Vassilis Karapialis
Encyclopedia
Vassilios Karapialis is a retired Greek
footballer. He successfully competed for Larissa
, Olympiacos and the Greek national football team. He is considered to be one of the best number 10 shirt of all times in Greece and the last before another great player, Vassilis Tsiartas
.
, later Karapialis's teammate at AEL 1964 and one of the best Larissian players of all times too. Due to his notable skills, Karapialis moved to Toxotis first team a yeal later, in 1980. He made some excellent appearances with Toxotis at Larissa Prefecture Amateur League and aroused Alpha Ethniki teams interesting. In 1984, OFI Crete
was paying Toxotis 2,1 million Greek Drahmas
(almost 6.200 Euro
's) for him, but Karapialis did not want to leave his hometown and he refused the transfer. His greatest dream was to play for Larissa's "queen", AEL 1964.
After an outstanding 1984-1985 season with Toxotis, when he scored 30 goals playing as a Midfielder
, the time has come for the dream come true.
in 1985, just after AEL won the first Greek football Cup
in club's history, he became very popular among the fans. Soon he had his own fan club watching him playing every single week, holding a "Karapialis, You Are Magic" banner. For the first two seasons Karapialis was claiming for the starting line-up, but he was usually used as a substitute. When he managed to become a basic player in 1987-1988 season, AEL won the only Greek football Championship
in club's history, with Karapialis being the MVP of the season.
The next seasons where too bad for AEL, as the club faced serious bankruptcy problems.
Three seasons after the Championship, Karapialis left his favourite AEL 1964 for the most successful Greek football club, Olympiacos.
He made his debut against AEK Athens, when Olympiacos wins 4-2, thanks to a hat-trick by Oleg Protasov
.
Karapialis became quickly the leader of the Red-Whites due to his aggression, agility, great technique and, of course, experience.
The first five seasons Olympiacos won only one Greek football Cup
, but the next four are truly outstanding: four out of four Greek football Championship
s, one Greek football Cup
and a Greek Super Cup
.
from 1988 to 1994.
Although Karapialis was a phenomenal talent, he played only 21 games with the Greek national football team, scoring 2 goals. He was not a regular choice for the team while he was playing for AEL 1964, because coaches used to call players only from Olympiacos, AEK Athens, Panathinaikos and PAOK, as they are Athens
and Thessaloniki
based. Every countryside team , like AEL 1964, was not happy with that, because they had great players, like Karapialis, wasted only because they were playing in countryside teams.
However, Karapialis was out even from 1994 FIFA World Cup
Greek team. He felt insulted and announced his retirement from the National team.
and Dimitris Saravakos
.
He is considered to be the best Greek number 10 shirt in history of Olympiacos along with Georgios Delikaris
.
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
footballer. He successfully competed for Larissa
AEL 1964
AEL 1964 F.C., fully the Athletic Union of Larissa 1964 , is a Greek association football club based in the city of Larissa, capital of Greece's Thessaly region. The club is also known, unofficially, as Larissa. It is the only FC outside the two big Greek cities, Athens and Thessaloniki, to have...
, Olympiacos and the Greek national football team. He is considered to be one of the best number 10 shirt of all times in Greece and the last before another great player, Vassilis Tsiartas
Vassilis Tsiartas
Vassilios Tsiartas is a retired Greek international football player who played as an attacking midfielder. Although he was famed for his lackadaisical playing style, his ability was never in question and he was in many ways the epitome of a player who wears the number 10 shirt...
.
Youth years at Toxotis
From a very young age, Karapialis was a great talent. As too many football stars, he began to play football at Larissa's grounds and he always wondered to be a great player. School wasn't so important for him. At the age of 14, in 1979, he began his early career at Toxotis Larissas youth team. Toxotis had another talent too, Giorgos AgorogiannisGiorgos Agorogiannis
- Club career :He joined Larisa in 1985 from Toxotis Larisas, and stayed with the team until 1992, at which time he transferred to AEK Athens. He played with AEK Athens until December 1995, when he joined Panionios.- International career :...
, later Karapialis's teammate at AEL 1964 and one of the best Larissian players of all times too. Due to his notable skills, Karapialis moved to Toxotis first team a yeal later, in 1980. He made some excellent appearances with Toxotis at Larissa Prefecture Amateur League and aroused Alpha Ethniki teams interesting. In 1984, OFI Crete
OFI Crete
OFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
was paying Toxotis 2,1 million Greek Drahmas
Greek drachma
Drachma, pl. drachmas or drachmae was the currency used in Greece during several periods in its history:...
(almost 6.200 Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
's) for him, but Karapialis did not want to leave his hometown and he refused the transfer. His greatest dream was to play for Larissa's "queen", AEL 1964.
After an outstanding 1984-1985 season with Toxotis, when he scored 30 goals playing as a Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, the time has come for the dream come true.
AEL 1964 wonder
When Karapialis transferred to AEL 1964 for 1 million Greek DrahmasGreek drachma
Drachma, pl. drachmas or drachmae was the currency used in Greece during several periods in its history:...
in 1985, just after AEL won the first Greek football Cup
Greek football Cup
The Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
in club's history, he became very popular among the fans. Soon he had his own fan club watching him playing every single week, holding a "Karapialis, You Are Magic" banner. For the first two seasons Karapialis was claiming for the starting line-up, but he was usually used as a substitute. When he managed to become a basic player in 1987-1988 season, AEL won the only Greek football Championship
Super League Greece
The Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
in club's history, with Karapialis being the MVP of the season.
The next seasons where too bad for AEL, as the club faced serious bankruptcy problems.
Three seasons after the Championship, Karapialis left his favourite AEL 1964 for the most successful Greek football club, Olympiacos.
The favourite "Billy" of Olympiacos
In 1991's summer, Karapialis signed for Olympiacos and the fans celebrated.He made his debut against AEK Athens, when Olympiacos wins 4-2, thanks to a hat-trick by Oleg Protasov
Oleg Protasov
Oleh Valeriyovych Protasov is a former football striker. He was a key member of the Soviet Union national team throughout the 1980s; his 29 goals for the Soviet Union are second in the team's history, behind Oleh Blokhin's 42...
.
Karapialis became quickly the leader of the Red-Whites due to his aggression, agility, great technique and, of course, experience.
The first five seasons Olympiacos won only one Greek football Cup
Greek football Cup
The Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
, but the next four are truly outstanding: four out of four Greek football Championship
Super League Greece
The Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
s, one Greek football Cup
Greek football Cup
The Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
and a Greek Super Cup
Greek Super Cup
-Official edition:-External links:*...
.
International career
Karapialis appeared in 21 matches for the senior Greece national football teamGreece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
from 1988 to 1994.
Although Karapialis was a phenomenal talent, he played only 21 games with the Greek national football team, scoring 2 goals. He was not a regular choice for the team while he was playing for AEL 1964, because coaches used to call players only from Olympiacos, AEK Athens, Panathinaikos and PAOK, as they are Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
and Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
based. Every countryside team , like AEL 1964, was not happy with that, because they had great players, like Karapialis, wasted only because they were playing in countryside teams.
However, Karapialis was out even from 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
Greek team. He felt insulted and announced his retirement from the National team.
Retirement and honorary vote
In May 2000, Karapialis announced his retirement from professional football. The same year, he was voted as the third best Greek professional footballer (after 1979, when football became professional in Greece), after Vassilis HatzipanagisVassilis Hatzipanagis
Vassilis Hatzipanagis is a retired football attacking midfield. He played for Iraklis FC in Greek Alpha Ethniki and Pakhtakor Tashkent in the Soviet Top League...
and Dimitris Saravakos
Dimitris Saravakos
Dimitrios "Dimitris" Saravakos , nicknamed O Μικρός is a Greek former football player, considered to be one of the best Greek football players of all time. He started his career in Panionios and later he moved on to Panathinaikos FC, where Saravakos gained fame and matured as a footballer,...
.
He is considered to be the best Greek number 10 shirt in history of Olympiacos along with Georgios Delikaris
Georgios Delikaris
Georgios Delikaris is a former Greek football player, who spent the greatest part of his career at Olympiacos F.C. He is widely accepted amongst fans as one of the greatest Greek footballers of all time, coming in fourth in the Greek vote for the UEFA Jubilee Awards, first amongst former...
.
Honours
- 5 Greek football ChampionshipSuper League GreeceThe Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
s: 1988, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 - 1 Greek football CupGreek football CupThe Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
: 1999 - 1 Greek Super CupGreek Super Cup-Official edition:-External links:*...
: 1992