Former Greece international defender Marios Oikonomou has died at the age of 33, nine days after being seriously injured in a car accident15:03, 01 Jun 2026Updated 15:07, 01 Jun 2026Former international footballer Marios Oikonomou has died aged 33, following a motorbike accident last month. The ex-Sampdoria and Greece defender was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries and has tragically passed away.‌Italian reports confirm that Oikonomou was unable to recover from the wounds sustained in the collision, succumbing to his injuries nine days after the accident. A statement read: "Today the PAS Giannina family is mourning. Marios Economou, a child who earned the love and respect of all of us, left us prematurely. We spent moments of joy, effort and struggle together.‌"Always with a smile, always with kindness. To his loved ones, to our President and father Giorgos Economou and his family, we express our deepest sympathy and our most sincere condolences.‌"His memory will remain alive in all of us. Mario, we will remember you with love. May your memory be eternal."Oikonomou was involved in a collision with a vehicle driven by a 63-year-old motorist, leaving the 33-year-old former footballer with severe injuries as he was rushed to hospital.JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page‌Emergency services and traffic police were swiftly deployed to the scene of the incident in Ioannina, northwestern Greece, on Saturday, May 23, near the entrance to Hatzikosta Hospital.Oikonomou was rushed to Ioannina University Hospital with life-threatening head injuries. Surgeons carried out emergency procedures, including a decompressive craniectomy, a critical operation that involves temporarily removing part of the skull to reduce pressure on the brain.Following the surgery, Oikonomou was placed in intensive care, but was unable to pull through. Greek authorities confirmed that an investigation into the collision, which took place on a central road with a notorious safety record, remains ongoing.‌Oikonomou had spells with Serie A clubs Cagliari and Bologna, as well as prominent Greek outfit AEK Athens and Danish side Copenhagen.‌During his playing career, Oikonomou earned six caps for Greece between 2016 and 2018 and spent a significant period plying his trade in Italy. The centre-back also had stints at clubs including SPAL and Bari across Serie A and Serie B.Having hung up his boots in 2024 after a spell with Panetolikos in his homeland, AEK Athens paid tribute to Oikonomou with a heartfelt message on social media.They stated: "The AEK Athens family stands by Marios and his family, with the hope that he can emerge victorious from the most difficult battle of his life."Article continues belowItalian club Bologna also offered words of encouragement for their former player, saying: "Come on Marios, we are all with you."