Nikos Papadopoulos (footballer, born 1971)

Nikos Papadopoulos (Greek: Νίκος Παπαδόπουλος; born 5 October 1971) is a Greek professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Super League club Levadiakos.

Nikos Papadopoulos

Personal information
Full name	Nikolaos Papadopoulos
Date of birth	(1971-10-05) 5 October 1971 (age 53)
Place of birth	Kilkis, Greece
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Levadiakos (manager)
Youth career
0000–1988	Apollon Mavroneriou
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1988–1990	Kilkisiakos	37	(0)
1990–1999	OFI	216	(11)
1999–2004	Aris	109	(10)
2004–2005	Skoda Xanthi	17	(2)
2005–2006	Apollon Kalamarias	18	(1)
2006	Ergotelis	8	(0)
2006–2007	Agrotikos Asteras	23	(1)
2007–2008	Thermaikos	18	(1)
2008–2009	Apollon Kalamarias	25	(1)
Total		471	(27)
Managerial career
2009	Thermaikos
2010–2011	Skoda Xanthi
2011–2012	Olympiakos Nicosia
2012	Ethnikos Achna
2012–2013	Kavala
2013–2014	Panachaiki
2014–2016	Iraklis
2017–2019	OFI
2019–2020	Apollon Smyrnis
2021	Panachaiki
2021–2022	Chania
2022–2024	Greece U21
2024	Greece (interim)
2024–	Levadiakos
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He is mostly remembered for his 9.5-year spell in OFI. He has also played for Aris, Skoda Xanthi and Apollon Kalamarias in the top tier. In the later stages of his career he played in several clubs in the lower divisions. As a manager, he has coached several clubs in Greece and Cyprus.

Playing career

After playing youth football, for the club of his village, Apollon Mavroneriou, he moved to nearby professional club Kilkisiakos in 1988.^[1] He moved to OFI in the winter transfer window of 1989-1990.^[1] In his first season, he was part of the squad that reached the Greek Cup final, although he did not participate in the final.^[1] He stayed in OFI for 9.5 years and even managed to become captain of the club.^[1] In 1997-1998 received a record 21-match ban for being sent-off in a match against Olympiacos.^[2] Totally he appeared in 213 matches for the club and scored 11 goals. His impact for the club was so high that in an internet polling of a local Heraklion website in 2011 Papadopoulos was voted among the all-time best XI of OFI.^[3]

After leaving OFI he moved to Aris where he stayed for 4.5 years.^[1] Totally he played 109 league matches for the club and scored 10 goals. He left Aris for Skoda Xanthi where he stayed for 1 year appearing in 17 matches and scoring 2 goals.^[1] His last club in the top tier was Apollon Kalamarias where he scored 1 goal in 16 matches.^[1] After his stint at Apollon Kalamarias he moved to the lower divisions. He subsequently moved to Ergotelis, where he appeared in 8 matches helping the club to win the Beta Ethniki.^[4] He also had spells with Agrotikos Asteras and Thermaikos and finished his playing career with Apollon Kalamarias.^[1][4]

Managerial career

Papadopoulos started his managerial career in 2009 for Thermaikos.^[1] He was appointed assist manager in Skoda Xanthi for the next season and after manager Georgios Paraschos was sacked, Papadopoulos was appointed caretaker manager and finished the season with the club.^[1] He moved to Cyprus for the 2011–12 to coach Olympiakos Nicosia.^[5] Midway through the season he moved to Ethnikos Achna and he was removed from his position early in the next season.^[6][7] After his spell in Cuprus he signed for Kavala and Panachaiki in the Greek Football League.^[8][9] On 20 April 2014 he was appointed manager of Iraklis.^[10] In February 2016, Papadopoulos received the best manager award of the North Group of the 2014–15 Football League by the Greek Professional Footballers Association.^[11]

Honours

OFI

• Greek Cup
  • Runner-up: 1989–90
• Football League
  • Champion: 2017–18

Ergotelis

• Football League
  • Champion: 2005–06

References

1. "About Nikos Papadopoulos as staff" (in Greek). footballleaguenews.gr. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
2. Σαν Σήμερα: Ο ΟΦΗ «πατάει» την Φερεντσβάρος στο φλεγόμενο «Γεντί Κουλέ» (in Greek). gentikoule.gr. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
3. Αυτή είναι η κορυφαία 11αδα του ΟΦΗ! (in Greek). athleticradio.gr. 4 January 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
4. Το αφιέρωμα της ΠΑΕ στον Νίκο Παπαδόπουλο (in Greek). bluearena.gr. 6 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
5. Παρουσιάστηκε ο Παπαδόπουλος (in Greek). sport24.gr. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
6. Στην Άχνα ο Νίκος Παπαδόπουλος (in Greek). contra.gr. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
7. Εθνικός: Παρελθόν ο Νίκος Παπαδόπουλος (in Greek). balla.com.cy. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
8. Ανέλαβε ο Νίκος Παπαδόπουλος (in Greek). contra.gr. 4 December 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
9. Και επίσημα νέος τεχνικός στην Παναχαϊκή είναι ο Νίκος Παπαδόπουλος (in Greek). exedra.gr. 16 October 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
10. Ο Νίκος Παπαδόπουλος νέος προπονητής της ομάδας (in Greek). Iraklis FC. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
11. "Βραβεία με λάμψη από το παρελθόν και το μέλλον" (in Greek). sport24.gr. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.