 2011. On 14 November 2012, he made his debut for the Greece U21 in a friendly match against Austria U21. He made 23 appearances for the club in total.

Cagliari After a strong 2012–13 season with PAS Giannina, Oikonomou signed a contract with Cagliari, a team in Serie A, the top league in Italy. He was the first ever player in the history of PAS Giannina who managed to sign directly a contract with a foreign club. His former club received €500,000 and later a small percentage of a future resale. On 6 April 2014, he made his debut with the club in a home loss against Roma.

Bologna On 1 July 2014, Oikonomou signed a contract with Bologna in Serie B, in a transfer deal which involved striker Alessandro Capello, who moved permanently from Bologna to Cagliari. Oikonomou opted for this transfer as he had made very few appearances for Cagliari during the previous season. On 23 September 2014, he made his debut for the club, scoring the winning goal in a 1–0 away win against Ternana Calcio. He had a very good season with Bologna which attracted attention of several other Italian clubs, such as Lazio and Hellas Verona.

Despite his initial strong performances on the pitch, Oikonomou playing time dwindled after the club acquired services of another centre-back, Daniele Gastaldello in March 2015.

On 9 June 2015, Oikonomou contributed to Bologna's return to Serie A, just one-year after their relegation, in a dramatic 1–1 draw in the play-offs against Pescara Calcio.

Loan to SPAL On 3 July 2017, Serie A newcomers SPAL secured a deal for Oikonomou. He joined the club on a loan, with SPAL's obligation to buy him from Bologna if the club managed to avoid relegation. On 12 August 2017, he made his debut for SPAL in a home Coppa Italia 1–0 win game against Renate.

Loan to Bari On 11 January 2018, it was announced that Oikonomou was to join Bari until the end of the season. On 27 January 2018, he made his debut in a 4–0 home loss game against Empoli.

Loan to AEK Athens On 28 June 2018, Bologna loaned him out for another season, this time to AEK Athens. By the end of the first half of the season, AEK was already considering the option of making the transfer permanent. The club was reportedly prepared to pay a transfer fee in the range of €700,000.

AEK Athens Very soon after that, on 22 January 2019, Oikonomou became an AEK Athens player, penning a contract with the club until the end of the 2021–22 season. On 31 March 2019, he scored his first goal for the club in a 4–0 home win game against Panetolikos.

Copenhagen On 3 September 2020, Oikonomou joined Copenhagen for a reported €1 million fee, on a two-year contract. In the 2020–21 season, he helped the club reach third place in the Danish Superliga and qualify for the Europa League play-off round. The following season, Copenhagen won the league title and qualified for the UEFA Champions League. On 12 October 2022, Oikonomou's contract was terminated by mutual consent.

Sampdoria After several months of free agency, Oikonomou joined Sampdoria on 17 February 2023, on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

International career In 2012, Oikonomou was capped by Greece U21s. On 16 March 2016, he was called for the first time to play for the senior team in two friendly matches against Iceland and Montenegro. On 24 March 2016, he made his debut with the senior side as a substitute for Kostas Manolas in a 2–1 home friendly game against Montenegro.

Death On 23 May 2026, Oikonomou was involved in a serious road incident in his hometown of Ioannina when his motorcycle collided with a car which was attempting an illegal u-turn through a median opening. He was admitted to an intensive care unit, where his condition was closely monitored. He died on 1 June 2026, at the age of 33.

Career statistics Club

International

Honours Copenhagen Danish Superliga: 2021–22 The Atlantic Cup runner-up: 2022