STUTTGART, GERMANY: Konstantinos Mavropanos of VfB Stuttgart looks on during the Bundesliga match between VfB Stuttgart and VfL Wolfsburg at Mercedes-Benz Arena on April 30, 2022. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Former Arsenal man scores record own goal from distance

Feb 7, 2023

Konstantinos Mavropanos, the former Arsenal defender and current VfB Stuttgart player, scored a 48-metre own goal in the recent German Cup clash against second division side Paderborn.

Konstantinos Mavropanos with the Arsenal u23s (Photo via Twitter / DMavropanos)

In the fourth minute of the game, Konstantinos Mavropanos, steering the ball from near the right touchline well inside his own half, beat his own goalkeeper Florian Müller with a no-look pass after a throw-in.

https://twitter.com/DFBPokal_EN/status/1620474027427897357

The German Football Federation stated that it was the longest distance for an own goal in the history of the German Cup competition.

Despite the early setback, Stuttgart fought back and secured a 2-1 win over Paderborn with late goals from Gil Dias and Serhou Guirassy, reaching the quarter-finals of the competition.

Stuttgart sports director Fabian Wohlgemuth stated in an interview with Sky TV, “It was a memorable start with the own goal. A real setback. Konstantinos will be telling his grandchildren about it.”

The 25-year-old signed for Stuttgart from Arsenal on a permanent deal for just €3.2m in the summer.

Currently valued at around €15m, Arsenal paid €2.1m for him in 2018 but he did not make a single appearance for the club after Mikel Arteta’s arrival. He played four times under Unai Emery, once under Freddie Ljungberg and three times under Arsene Wenger.