- Christos Karipidis
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Christos Karipidis Personal information Full name Christos Karipidis Date of birth 2 December 1982 Place of birth Thessaloniki, Greece Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) Playing position Centre back/Defensive midfielder Club information Current club AC Omonia Number 5 Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2001-2002 Kavala 40 (0) 2002-2003 Kerkyra FC 25 (2) 2003-2006 PAOK Thessaloniki 63 (2) 2006-2009 Hearts 62 (3) 2009- AC Omonia 55 (1) National team‡ 2004 Greece U-23 * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 May 2010.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 January 2009Christos Karipidis (born 2 December 1982 in Thessaloniki, Greece) is a Greek professional footballer currently playing for Marfin Laiki Championship club Omonia Nicosia.
Contents
Club career
Hearts
He joined Hearts from PAOK FC on 3 August 2006 for a fee of around £200,000.[1] Karapidis made his Hearts debut against AEK Athens in a third-round UEFA Champions League qualifier at Murrayfield on 9 August 2006[2] in a defensive midfield role, Hearts lost the game 2-1.[3]
In August 2008 Karipidis looked set for a return to his former club PAOK following an indifferent start to his Hearts career and the birth of his daughter. Hearts negotiated a fee in the region of £200,000 as they looked to recoup the fee they paid to sign him from the Greek club 2 years earlier and he was offered a four-year deal by PAOK.[4] However, newly appointed manager Csaba László convinced Karipidis to stay and decided to use him as a holding midfielder, an idea which was initially met with a negative reaction by Hearts fans. Karipidis himself insisted he was happy to play anywhere László decided.[5] Despite having played most of his career as either a central defender or occasionally a right-back Karipidis performed well in his new role, prompting László to say "Karipidis, at the moment, is the discovery of the year in the number six position."[6]
In February 2009, captain Christophe Berra signed for Wolves and Karipidis was made Hearts' vice-captain after teammate Robbie Neilson was given the captaincy.
On 27 April 2009 Hearts announced that Karipidis had a pre-contract agreement with Omonia Nicosia which would see him join the Cypriot side on a three-year deal at the end of the season. He stated that although he had enjoyed his time in Scotland, the move was motivated by his desire to be closer to his home and relatives in Greece.[7][8] His final appearance at Tynecastle came in a 3-0 victory over Dundee United which confirmed Hearts' place in the Europa League for the following season and third place in the SPL. He was replaced by Jason Thomson in the closing stages of the match and received a standing ovation from the Hearts fans.[9]
Omonia Nicosia
The signing of contract of Karipidis was announced on 1 June 2009. His first season wasn't good with Christos having problems to settle,but his second season was very good and he became the defensive leader. After the end of the season he was named new season's vice captain.
International career
Karipidis was a part of the Greek squad at the 2004 Summer Olympics, but without playing.
Following Karipidis' good start to the 2008-09 season former Hearts player and current technical director of the Hellenic Football Federation Takis Fyssas announced that he was in the plans of the Greek national team.[10]
Honours
- Cypriot Championship: 2010
- Cypriot Cup: 2011
- Cyprus FA Shield: 2010
References
- ^ Karapidis completes Hearts transfer, BBC Sport, 3 August 2006
- ^ Christos Karipidis, heartsfc.co.uk, 26 December 2008
- ^ Hearts 1-2 AEK Athens, ESPNsoccernet, 9 August 2006
- ^ Hearts star Karipidis set for Greece return, Edinburgh Evening News, 1 August 2008
- ^ Karipidis desperate for derby delight, teamtalk.com, 26 December 2008
- ^ Hearts' Karipidis factor proves Laszlo's worth, Scotsman.com Sport, 18 December 2008
- ^ Christos: Total focus Heartsfc.co.uk, 27 April 2009, Retrieved 27 April 2009
- ^ Hearts' Kari on his way to Cyprus Edinburgh Evening News, 27 April 2009, Retrieved 27 April 2009
- ^ Hearts 3-0 Dundee United BBC Sport, 16 May 2009, Retrieved 16 May 2009
- ^ Hearts' Karipidis on Greece radar thanks to old mate Fyssas, Edinburgh Evening News, 1 October 2008
External links
- Hristos Karapidis career stats at Soccerbase
- Appearances at londonhearts.com
Greece squad – 2004 Summer Olympics 1 Ambaris • 2 Galanopoulos • 3 Lagos • 4 Moras • 5 Vallas • 6 Stoltidis • 7 Agritis • 8 Nebegleras • 9 Salpigidis • 10 • 11 Papadopoulos • 12 Karipidis • 13 Goundoulakis • 14 Fotakis • 15 Sapanis • 16 Vyntra • 17 Taralidis • 18 Giannou • 21 Manousakis • Coach: Apostolakis
AC Omonia – current squad 1 Jevrić · 2 Alabi · 3 Davidson · 5 Karipidis · 6 Salatić · 7 Efrem · 9 Da Silva · 10 Aguiar · 11 Avraam · 13 Makrides · 15 Loizou · 16 Kaseke · 18 Charalambous · 20 Cherfa · 21 Frascarelli · 23 Rengifo · 24 Spungin · 26 Hadjivasilis · 28 Margaça · 29 I. Bouzón · 30 Georgallides · 32 Giannikoglou · 40 Kyriakou · 44 Leo · 46 Aloneftis · 77 Christofi · 99 Freddy · Manager: Larkou
Categories:- 1982 births
- Expatriate footballers in Scotland
- Association football defenders
- Footballers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Greek expatriate footballers
- Greek footballers
- AC Omonia players
- Heart of Midlothian F.C. players
- Kerkyra FC players
- Living people
- Olympic footballers of Greece
- PAOK F.C. players
- Superleague Greece players
- Scottish Premier League players
- Expatriate footballers in Cyprus
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