Daniel Batista Lima (Greek: Ντανιέλ Μπατίστα Λίμα; born 9 September 1964) is a former professional footballer who played as a forward. Born in Cape Verde, he represented Greece internationally. He is the Technical Director of Ethnikos Piraeus.

Daniel Batista
Personal information
Full name Daniel Batista Lima
Date of birth (1964-09-09) 9 September 1964 (age 59)
Place of birth São Vicente, Cape Verde
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Ethnikos Piraeus (technical director)
Youth career
1983–1986 Feyenoord Rotterdam
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1986–1987 Feyenoord Rotterdam
1987–1989 Ethnikos Piraeus 67 (14)
1989–1992 AEK Athens 90 (39)
1992–1995 Olympiacos 78 (16)
1995–1999 AEK Athens 77 (28)
1999–2001 Aris 5 (0)
Total 317 (97)
International career
1994–1997 Greece 14 (2)
Managerial career
2003–2007 Diagoras
2007–2008 Fostiras
2008–2009 Nea Ionia
2009–2013 AEK Athens U20
2013 Peramaikos
2014–2015 Niki Volos (technical director)
2021– Ethnikos Piraeus (technical director)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career edit

Batista started his football career at the academies of Feyenoord Rotterdam. After playing there a while a good friend of him and also a Feyenoord supporter brought him to Greece to follow his career there. Batista played for Ethnikos Piraeus in whose colors he impressed and soon became an interest of the big clubs of Athens. Finally, in the summer of 1989, he prefers to transfer to AEK Athens, while Olympiacos also strongly claimed him.

It didn't take long for him to impress at AEK as well. He started very well from his very first season at AEK, even though he had some injuries. Alongside Patikas and Christodoulou, he formed a very good trio in the "yellow-black" offense. The following season was not a good one for the team, but Batista again had a very good season, while among other things he also scored the winning goal against Olympiacos.[1] In both of these years, Batista played mainly as a striker, but the arrival of Dimitriadis and Alexandris in the summer of 1991, made Bajević to play Batista behind the two strikers, in order to "fit" them all in the starting eleven. Batista formed an excellent duo with Dimitriadis in attack and helped AEK to win the championship. He also has excellent performances for the UEFA Cup.

In the summer of 1992, with the expiration of his contract and during a period of administrative changes at AEK, he decided to move to Olympiacos, displeasing the people of the "yellow-blacks". In the club of Piraeus, he had a good presence, but did not reach the high standards he at AEK. However he scored many goals in the matches against his former club. In the summer of 1995, he returned to AEK and got an excellent performance again, as he played a big part in winning the cup, scoring 2 times in the final with Apollon Athens.[2] The following season was also great, despite facing some injuries, creating an excellent trio in the attack with Kostis and Nikolaidis, in a season where AEK was again crowned cup winner. In AEK he played for another 2 seasons and despite the new injuries contributed to club. With AEK he won 1 championship, 2 cups, 2 Super Cups and 1 League Cup.[3] In the summer of 1999, he was released from the club and moved to Aris.[4] Batista retired after the end of the 2000–01 season.

International career edit

Batista naturalized a Greek citizen, and debuted in the Greece national team on 12 October 1994. At the time, he had the distinction of being the only Greek athlete of black ethnicity to do so. He played 14 times scoring twice.[5]

Managing career edit

After his playing days were over, Batista coached Diagoras, Fostiras, he was the director of football of Lamia, head coach of AO Nea Ionia, AEK Athens U20, Peramaikos and a technical director of Niki Volos. From the summer of 2021 he is the Technical Director of Ethnikos Piraeus.[6]

Personal life edit

Batista's uncle, Noni Lima was a former footballer who had a successful career in Greece at Panionios. His nephew and Noni's son, Konstantinos is a player of Episkopi.

Career statistics edit

National team Season Apps Goals
  Greece 1994 6 1
1995 6 0
1996 2 1
Total 14 2

Honours edit

AEK Athens

Olympiacos

  • Greek Super Cup: 1992

References edit

  1. ^ "Ιδού η Ρόδος, ιδού και το πήδημα". 6 February 2020.
  2. ^ "«Ενέργειες που γίνονται με κομπιούτερ»: Η ιστορική επτάρα της ΑΕΚ στον Απόλλωνα στον τελικό του '96". sport-fm.gr.
  3. ^ "Ντανιέλ Μπατίστα". kitrinomavro.gr.
  4. ^ "Απομένουν οι λεπτομέρειες για να πάει στον Άρη". tanea.gr. 16 July 1999.
  5. ^ "Greece matches 1990–1995" (PDF). epo.gr.
  6. ^ "Εθνικός: Προπονητής ο Καλύβας – Τεχνικός διευθυντής ο Μπατίστα". onsports.gr. 10 July 2021.

External links edit