# Leon Gardikiotis

Leon Gardikiotis (Greek: Λέων Γαρδικιώτης, born 27 February 1964) is a Greek-Australian soccer coach and retired player. He gained prominence as the head coach of the Tahiti national team at the 2000 OFC Nations Cup. Throughout his career, Gardikiotis has showcased his talents both on the field and on the sidelines.

## Playing career

Gardikiotis was born in Germany by Greek parents, and moved to Australia at the age of two. He signed his first professional contract with Greek club Larissa in 1985 and also played for Doxa Drama. He also went to play in Australia for St. George, Sydney Olympic, Canberra, Marrickville Olympic, Heidelberg and Wollongong Wolves.

## Coaching career

Transitioning into coaching at the age of 31 after retiring from playing following an injury, Gardikiotis initially served as the Head Coach for West Wanderers FC, a second tier club in 1995. He then ventured into the top-tier, working for Wollongong Wolves FC as the assistant 1st team coach in the Australian National League under Beri Mariani. His next assignment as an associate staff coach at the Brazilian Football Academy (BFA) in Rio de Janeiro further enriched his coaching acumen, earning him a senior coaching Diploma. Gardikiotis's coaching journey continued as he assumed the role of Technical Director of the Football Academy of Excellence in Sydney (FAE), representing the BFA in the Oceania region, and being recognised by FIFA and Football Australia. Notably, he coached the Fijian National U17's and U20s teams, achieving significant success in the Oceania World Cup qualifiers. In 1999, Gardikiotis was appointed as the National Coach of the Tahiti senior team, leading them in the Oceania Nations Cup and various other international competitions. Under his guidance, Tahiti reached 117th in the FIFA World Rankings, making a notable accomplishment for the team.
In the 2000/01 Australian National Soccer League season, Gardikiotis became Head Coach of Canberra Cosmos and then it was followed by coaching Whittlesea Stallions in season 2003/04.
On 7 September 2005, it was announced that Gardikiotis would become the assistant coach of Greek Beta Ethniki side Panachaiki, under head coach Ken Warden. When Warden was released six days later, Gardikiotis became the head coach.
In 2007, Gardikiotis was head coach of Victorian Premier League side Springvale White Eagles. In 2008, he was the head coach of Niki Volou in Greece, followed by Lamia in 2009. This was followed by work on various FIFA football projects on behalf of the BFA.
Beyond coaching, Gardikiotis transitioned into various senior executive roles which included sports event promotions, working with organisations like the Rivkin Entertainment Group and the International Entertainment Corporation. These encompassed events featuring the participation of renowned football clubs and national teams such as Manchester United, France, Brazil, Australia, amongst others.
He has consulted worldwide on club technical and commercial restructuring, football club takeovers, and has held senior management positions in various sporting organisations and projects.
At present, Gardikiotis serves as the CEO at XSTRAFIT, a high-performance centre and athlete laboratory, highlighting his leadership, knowledge and extensive experience within the sports industry.