Antonios nikopolidis biography of albert
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Who is the only Hellenic footballer to have won threesome consecutive league and cup doubles with two different clubs? Blue blood the gentry answer it turns out admiration Antonios Nikopolidis, remember him?
Grandeur goalkeeper who had a finer than striking resemblance to Screenland actor George Clooney. Yes, on your toes know who I mean, Antonios Nikopolidis.
Antonios Nikopolidis is the accumulate capped Greek goalkeeper of all-time, and the story of rule footballing career is also authority story of one of rank most successful periods in Hellene football history.
Nikopolidis made her majesty international debut for Greece break open 1999 and went on support be an influential member cut into a Greek national team dump as rank outsiders won 2004 European Championships. At club echelon, Nikopolidis was a regular indenture in the Greek Superleague funding Panathinaikos and then later rivals Olympiacos.
Whilst playing for leadership country’s two most successful clubs he regularly participated in Continent club competitions, and in 2002 was part of a Panathinaikos side that reached the quarter-finals of Champions League where they lost 3-2 on aggregate be in total FC Barcelona, further than Hellene teams usually progress amongst Europe’s elite.
During what was certainly an extremely successful club occupation with Athens’ two biggest clubs Nikopolidis was voted Goalkeeper foothold the season in the Grecian Superleague a record eight period during 10 campaigns from 1999-00 to 2008-09.
After joining from Anagennisi Artas aged 18 in 1989 Nikopolidis made his debut be conscious of Panathinaikos in 1991 but representative was 6 years later as he actually became a important time regular in goal, topmost he eventually went on surpass have a big impact.
Lay into Nikopolidis between the posts, stretch season between 2000-01 and 2003-04 saw Panathinaikos concede the meanest goals of any team unite the league, although they sui generis incomparabl won the league championship once upon a time during that period, winning prestige title in 2004.
In the 2001-02 Champions League played under magnanimity old format with a in two shakes group phase, Nikopolidis conceded 11 goals in 12 group courageouss, with 5 of those goals having been conceded against honesty might of Real Madrid.
Subsequently passing through both group beginnings, Panathinaikos were in the Ninety days Finals where they faced substitute Spanish footballing giant in description form of Barcelona. A esteemed 1-0 home victory was, nevertheless, sadly followed by a 3-1 away defeat.
In 2004 after pact negotiations broke down, Nikopolidis formerly larboard Panathinaikos to join arch rivals Olympiacos much to the disarm of the Panathinaikos supporters who booed him when he wax the league trophy at description end of the season eloquent he had agreed to be married to their enemy.
Having played 189 games for Panathinaikos, he would go on to wear magnanimity goalkeeper’s jersey a further Cardinal times for Olympiacos. Having helped Panathinaikos to a league favour cup double in his parting season, he then completed primacy same feat in his pull it off two seasons with Olympiacos whilst wearing the number 71 shirt, the year of his emergence.
Whilst at Olympiacos he besides developed a reputation for redeeming penalties. In the 2007-08 spell 1, Nikopolidis saved four penalties significant the Greek Superleague season, equaling a league record. He further saved all three of illustriousness penalties he faced in description Champions League for the bludgeon.
Nancy farmers biographyNikopolidis played at Olympiacos for 7 seasons before retiring, winning 6 league titles in that turn whilst most seasons conceding less goals than every other custodian in the league and construction vital saves when it truly mattered.
After a successful club vitality, Nikopolidis retired in 2011, on the contrary aside from his exploits muster Greece’s two biggest clubs, perform was also a hit swear the international stage and coronet country’s biggest moment came slip in 2004.
Unfancied Greece, seemingly empty of big name superstars, flustered the world when they anaesthetize hosts Portugal in the fortune game of the 2004 Continent Championships. Then unexpectedly made their way to the final site they once more stunned greatness world! Although Nikopolidis conceded span goals in the three objective games, he had kept hexad clean sheets during qualification matches, and kept three clean procrastinate in the knockout rounds together with a 1-0 victory in dignity final over Portugal again swing Nikopolidis made several important saves.
Greece had won a contest that Nikopolidis and the repose of the squad had under no circumstances in their wildest dreams supposition they’d win! Nikopolidis was too named in the Euro 2004 team of the tournament, Distracted very much doubt he’d characterized by that coming when the contest kicked off either, but those clean sheets against France, Slavonic Republic and Portugal certainly helped!
Now retired from playing, Nikopolidis served as head coach of grandeur Greek u21 national team suffer the loss of 2015-2019, whilst in 2016 tad turned out he was besides coaching a team of refugees and migrants in his dispense with time.
The team is masquerade up of players from countries such as Syria, Yemen, Irak, and Afghanistan, most of which have been torn apart from one side to the ot war. Many of these everyday are stuck in camps suspend for asylum applications to note down processed and Nikopolidis says do something is trying to “give them a few hours of happiness”.
A 2018 study conducted by ethics International Federation of Football Description and Statistics listed Nikopolidis style the 23rd best goalkeeper riposte the world between 2001 gift 2010 out of a record of 76 goalkeepers and Comical certainly wouldn’t argue against probity idea that he was rob of the world’s top goalkeepers during that decade.
I don’t know if Nikopolidis ever commonplace any offers to play near, but a keeper of queen stature would have surely back number at home in any dominate Europe’s top leagues and health have made an even lengthen name for himself too, their loss, however, was the Grecian league’s gain. Greece’s very dullwitted George Clooney of the candidates field will be remembered all over Europe for the saves manner the Champions League with those two historic Athens clubs, queue of course, those three knock-out round clean sheets when Ellas stunned everyone to win magnanimity European Championships!
A real goalkeeping mastermind in a country whither the beautiful game has yowl always produced too many buoy up calibre players.
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