Apollon Smyrnis have pulled off one of the biggest transfer coups of the summer by securing the signature of Hannes Daube, the dynamic American right-hander and Olympic bronze medalist, for the 2025–26 season.
The 25-year-old winger arrives in Athens fresh off a stellar performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he was instrumental in Team USA’s historic run to a bronze medal. Daube netted 18 goals during the tournament—ranking among the top seven scorers—and earned a place in the official Olympic All-Star Team.
Daube’s arrival is a major statement of intent from Apollon, as the club continues to build under head coach Theo Lorantos. With Nikola Bogdanović already on the books—himself one of Europe’s most prolific scorers—Apollon now boasts a fearsome offensive duo capable of challenging any defence in the Greek league and beyond.
Standing at 1.95m, Daube brings with him a wealth of experience from Europe’s top competitions. After developing through the USA collegiate system at USC, he went on to enjoy spells with some of the continent’s most prestigious clubs, including Jug Dubrovnik, Marseille, and Olympiacos. His club honours include a Euro Cup title, Croatian Cup, French championship, and domestic double in Greece.
Internationally, Daube has been a consistent offensive weapon for Team USA since 2017. Beyond Paris, he was also named to the Team of the Tournament at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka (22 goals) and top-scored for the USA at both the 2023 World Cup Finals in Los Angeles (17 goals) and the 2024 World Championships in Doha (14 goals). He also led scoring during the 2021 World League Super Final, where the Americans claimed silver.
Apollon Smyrnis celebrated the announcement as the most significant signing in the club’s 11-year history, both in terms of player pedigree and ambition. The deal was made possible thanks to long-time club sponsor Stamatis Vellis, whose continued support has underpinned Apollon’s rise on the domestic and European stage.
With Daube’s arrival, Apollon signal their intent to challenge Greece’s traditional powerhouses and make a deeper impact in European competition.
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