| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nikolaos Dabizas | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1973-08-03)3 August 1973 (age 51) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Amyntaio, Greece | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pontioi Veria | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1994 | Pontioi Veria | 85 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1998 | Olympiacos | 104 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2003 | Newcastle United | 130 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Leicester City | 51 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2011 | AEL | 144 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 514 | (31) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–2004 | Greece | 70 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Nikos Dabizas (Greek:Νίκος Νταμπίζας, born 3 August 1973) is a Greek former professionalfootballer who played as adefender forNewcastle United,Leicester City,Olympiacos andAEL. He was also inGreece's2004 European Football Championship winning squad.
Dabizas spent his days playing football and helping in his father's company. His first contact with football came when he was sixteen, although he never dreamt of becoming a professional footballer. However, fate had other plans for him. He played for a year as an amateur at the local team of Amydeo called Hermes, which was enough to give him the ticket to a team in thethird division and a professional contract, as he joinedPontioi Veria, as an 18-year-old, where he remained for three consecutive seasons, playing one year on the third division and two in the second. His big career break came when he was 21. He got an offer from Olympiacos, one of the biggest teams in Greece.
He moved toPiraeus and helped his new team win theGreek championship twice, something they hadn't done in ten years. He also took part in his firstUEFA Champions League games. After three and a half seasons with Olympiacos he received an offer from Newcastle United, which opened him the doors to the English football fields, in thePremier League.
In March 1998, Dabizas signed with Newcastle United for a fee of £2 million.[1] His initial four-year contract,[1] which was to expire in2002, was renewed well ahead of time, and was to see Dabizas in the team, until June 2004. He famously scored Newcastle's winning goal in the 1–0 away victory in theTyne–Wear derby againstSunderland at theStadium of Light on 24 February 2002.[2] Whilst at Newcastle United, he played in both the 1998 and 1999 FA Cup Finals.[3][4]
Being left out of the first squad since the spring of 2003, Dabizas had no option, but to seek a transfer. A car accident prevented him from moving during the summer transfer window.[5] Still, the decision to move was enforced, as he did not see any action when the new season started.[6] He accepted an offer from Leicester City in January 2004.[7]
Dabizas played regularly for Leicester as they battled to stay in the Premier League, their efforts were inadequate and the team was relegated to theChampionship. It seemed like it was going to turn out to be a very disappointing season, but it was far from over. Dabizas was selected for the 2004 European Football Championship Greek squad but never saw any action as an injury kept him on the sidelines. To everyone's surprise, Greece went on to win the tournament, ending a season that had many turning points.[8] After Euro 2004, Dabizas chose to stay at Leicester despite being entitled to a relegation release clause in his contract.[9] Dabizas scored twice during his spell at Leicester, one in the league against Sheffield United,[10] and another in the FA Cup against Charlton Athletic.[11]
Dabizas was released by Leicester at the end of his contract in May 2005.[12] In August 2005, he signed a three-year deal with AEL. In 2007, he won Larissa's second Greek cup, after a great personal performance in the final, being the captain. Dabizas, playing inUEFA Cup, reaching the group stage by eliminatingBlackburn Rovers. In 2008–09 season, the team finished 5th in Super League and won an UEFA Europa League place, but were eliminated in the second qualifying round byKR Reykjavík (1–1,0–2). Here, Dabizas foundStelios Venetidis andStelios Giannakopoulos two teammates in the Greece national team forUEFA Euro 2004, as well as former Newcastle United teammateLaurent Robert. After a poor start to the 2009–10 season, Larissa finally finished in mid-table, and Dabizas signed a one-year contract extension, meaning that his spell with Larissa would be the longest with any club in his career and also where he played most. He announced his retirement in 2011.
Dabizas joinedPanathinaikos on 17 May 2013 as the club's football director until 11 November 2014, and he returned in this position on 17 May 2018 until 18 October 2019.[13]
Dabizas joined Cypriot clubOmonia on 30 March 2016 as football director.[14]
Olympiacos
AEL
Greece
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