Nikos Machlas

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Nikos Machlas
Personal information
Full name Nikolaos Machlas
Date of birth (1973-06-16) 16 June 1973 (age 50)
Place of birth Heraklion, Crete, Greece
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Position(s) Striker
Youth career
0000 OFI Crete
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1996 OFI Crete 154 (48)
1996–1999 Vitesse 92 (60)
1999–2003 Ajax 74 (38)
2002–2003 → Sevilla (loan) 14 (2)
2003–2004 Iraklis 26 (10)
2004–2006 OFI Crete 52 (21)
2006–2008 APOEL 51 (17)
Total 463 (196)
International career
1993–2002 Greece 61 (18)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nikolaos Machlas (Greek: Νίκος Μαχλάς, born 16 June 1973) is a Greek retired footballer and chairman of OFI Crete. He finished his career as a striker for Cypriot team APOEL.

Club career

OFI Crete

He began his career with OFI Crete, where he made his debut in February 1991 against Panionios. He stayed at the club for six seasons.[1] He had the Dutch Eugène Gerards as a coach on OFI.

Vitesse

Machlas signed for Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem in 1996. He scored a disappointing 8 goals in 29 games in his first season in the Eredivisie, but in his second season he scored 34 goals in just 32 games, a feat which earned him the European Golden Boot for the 1997-1998 season. He scored 60 goals in 92 matches for Vitesse.

Ajax

Machlas joined Eredivisie giants Ajax Amsterdam in June 1999 for a then-club record $8.6 million. Despite netting 38 goals in 74 Eredivisie league games spread over three seasons, Machlas' goalscoring record was not deemed prolific enough for the demanding Ajax fans and coaching staff. The team went through a transition as poor results meant Machlas had to endure three different coaches in as many years. His place as striker became threatened by coach Ronald Koeman's preference for the younger strikers Zlatan Ibrahimović and Mido. His 12 goals in the 2001-2002 season were nevertheless important in the run toward the first league title for Ajax in four years. Ajax also won the KNVB Beker that season, meaning they achieved the "double". At the start of the 2002-2003 season, Koeman made it clear to Machlas that there was no future for him anymore in the first team of Ajax and was thus relegated to training and playing matches with the youth team. Eventually, the Greek striker and Ajax Amsterdam had split. "By mutual consent, Ajax and Nikos Machlas have terminated their contract. The termination takes effect immediately," Ajax said in a statement, adding that "the player could now join another club on a free transfer". [2]

After a brief (and frustrating) period in the Ajax youth team, he joined Spanish side Sevilla on loan for the rest of the season, with the Spanish club had an option to sign him on a three-year contract at the end of the season. The former Vitesse striker, who was the highest-paid player at Ajax, suffered further misery in Spain, after he was arrested for traffic offences. He made things worse by 'insulting and injuring' police officers who tried to arrest him after the offence had been committed.[3] He scored just 2 goals in 14 appearances. Upon returning to Ajax, his contract was terminated in July 2003. Before returning to Greece Machlas has emerged as a possible transfer target for Twente. Twente was in desperate need of an experienced striker capable of leading their attacking line next term. "We don't just want any striker," Tukkers chairman Herman Wessels told. "We need someone that fits in with us and makes us better." [4]

Iraklis

The 30-year-old Greek international forward signed a one-year contract with Iraklis with the option of a further two seasons. He will play under the man he calls his "footballing father", Dutch coach Eugène Gerards, who gave Machlas his break aged 18 at OFI Crete FC. He scored 10 goals in 26 appearances.[5]

OFI Crete

He returned to his first club, OFI Crete and stayed there for two seasons. Upon the termination of his contract and after conflict with the club's chairman, he moved to APOEL, in Cyprus and signed a two years contract.

APOEL

On his first year at APOEL he helped his team to win the Championship. On 17 May 2008 Machlas announced his retirement after the end of the Cypriot Cup final, where APOEL beat 2-0 Anorthosis and clinched the title.[6]

In 2009 he returned to his first club OFI in Crete to take up the role of Sporting Director as they bid to return to the Greek Superleague.

International career

Machlas won 61 caps for Greece and scored 18 goals. He also scored the very crucial goal against Russia [1] that led Greece to FIFA World Cup - USA 94 at only 20 years of age. He started each of Greece's group games in the USA though they lost all three, to Argentina, Nigeria and Bulgaria and failed to score a goal. He played his last game for Greece against Sweden in February 2002.

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 10 March 1993 Ernst Happel Stadion, Wien, Austria  Austria 1–2 Loss Friendly
2. 12 October 1993 Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg  Luxembourg 1–3 Win 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifier
3. 17 November 1993 Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece  Russia 1–0 Win 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifier
4. 27 April 1994 Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece  Saudi Arabia 5–1 Win Friendly
5. 27 April 1994 Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece  Saudi Arabia 5–1 Win Friendly
6. 12 October 1994 Kaftanzoglio Stadium, Thessaloniki, Greece  Finland 4–0 Win UEFA Euro 1996 qualifier
7. 12 October 1994 Kaftanzoglio Stadium, Thessaloniki, Greece  Finland 4–0 Win UEFA Euro 1996 qualifier
8. 16 November 1994 Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece  San Marino 2–0 Win UEFA Euro 1996 qualifier
9. 15 November 1995 Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium, Heraklion, Greece  Faroe Islands 5–0 Win UEFA Euro 1996 qualifier
10. 19 August 1997 Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium, Heraklion, Greece  Cyprus 2–1 Win Friendly
11. 6 September 1997 Bežigrad Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia  Slovenia 0–3 Win 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier
12. 6 September 1998 Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece  Slovenia 2–2 Draw UEFA Euro 2000 qualifier
13. 14 October 1998 Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece  Georgia 3–0 Win UEFA Euro 2000 qualifier
14. 5 June 1999 Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi, Georgia  Georgia 1–2 Win UEFA Euro 2000 qualifier
15. 13 November 1999 National Stadium, Kilkis, Greece  Nigeria 2–0 Win Friendly
16. 13 November 1999 National Stadium, Kilkis, Greece  Nigeria 2–0 Win Friendly
17. 2 June 2001 Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium, Heraklion, Greece  Albania 1–0 Win 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
18. 10 November 2001 Nikos Goumas Stadium, Athens, Greece  Estonia 4–2 Win Friendly
Correct as of 1 December 2014[7]

Honours

Club

Ajax
APOEL

Individual

References

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  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Football PLAYER: Nikolaos "Nikos" Mahlas
Sporting positions
Preceded by Greece captain
1999		 Succeeded by
Marinos Ouzounidis

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