Nikolaos "Nikos" Liberopoulos (Greek: Νίκος Λυμπερόπουλος, born on 4 August 1975 in Filiatra) is a Greek international football player.

[edit] Club career

He is one of the most popular footballers to come out of Peloponnesus. Liberopoulos started off his career with Erani Filiatron, he then moved to Kalamata F.C. in 1994. After impressing scouters, Panathinaikos snapped him up in 1996. While playing for Panathinaikos he reached the semifinal stage of the UEFA Champions League. In 2003, Liberopoulos clashed with Panathinaikos' management over contractual extensions, which eventually led to him leaving the club. He chose to sign with AEK Athens, where he became a formidable offensive player and inspirational leader.

On June 2007, Liberopoulos was offered a lucrative contract with 1. FC Nuremberg worth 4 million euros, which AEK Athens refused to accept. Club president Demis Nikolaidis had publicly announced his intent to retain Liberopoulos at all costs in an effort to bolster AEK Athens chances at achieving dominance in the Greek Super League. Since August 18, 2007 he is the Greek player that has the most appearances in European competitions. ^[2]

On 7 July 2008, Liberopoulos was released by AEK^[3]. German team Eintracht Frankfurt announced his signing on July 13th 2008.

He made his German Bundesliga debut for Eintracht Frankfurt, playing the full 90 minutes against Hertha Berlin on August 17, 2008 at the Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt.

Liberopoulos is a unique player in Greek domestic football, as he is equally adored by fans of both AEK Athens and Panathinaikos. Due to the tense rivalry between Greek clubs, this happens very rarely.

[edit] International career

Liberopoulos has appeared 67 times for Greece scoring 13 goals in the process. Liberopoulos is currently active as a forward in the national team. His most notable performance in the Euro 2008 qualifiers to date was a last-second goal 5 minutes into stoppage time to grant Greece a 2-1 victory over Moldova on June 6, 2007, which placed Greece at the top of their qualifying division. Liberopoulos has been known on the international scene as a "super sub", coming off the bench many times in the final quarter of games and scoring the decisive goal.

He was a member of the 23-man squad formed by Coach Otto Rehhagel for Euro 2008, but was surprisingly out of favour for Euro 2004

On 11 September 2009, Liberopoulos announced his retirement from international football.^[4]

[edit] Records

• He has 76 appearances and has scored 15 goals in European competitions which makes him the Greek player with the most appearances in European competitions.

[edit] Honours

Erani Filiatron

• Greek Fourth Division: 1993

Panathinaikos

• Greek Cup: Runners up 1997-98

AEK Athens F.C.

• Greek Cup: Runners up 2005-06

Individual

• Greek Championship best young player: 1996
• Greek Championship best Greek player: 2000, 2006, 2007
• Greek Championship Top Goalscorer: 2003, 2007

[edit] References

Nikos Liberopoulos - Navigation boxes and awards v • d • e Greece squad – UEFA Euro 2008 1 Nikopolidis • 2 Seitaridis • 3 Patsatzoglou • 4 Spiropoulos • 5 Dellas • 6 Basinas • 7 Samaras • 8 Giannakopoulos • 9 Charisteas • 10 Karagounis • 11 Vyntra • 12 Chalkias • 13 Tzorvas • 14 Salpigidis • 15 Torosidis • 16 Kyrgiakos • 17 Gekas • 18 Goumas • 19 Antzas • 20 Amanatidis • 21 Katsouranis • 22 Tziolis • 23 Liberopoulos • Coach: Rehhagel v • d • e Super League Greece top scorers 1960: Nestoridis | 1961: Nestoridis | 1962: Nestoridis | 1963: Nestoridis | 1964: Papaioannou | 1965: Sideris | 1966: Papaioannou | 1967: Sideris | 1968: Inzoglou | 1969: Sideris | 1970: Antoniadis | 1971: Dedes | 1972: Antoniadis | 1973: Antoniadis | 1974: Antoniadis | 1975: Antoniadis / Calcadera | 1976: Dedes | 1977: Inzoglou | 1978: Mavros | 1979: Mavros | 1980: Bajevic | 1981: Kouis | 1982: Charalabidis | 1983: Anastopoulos | 1984: Anastopoulos | 1985: Mavros | 1986: Anastopoulos | 1987: Anastopoulos | 1988: Nielsen | 1989: Boda | 1990: Mavros | 1991: Saravakos | 1992: Dimitriadis | 1993: Dimitriadis | 1994: Alexandris / Warzycha | 1995: Warzycha | 1996: Tsiartas | 1997: Alexandris | 1998: Warzycha | 1999: Nikolaidis | 2000: Nalitzis | 2001: Alexandris | 2002: Alexandris | 2003: Liberopoulos | 2004: Giovanni | 2005: Gekas | 2006: Salpigidis | 2007: Liberopoulos | 2008: Blanco | 2009: Blanco / Galletti Awards Preceded by Demis Nikolaidis Greek Young Footballer of the year 1996 Succeeded by Dimitris Eleftheropoulos Preceded by Grigoris Georgatos Greek Footballer of the year 2000 Succeeded by Alexandros Alexandris Preceded by Kostas Katsouranis Greek Footballer of the year 2006, 2007 Succeeded by Dimitris Salpigidis