Vassilis Karapialis

Football player infobox
playername = Vassilis Karapialis


fullname = Vassilios Karapialis
height = 1.75 cm
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1965|6|13
cityofbirth = Larissa
countryofbirth = Greece
currentclub = retired
clubnumber = 10
position = Attacking Midfielder
youthyears = 1979-1985
youthclubs = flagicon|Greece Toxotis Larissas
years = 1985-1991
1991-2000
clubs = Larissa
flagicon|Greece Olympiacos
caps(goals) = 145 (29)
229 (61)
nationalyears = 1988–1994
nationalteam = flagicon|Greece Greece
nationalcaps(goals) = 21 (2)

Vassilis Karapialis is a retired footballer who 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.

Youth years at Toxotis

From a very youth 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 Agorogiannis, 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.

AEL 1964 wonder

When Karapialis transferred to AEL 1964 for 1 million Greek Drahmas 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.

The favourite "Billy" of Olympiacos

In 1991's summer, Karapialis signed for Olympiacos and the fans celebrated.He made his debute 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 Championships, one Greek football Cup and a Greek Super Cup.

National Team

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.

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 Hatzipanagis and Dimitris Saravakos.He is considered to be the best Greek "number 10 shirt" in history of Olympiacos along with Georgios Delikaris.

Honours

* 5 Greek football Championships: 1988, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
* 1 Greek football Cup: 1999
* 1 Greek Super Cup: 1992

References