Antonios Nikopolidis

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Antonios Nikopolidis
Antonios Nikopolidis 2018.jpg
Antonios Nikopolidis
during a legend game 2018
Personnel
birthday October 14, 1971
place of birth ArtaGreece
size 187 cm
position goalkeeper
Juniors
Years station
1978-1987 Anagennisi Artas
Men's
Years station Games (goals) 1
1987-1989 Anagennisi Artas 49 (0)
1989-2004 Panathinaikos Athens 189 (0)
2004-2011 Olympiacos Piraeus 180 (0)
National team
Years selection Games (goals)
1997-2008 Greece 90 (0)
Stations as a trainer
Years station
2012-2013 Olympiacos Piraeus (assistant coach)
2013 → Olympiacos Piraeus (interim)
2014-2015 Olympiacos Piraeus (assistant coach)
2015 → Olympiacos Piraeus (interim)
2015-2019 Greece U21
2018 Greece U20
2019– Olympiacos Piraeus U19
1 Only league games are given.

Antonios Nikopolidis ( Greek Αντώνιος Νικοπολίδης , born October 14, 1971 in Arta ) is a former Greek football goalkeeper and today's coach . He made his coaching debut on January 20, 2013 in the game of Olympiacos against PAS Ioannina .

Career as a player

Nikopolidis started his career at Anagennisi Artas as a striker . As luck would have it, he had to represent his cousin in the gate on his wedding day. In 1989, Nikopolidis moved to the Greek top club Panathinaikos Athens . From the bench he experienced three Greek championship titles (1990, 1991, 1995), three cup wins (1993, 1994, 1995) and two wins in the Greek Supercup (1994, 1995). In 1995 Nikopolidis was the first goalkeeper at Panathinaikos and in 1996 won the Greek championship as such for the first time.

In the following years he developed into one of the best Greek goalkeepers and made his debut in the Greek national team on August 18, 1999 against El Salvador . Under the German coach Otto Rehhagel , Nikopolidis was in the goal of the national team, even before the 2004 European Championship , for which Greece had qualified again for the first time since 1980, although Nikopolidis was only a substitute goalkeeper at Panathinaikos at that time. After winning doubles in 2004 (championship and cup victory) from the bench, Nikopolidis took part in the 2004 European Championship with practically no match practice from the league. There he formed the support of the Greek team that won the European Championship. Nikopolidis was appointed to the all-star team of the EM because of his performance (only four goals against in six games).

After the European Championship, Nikopolidis moved to Olympiacos Piraeus on a free transfer , where he became a regular goalkeeper and contributed to winning the doubles in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009. His contract ran until 2010.

At the European Football Championship in Austria and Switzerland in 2008 , Nikopolidis, once again the regular goalkeeper, was unable to convince and, above all, attracted attention with a few mistakes. Nevertheless, he played all games in full length and was even the team captain in the last game against Spain . After the defending champion left the group stage, he ended his national team career.

In June 2010 he announced the end of his career, but revised this a short time later before finally ending his active career at the end of the 2010/11 season.

For the national team Nikopolidis completed 90 games from 1997 to 2008, making him the record goalkeeper in his country.

Career as a coach

In October 2012, Nikopolidis became an assistant coach at Olympiacos . On January 19, 2013, he took over the team as interim coach after the dismissal of head coach Leonardo Jardim .

successes

  • 11 × Greek champions : 1989/90, 1990/91, 1994/95, 1995/96, 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2010/11
  • 9 × Greek Cup winners : 1990/91, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1994/95, 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2007/08, 2008/09
  • 3 × Greek Super Cup winner: 1993, 1997, 2007
  • Choice of best goalkeeper in Greece: 1999/00, 2001/02, 2002/03, 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2007/08, 2008/09
  • European Champion : 2004

Private life

Nikopolidis is married to the former basketball player Vaso Stasinou. The two have three children together. He owes his nickname "Clooney" to journalists at the 2004 European Football Championship, who attested him a resemblance to the American actor George Clooney . In 2012, Nikopolidis published his memoir. The title: "The game of my life" ( Greek Ο αγώνας της ζωής μου ).

Individual evidence

  1. kicker.de: Dejagah in the sights of Olympiakos , accessed on March 12, 2011
  2. Π.Α.Ε. Ολυμπιακός - Ανακοίνωση (Greek)
  3. Olympiakos fires coach Jardim