 Karabelas withAEK Athens in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nikolaos Karabelas | ||
| Date of birth | (1984-12-20)20 December 1984 (age 41) | ||
| Place of birth | Pyrgos, Greece | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Left back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2006 | Paniliakos | 48 | (2) |
| 2006–2009 | Aris | 32 | (0) |
| 2009–2012 | AEK Athens | 70 | (0) |
| 2012–2016 | Levante | 40 | (0) |
| 2016 | Real Valladolid | 11 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Aris | 26 | (1) |
| Total | 227 | (3) | |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2005 | Greece U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 2014 | Greece | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17 June 2017 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 14 November 2014 | |||
Nikolaos "Nikos" Karabelas (Greek:Νίκος Καράμπελας; born 20 December 1984) is a Greek formerfootballer who played as aleft back.
Karabelas made his debut with his hometown'sPaniliakos in theBeta Ethniki in 2004. Two years later he joinedSuper League sideAris, and quickly established himself as a starter for theYellows.
On 28 January 2009 Karabelas missed a penalty in a 0–0 draw against fierce rivalsPAOK, which took Aris out of theGreek Cup finals.[1] He subsequently received threats from the club's fans, and left the club in the end of the season.
On 10 June 2009 Karabelas signed a four-year deal withAEK Athens.[2] After struggling to find his form in his debut season underDušan Bajević, he appeared consistently in his second season, underManolo Jiménez, and was deemed "irreplaceable" by the latter.[3]
On 26 July 2012 Karabelas moved abroad for the first time in his career, by agreeing to a two-year deal withLa Liga sideLevante UD.[4] He made his debut with the club on 19 August, starting and playing the full 90 minutes of a 1–1 home draw againstAtlético Madrid.[5] Karabelas appeared in only nine matches duringthe campaign, with theValencian side achieving a comfortable mid-table finish.
Inhis second season with theGranotes, he was the most used left-back by managerJoaquín Caparrós, overtaking veteranJuanfran, and signed a new two-year deal on 20 March 2014.[6]On 1 February 2016, after 3,5 years inLevante UD, the Greek defender signed a six months contract withSegunda División clubReal Valladolid.[7]
On 30 August 2016, the international left back signed a three-season contract with Aris and returned to the club after seven years.[8] On 8 January 2017 he scored his first goal againstPanegialios.
Karabelas was a member of theGreece U21. On 14 May 2014 he was among the 30-man provisional squad for the2014 FIFA World Cup,[9] but was one of the seven players cut fromFernando Santos' final list.[10]
He made his full international debut on 14 November 2014, in aUEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against theFaroe Islands inPiraeus. Karabelas played 78 minutes of theshock 0–1 defeat before being replaced byPetros Mantalos.[11]