Antonios Nikopolidis

2025-08-25T12:07:28Z

2A02:586:8D29:DB00:B416:A45E:BCDA:EE77:

{{short description|Greek footballer and manager}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Antonis Nikopolidis
| image = Antonios Nikopolidis 2018.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Nikopolidis playing in a legends match in 2018
| fullname = Antonios Nikopolidis
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|01|14|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Arta, Greece|Arta]], Greece
| height = 1.87 m
| currentclub =
| position = [[Goalkeeper (association football)|Goalkeeper]]
| youthyears1 = 1985–1989
| youthclubs1 = [[Anagennisi Arta F.C.|Anagennisi Arta]]
| years1 = 1987–1989
| clubs1 = [[Anagennisi Arta F.C.|Anagennisi Arta]]
| caps1 = 49
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 1989–2004
| clubs2 = [[Panathinaikos F.C.|Panathinaikos]]
| caps2 = 189
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2004–2011
| clubs3 = [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]]
| caps3 = 180
| goals3 = 0
| totalcaps = 418
| totalgoals = 0
| nationalyears1 = 1999–2008
| nationalteam1 = [[Greece national football team|Greece]]
| nationalcaps1 = 90
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| manageryears1 = 2012–2013
| managerclubs1 = [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]] (assistant)
| manageryears2 = 2013
| managerclubs2 = [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]] (caretaker)
| manageryears3 = 2014–2015
| managerclubs3 = [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]] (assistant)
| manageryears4 = 2015–2019
| managerclubs4 = [[Greece national under-21 football team|Greece U21]]
| manageryears5 = 2019–2020
| managerclubs5 = [[Olympiacos F.C. Youth Academy|Olympiacos U19]]
| manageryears6 = 2022–2023
| managerclubs6 = [[Proodeftiki F.C.|Proodeftiki]]
| manageryears7 = 2024–2025
| managerclubs7 = [[Panionios F.C.|Panionios]]
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's [[Association football|football]]}}
{{Medal|Country|{{fb|GRE}}}}
{{Medal|Comp|[[UEFA European Championship]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[2004 UEFA European Championship|2004]]|}}
}}

'''Antonis Nikopolidis''' ({{langx|el|Αντώνης Νικοπολίδης}}; born 14 January 1971) is a Greek professional [[Association football|football]] [[Manager (association football)|manager]] and former player.

He is regarded among the best Greek [[Goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeepers]] of all time having been awarded the most goalkeeper caps in the [[Greece national football team|Greece national team]] and playing an integral part in the [[UEFA Euro 2004]] triumph.

==Club career==

===Anagennisi Arta===
Nikopolidis made his first steps at his local team of [[Anagennisi Arta F.C.|Anagennisi Arta]], from which he was transferred to [[Panathinaikos F.C.|Panathinaikos]] in the summer of 1989.

===Panathinaikos===
He made his debut during the 1990–91 season in a match against his future club, [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]]. In his early years as a Panathinaikos player, he was a back-up for [[Józef Wandzik]]. In 1995, he played five games as Panathinaikos won the [[1994-95 in Greek football|championship]] and three as they retained it the [[1995-96 in Greek football|following year]]. However, it wasn't until the 1997–98 season that he established himself as the first choice goalkeeper at the age of 26. In the [[2001–02 UEFA Champions League|2002 Champions league campaign]], he helped the club reach the quarter-finals. In the [[2003–04 in Greek football|2003–04 season]], he lost his place to [[Konstantinos Chalkias]] when his contract negotiations broke down.

Panathinaikos offered him [[Euro|€]]400K per year<ref>[http://tovima.dolnet.gr/print_article.php?e=B&f=14073&m=A40&aa=1 Ôï ÂÇÌÁ onLine – ÁÈËÇÔÉÓÌÏÓ]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> which, although a pay-rise, he thought was not in line with his contributions to the team over the past 15 years nor with his current market value. As he did not immediately accept the offer the management became suspicious and decided to relegate him to the bench for the rest of the 2003–04 season. The Greek sports media and Panathinaikos fans at first took his side in the conflict and criticised president Vardinogiannis.<ref>[http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_sport_1_25/01/2004_91444 kathimerini.gr |] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928092025/http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_sport_1_25/01/2004_91444 |date=28 September 2011 }}</ref>

Just before [[UEFA Euro 2004]], rumours were circulating that Nikopolidis had been approached by arch-rivals Olympiacos. It was discovered later that he had signed an agreement just before the tournament begun earning him [[Euro|€]]600K per year for three years. After that, the fans' disappointment in him was displayed during the celebrations following the team's 2003–04 season double when Nikopolidis, while raising the trophy, was booed by the majority of the crowd.

===Olympiacos===
[[File:Antonios Nikopolidis 25-Mar-2008.jpg|150px|thumb|Nikopolidis with Olympiacos in 2008]]

Soon after being instrumental in [[UEFA Euro 2004]] helping [[Greece national football team|Greece]] to lift the trophy, Nikopolidis joined Olympiacos, making an immediate impact for his once rival team. Keeping a clean sheet in the first derby against his former club in the process, he went on to win two [[Double (association football)|Doubles]] in a row, making him the only Greek player to win three consecutive doubles with two different clubs.

At his new team, Nikopolidis also earned a reputation for making game-winning saves in the most important games. Displaying his [[Penalty kick (association football)|penalty]]-saving abilities, Nikopolidis saved three penalty kicks against [[A.S. Roma|Roma]], [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]], and [[Rosenborg BK]], making him undefeated from the penalty spot in UEFA Champions League football in the Olympiacos shirt. In the [[2007–08 in Greek football|2007–08 season]], he also equaled the Greek league record for the most penalty kicks saved in one season, which included saves against [[PAOK F.C.|PAOK]] and former club Panathinaikos. Nikopolidis announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2009–10 season.

However, he took back his decision to stop his career after [[Sokratis Kokkalis]]'s insistence. The veteran goalkeeper stated that he would delay his retirement for one more year, to retire as champion. He signed an extension on 16 June that would keep him at Olympiacos for the 2010–11 season.

He also took part in the international match "8th Match Against Poverty", on 14 December 2010, in [[Karaiskakis Stadium]] in Greece, as the UNDP team's goalkeeper.

In January 2011, IFFHS released a list with the best goalkeepers of the first decade, and Nikopolidis was in.<ref>[http://www.iffhs.de/?388d85ff8b00388f05e91a55285fdcdc3bfcdc0aec70aeedb88602 IFFHS]. Iffhs.de. Retrieved on 19 December 2011.</ref> He was also listed as one of the best goalkeepers of the years 1987 to 2011.<ref>[http://www.iffhs.de/?388d85ff8b00388f05f4cbc0385fdcdc3bfcdc0aec70aeedb88419 IFFHS]. Iffhs.de. Retrieved on 19 December 2011.</ref>

On 20 March 2011, Olympiacos won the championship in a 6–0 win against rivals [[AEK Athens F.C.]], in Karaiskakis Stadium.

He made his final appearance on 17 April 2011 in a home 6–0 victory against [[Larissa F.C.]] in Karaiskakis Stadium. As a final curtain call, he was replaced by [[Balázs Megyeri]] in the last minutes, so he could wave goodbye to the Olympiacos fans.

As the Olympiacos captain, he was the player to accept the championship trophy, after the match.

==International career==
Nikopolidis made his debut for the [[Greece national football team]] on 18 August 1999 against [[El Salvador national football team|El Salvador]].

He played in the qualifying rounds of the [[2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)|2002 FIFA World Cup]] and [[UEFA Euro 2004|Euro 2004]] where he excelled as Greece qualified for the finals. Nikopolidis was one of the cornerstones of the Greek win in Portugal, where he kept three clean sheets in the knockout stages. He was also voted goalkeeper of the Euro 2004 All Star team.

On 15 June 2008, Nikopolidis announced his retirement from international football after [[UEFA Euro 2008|Euro 2008]], claiming that he had made this decision before the tournament started, and also stating that it is about time for a major change in the Greece national team.<ref>[http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/news/kind=1/newsid=718119.html Greece stalwarts hand in their notice] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217154249/http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/news/kind%3D1/newsid%3D718119.html |date=17 February 2009 }}</ref>

==Managerial career==
After retirement, Nikopolidis became the assistant manager of [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]] in 2012.

He was promoted to manager in January 2013 on an interim basis following the dismissal of [[Leonardo Jardim]].<ref>[http://www.olympiacos.org/en/article/19419/olympiacos-fc-statement Olympiacos F.C. Statement]</ref> After the arrival of [[Míchel (footballer, born 1963)|Míchel]], he remained in the team as his assistant.

After the end of [[2012–13 Superleague Greece|2012–13]] season, Nikopolidis left Olympiacos<ref>[http://www.contra.gr/Soccer/Hellas/Superleague/olympiacos/telos-o-nikopolidhs.2263835.html Announcement (Greek)]</ref> in order to start his career as a head coach.

On 1 October 2015, he was named as manager of the [[Greece national under-21 football team]].

==Style of play==
Despite not being particularly tall or agile, his excellent positional sense made him an effective shot-stopper and his ability to read and understand the game helped him rush quickly off his line in order to face one on one situations or act as a [[Goalkeeper (association football)#Sweeper-keeper|sweeper-keeper]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/021d-0e8f141f0275-968fbd474c1c-1000--saving-grace-europe-s-favourite-goalkeepers/ |title=Saving grace: Europe's favourite goalkeepers |publisher=[[UEFA]] |date=30 January 2015 |access-date=14 March 2020 }}</ref>

==Career statistics==
===Club===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.level-k.com/player/A_Nikopolidis.htm |title=Antonis NIKOPOLIDIS(ƒAƒ“ƒgƒjƒX EƒjƒRƒ{{!}}ƒŠƒfƒBƒX) @ LEVEL-K |access-date=19 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714204021/http://www.level-k.com/player/A_Nikopolidis.htm |archive-date=14 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|League
!colspan="2"|[[Greek Football Cup|Greek Cup]]
!colspan="2"|[[UEFA|Europe]]
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Anagennisi Arta F.C.|Anagennisi Arta]]
|1987–88
|[[Gamma Ethniki]]
||16||0|| colspan="2" | –|| colspan="2" | –|| 16||0
|-
|1988–89
|Gamma Ethniki||33||0|| colspan="2" | –|| colspan="2" | –|| 33||0
|-
! colspan="2" |Totai
!49
!0
! colspan="2" |–
! colspan="2" |–
!49
!0
|-
| rowspan="16" |[[Panathinaikos F.C.|Panathinaikos]]
|[[Alpha Ethniki 1989-90|1989–90]]
|[[Alpha Ethniki]]
||5||0|| colspan="2" | –|| colspan="2" | –|| 5||0
|-
|[[Alpha Ethniki 1990-91|1990–91]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||0||0|| colspan="2" | –|| colspan="2" | –|| 0||0
|-
|[[Alpha Ethniki 1991-92|1991–92]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||0||0|| colspan="2" | –|| colspan="2" | –|| 0||0
|-
|[[Alpha Ethniki 1992-93|1992–93]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||0||0|| colspan="2" | –|| colspan="2" | –|| 0||0
|-
|[[Alpha Ethniki 1993-94|1993–94]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||0||0|| colspan="2" | –|| colspan="2" | –|| 0||0
|-
|[[Alpha Ethniki 1994-95|1994–95]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||5||0|| colspan="2" | –|| colspan="2" | –|| 5||0
|-
|[[Alpha Ethniki 1995-96|1995–96]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||3||0|| colspan="2" | –|| colspan="2" | –|| 3||0
|-
|[[Alpha Ethniki 1996-97|1996–97]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||7||0||1||0|| colspan="2" | –|| 8||0
|-
|[[Alpha Ethniki 1997-98|1997–98]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||25||0||2||0|| colspan="2" | –|| 27||0
|-
|[[Alpha Ethniki 1998-99|1998–99]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||19||0||1||0|| colspan="2" | –|| 20||0
|-
|[[1999–2000 Panathinaikos F.C. season|1999–00]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||28||0||2||0||6||0||36||0
|-
|[[2000–01 Panathinaikos F.C. season|2000–01]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||25||0||2||0||9||0||34||0
|-
|[[2001–02 Panathinaikos F.C. season|2001–02]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||26||0||2||0||16||0||44||0
|-
|[[2002–03 Panathinaikos F.C. season|2002–03]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||28||0||1||0||10||0||39||0
|-
|[[2003–04 Panathinaikos F.C. season|2003–04]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||18||0||1||0||5||0||24||0
|-
! colspan="2" |Total
!189
!0
!12
!0
!46
!0
!245
!0
|-
| rowspan="8" |[[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]]
|[[2004–05 Olympiacos F.C. season|2004–05]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||29||0||6||0||10||0||45||0
|-
|[[2005–06 Olympiacos F.C. season|2005–06]]
|Alpha Ethniki
||29||0||7||0||5||0||41||0
|-
|[[2006–07 Olympiacos F.C. season|2006–07]]
|[[Super League Greece]]
||28||0||2||0||6||0||36||0
|-
|[[2007–08 Olympiacos F.C. season|2007–08]]
|Super League Greece
||28||0||3||0||8||0||39||0
|-
|[[2008–09 Olympiacos F.C. season|2008–09]]
|Super League Greece
||28||0||7||0||10||0||45||0
|-
|[[2009–10 Olympiacos F.C. season|2009–10]]
|Super League Greece
||32||0||0||0||12||0||44||0
|-
|[[2010–11 Olympiacos F.C. season|2010–11]]
|Super League Greece
||6||0||3||0||3||0||12||0
|-
! colspan="2" |Total
!180
!0
!28
!0
!54
!0
!263
!0
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total
!418!!0!!40!!0!!100!!0!!558!!0
|}

===International===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/nikopolidis-intl.html|title=Antonis Nikopolidis - International Appearances|website=[[Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation]]}}</ref>
|-
!National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="10"|[[Greece national football team|Greece]]
|1999||5||0
|-
|2000||7||0
|-
|2001||5||0
|-
|2002||10||0
|-
|2003||11||0
|-
|2004||16||0
|-
|2005||13||0
|-
|2006||9||0
|-
|2007||7||0
|-
|2008||7||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total!!90!!0
|}

===Managerial statistics===
{{Updated|match played 6 June 2019.}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!rowspan="2"| Team
!rowspan="2"| From
!rowspan="2"| To
!colspan="9"| Record
|-
!{{Tooltip|M|Matches managed}}
!{{Tooltip|W|Matches won}}
!{{Tooltip|D|Matches drawn}}
!{{Tooltip|L|Matches lost}}
!{{Tooltip|Win %|Winning percentage}}
!{{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| [[Olympiacos F.C.|Olympiacos]] (caretaker)
| 19 January 2013
| 4 February 2013
{{WDL|4|3|0|1}}
|-
| Olympiacos (caretaker)
| 6 January 2015
| 8 January 2015
{{WDL|1|1|0|0}}
|-
| [[Greece national under-21 football team|Greece U21]]
| 1 October 2015
| 6 June 2019
{{WDL|31|14|5|12}}
| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://int.soccerway.com/teams/greece/greece-under-21/4363/|title=GREECE UNDER 21 |access-date=21 May 2017 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[Proodeftiki F.C.|Proodeftiki]]
| 6 December 2022
| 9 March 2023
{{WDL|6|2|1|3}}
|-
!colspan=3|Total
{{WDLtot|42|20|6|16}}
!—
|}

==Honours==

===Player===
'''Panathinaikos'''
*[[Super League Greece|Alpha Ethniki]]: [[1989–90 Alpha Ethniki|1989–90]], [[1990–91 Alpha Ethniki|1990–91]], [[1994–95 Alpha Ethniki|1994–95]], [[1995–96 Alpha Ethniki|1995–96]], [[2003–04 Alpha Ethniki|2003–04]]
*[[Greek Football Cup|Greek Cup]]: [[1990–91 Greek Football Cup|1990–91]], [[1992–93 Greek Football Cup|1992–93]], [[1993–94 Greek Football Cup|1993–94]], [[1994–95 Greek Football Cup|1994–95]], [[2003–04 Greek Football Cup|2003–04]]
*[[Greek Super Cup]]: [[1993 Greek Super Cup|1993]], [[1994 Greek Super Cup|1994]]

'''Olympiacos'''
*Alpha Ethniki/Super League Greece: [[2004–05 Alpha Ethniki|2004–05]], [[2005–06 Alpha Ethniki|2005–06]], [[2006–07 Super League Greece|2006–07]], [[2007–08 Super League Greece|2007–08]], [[2008–09 Super League Greece|2008–09]], [[2010–11 Super League Greece|2010–11]]
*Greek Cup: [[2004–05 Greek Football Cup|2004–05]], [[2005–06 Greek Football Cup|2005–06]], [[2007–08 Greek Football Cup|2007–08]], [[2008–09 Greek Football Cup|2008–09]]
*Greek Super Cup: [[2007 Greek Super Cup|2007]]

'''Greece'''
*[[UEFA European Football Championship]]: [[UEFA Euro 2004|2004]]

'''Individual'''
*[[Greek Footballer of the Year#Best young player|Alpha Ethniki/Super League Greece Goalkeeper of the Season]]: 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09 (Record)
*[[UEFA European Championship awards#Team of the Tournament|UEFA European Football Championship Team of the Tournament Member]]: [[UEFA Euro 2004#Awards|2004]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Soccerway}}

{{Navboxes
| title = Awards
| bg = gold
| fg = navy
| list1 =
{{Super League Greece Goalkeeper of the Year}}
{{UEFA Euro 2004 Team of the Tournament}}
}}
{{Navboxes colour
|title=Greece squads
|bg=#0000cd
|fg=#FFFFFF
|list1=
{{Greece Squad 2004 European Championship}}
{{Greece Squad 2005 Confederations Cup}}
{{Greece Squad 2008 Euro Cup}}}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Managerial positions
|list1=
{{Olympiacos F.C. managers}}
{{Greece national under-21 football team managers}}
{{Proodeftiki F.C. managers}}
{{Panionios F.C. managers}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nikopolidis, Antonios}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Arta, Greece]]
[[Category:Men's association football goalkeepers]]
[[Category:Anagennisi Arta F.C. players]]
[[Category:Greek men's footballers]]
[[Category:Olympiacos F.C. players]]
[[Category:Panathinaikos F.C. players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 2004 players]]
[[Category:European champions for Greece]]
[[Category:2005 FIFA Confederations Cup players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 2008 players]]
[[Category:UEFA European Championship–winning players]]
[[Category:Greece men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Super League Greece players]]
[[Category:Greek football managers]]
[[Category:Proodeftiki F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Panionios F.C. managers]]

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Antonios Nikopolidis