Azar Karadaş

Football player infobox
playername = Azar Karadas


fullname = Azar Karadas
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1981|8|9
cityofbirth = Nordfjordeid
countryofbirth = Norway
height = 187 cm
currentclub = SK Brann
clubnumber = 6
position = Centre back/centre forward
youthyears = ?–1998
youthclubs = Eid I.L.
years = 1999–2001
2002–2004
2004–2007
2005–2006
2006–2007
2007–present
clubs = Brann
Rosenborg
Benfica
→ Portsmouth (loan)
→ Kaiserslautern (loan)
Brann
caps(goals) = 60 0(12) [http://brann.no/brann_link/index.php?valg=spiller&spiller=32 Sportsklubben Brann - Ekte lidenskap har et navn ] no icon]
60 0(13)
27 0(4)
20 0(1)
11 0(1)
11 0(5)
nationalyears = ?-2000 2000–
nationalteam = Norway U21 Norway
nationalcaps(goals) = 33 0(12) 9 0(1)
pcupdate = April 14 2008
ntupdate = May 2006

Azar Karadas (born August 9, 1981 in Nordfjordeid) is a Norwegian football player. He also has Turkish citizenship, as his mother is Norwegian, and his father is Turkish-Cypriot.

Although he can also play as a central defender, Karadas is renowned primarily as a centre forward.

Career

Beginning his career at S.K. Brann, Karadas signed for Rosenborg B.K. in a shock transfer on March 13, 2002. A former favourite at Brann, Karadas received death threats after moving to the bitter rivals.

At Rosenborg, Karadas' performances soon earned him a call up to the Norwegian Under-21s, and it was not long before foreign eyes began to be trained on the teenager. He further enhanced his reputation by scoring 2 goals against the mighty Inter Milan in a UEFA Champions League game.

Karadas was linked with many of Europe's major clubs, including Roda JC, Liverpool FC and Udinese Calcio, however SL Benfica manager Giovanni Trapattoni convinced the talented youngster to join his team, starting in 2004/05.

After one season at Benfica, where he scored 6 goals and helped the team to win the national championship after 11 years, Karadas was loaned to FA Premier League club Portsmouth for the 2005/06 season. [cite news |title=Pompey snap up Benfica's Karadas |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/4706547.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2005-07-22 |accessdate=2007-08-31] His spectacular volley which helped then-relegation-threatened Portsmouth earn a crucial 1-1 draw against Bolton Wanderers F.C. in 2006, helped make him known in England.

Coming home?

A June 16 Norwegian press release reported that Benfica and Brann had agreed on a Karadas transfer back to Bergen. The deal was speculated to be worth £ 695.000 (€ 102.000), where Karadas was to give up £ 435.000 worth of bonuses Benfica owed him. Only is personal contract was an issue, as the player refused to give up a £ 350.000 compensation which Benfica had to pay him whenever Karadas was sold from the Lisbon club. Benfica believed that by selling Karadas to a bigger international club, they could get a better transfer fee for him, and therefore his compensation would cost the club less than a Brann transfer would.

Kaiserslautern

Despite being declared unwanted in Lisbon, Karadas returned to Benfica after his transfer to Brann fell through. His agent Karadas worked to find a new club for his cousin and on August 16, 2006 the news broke out that Karadas was in negotiations with German side 1. FC Kaiserslautern, who got relegated to the Second Bundesliga after 2005-06. The clubs agreed with a one-year loan deal, and Karadas joined Kaiserslautern for the 2006-07 season.

Karadas debuted in Germany football (and its second level) on August 27, 2006 in their 2-0 home league victory over SC Paderborn 07. He started the match, but was substituted in the 61st minute. On September 9, Karadas scored his first goal for the club in their 2-0 away victory over amateur side 1. FC Gera 03 in the first round of the German Cup. His first league goal came on September 29, in Kaiserslautern's 1-1 away draw at SpVgg Unterhaching. Until winter break, he made 10 league appearances for the club, but did not score any further goals and was also sent off with two yellow cards in derby at 1. FC Köln, which ended in a 2-2 draw, on the final day before winter break. He finished with 11 games and 1 goal, as Kaiserslautern ended in sixth place.

Return to Brann

On August 24, 2007 Azar finally signed a contract with Brann. [ [http://brann.no/index.php?valg=nyhet&nyhet=5683 Sportsklubben Brann - Ekte lidenskap har et navn ] no icon] In his comeback to Brann stadium, in a match against Sandefjord B.K. on September 2, 2007, he was greeted as a hero and a banner stating «Vi hatet deg så mye, fordi vi elsker deg så høyt!» ("We hated you so much, because we love you so much!") . [ [http://fotball.bt.no/eliteserien/article89194.ece 100% Fotball ] no icon]

Honours

Norway

*Norwegian League: 2002, 2003 and 2007

*Norwegian Cup: 2003

Portugal

Portuguese League: 2004/05

References

External links

* [http://www.fussballdaten.de/spieler/karadasazar/ Stats at fussballdaten.de] de icon
* [http://www.playerhistory.com/Default.aspx?page=player_details&playerID=9/ Stats at Playerhistory.com] en icon

Persondata
NAME= Karadas, Azar
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Karadaş, Azar
SHORT DESCRIPTION=footballer
DATE OF BIRTH= August 9, 1981
PLACE OF BIRTH= Nordfjordeid, Norway
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=