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Vassilis Karapialis (Greek: Βασίλης Καραπιάλης; born 13 June 1965) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.

Club career

Early years

Born in Ambelokipoi, Larissa Karapialis started with street football, and in 1979, aged 14, he joined the Toxotis Larissa youth team. In 1980, he moved to Toxotis' first team and got many top-flight clubs interested in him. In 1984, OFI attempted to sign Karapialis for 2.1 million drachmas, but he turned it down. He had an outstanding 1984–85 season with Toxotis, scoring 30 goals while playing as a midfielder.

AEL

In the summer of 1985, Karapialis was transferred to the then-Greek Football Cup winner, AEL for 1 million drachmas, and became very popular amongst the fans. In the first two seasons, Karapialis was used mainly as a substitute. When he managed to break into the starting XI in the 1987–1988 season, the club won their only league title as the only team outside the two major Greek cities (Athens and Thessaloniki) to have won the Greek Championship with Karapialis being the Player of the Year.

Olympiacos

In 1991 Karapialis signed for Olympiacos. He made his debut against AEK Athens, when Olympiacos won 4–2, thanks to a hat-trick by Oleg Protasov. He quickly became the leader of the Red Whites, thanks to his aggression and agility. He won one Greek Cup in his first five seasons with Olympiacos, but the next four were outstanding, winning four out of four Championships, another Cup, and a Greek Super Cup. 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), just after Vassilis Hatzipanagis and Dimitris Saravakos.

International career

Karapialis appeared in 21 matches for Greece from 1988 to 1994 and scored 2 goals.

Prior to the 1994 FIFA World Cup Greece team, he wasn't included in the squad. As a response, he announced his retirement from the national team.

International

As of match played 17 December 2022

As of match played 17 December 2022.

Scores and results list Greece's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Karapialis goal.

List of international goals scored by Vassilis Karapialis

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	31 October 1990	Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece	Malta	2–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying
2	25 March 1992	Tsirio Stadium, Limassol, Cyprus	Cyprus	2–0	3–1	Friendly

After football

During his retirement as a footballer, he would work for Olympiacos, either as a scout or as a manager to the club's youth teams. He would become the owner of his football academy center in Chalandri, Athens.

On 5 June 2021, the Greek media announced his official return to AEL to be in charge of all its youth teams.

Honours

AEL

• Alpha Ethniki: 1987–88

Olympiacos

• Alpha Ethniki: 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000
• Greek Cup: 1991–92, 1998–99
• Greek Super Cup: 1992

References

1. Kolokotsios, Lambros (24 July 2010). Αθλητικοί Φάκελοι (ΚΑΡΑΠΙΑΛΗΣ) [Sporting Capsules (Karapialis)] (in Greek). Evrytania News. Archived from the original on 17 October 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
2. Mastrogiannopoulos, Alexander. "Greece - International Matches 1991-2000". RSSSF. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
3. "Πού χάθηκε ο… Βασίλης Καραπιάλης" [Where Vassilis Karapialis... got lost]. www.paraskhnio.gr/ (in Greek). Retrieved 6 June 2021.
4. "Ο Βασίλης Καραπιάλης επιστρέφει στην ΑΕΛ!" [Vassilis Karapialis returns to AEL!]. www.sport-fm.gr/ (in Greek). Retrieved 6 June 2021.
5. "Επιστρέφει στην ΑΕΛ ο Βασίλης Καραπιάλης" [Vassilis Karapialis returns to AEL]. www.aelole.gr/ (in Greek). Retrieved 6 June 2021.

External links

• similar to Pelé's style goal (video) (in Greek)
• bio article in newsbeast.gr (in Greek)
• bio article in apopsi24.gr (in Greek)
• bio article in sport24.gr (in Greek)

• 1965 births
• Living people
• Footballers from Larissa
• Greek men's footballers
• Greece men's international footballers
• Super League Greece players
• Olympiacos F.C. players
• Athlitiki Enosi Larissa F.C. players
• Men's association football midfielders
• Greek beach soccer players
• 20th-century Greek sportsmen