Lakis Nikolaou

Lakis Nikolaou (; born 17 July 1949) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a centre back. He is the current medical director of AEK Athens.

Early life Nikolaou was born on July 18 of 1949 in Ios of Cyclades. He spent his school years in Peristeri and finished high school in 1966 at the Anargyrio and Korgialenio School, in Spetses where he was enrolled as a boarder together with his brother. He started playing football at an early age, when with friends and neighbors they formed the Irodotos Peristeri team, playing friendly matches with other teams in the area. In these matches he was watched by the people of Atromitos, who signed in 1967. In Atromitos he started playing as a defender and then as a striker, due to the team's lack of attackers. Finishing high school, he succeeded in entering the Mathematics Department but his burning desire to study medicine made him drop out of school and enroll in the Medical School of Bari,

Club career In 1971, after 4 years of presence in the offensive line of Atromitos, Nikolaou aroused the interest of the big clubs. In one of Atromitos' matches, the manager of AEK Athens, Branko Stanković and the administrator of the club, Stamatis Papastamatiou, who watched the match, were impressed by the playing style of Nikolaou. As a result, on 31 July AEK signed Nikοlaou for a fee of 600,000 drachmas and 2 players as an exchange, while he was promised 300,000 drachmas as a signature premium, which eventually was not given to him. For 3 seasons he competed as a striker, while at the same time he continued his studies at the Medical School. This juxtaposition proved particularly difficult as required attendance at faculty workshops and mandated attendance at team practiced often come at the expense of one another.

This double occupation brought Nikolaou very close from being released from AEK in 1974, but under the possibility of signing to any of their big rivals, the president of AEK, Loukas Barlos called him to stay in the club. Nikolaou accepted with the term that the 1971 signature premium of 300,000 drachmas to be given to him and rejoined the team but the pay remained to be seen until today. Under the new manager, František Fadrhonc he was relocated as a centre-back, where he was established for the rest of his career. The team under Barlos and Fadrhonc, where Nikolaou was a starter, was distinguished both domestically and internationally as they reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1977, won 2 Championships and 1 Greek Cup, including a domestic double in 1978. He created a defensive duo with Petros Ravousis, where they were complementing each other and were considered as one of the most prominent of the era. He was a participant at the UEFA Euro 1980.

Other activities In his medicine career, Nikolaou received the title of the specialty of orthopedics and was declared a doctor of the University of Athens in 1975. He obtained the specialty title of Orthopedics in February 1981 and in 1985 he received the title of Doctor of the University of Athens. From 1983 to 1986 Nikolaou did further training at Duke in the USA in the field of sports injuries and has been awarded by the American Orthopedic Association for his pioneering work in cruciate ligament transplants of the knee and his long-term studies in the field of the physiology of muscle injuries. At AEK, he was hired as the team's doctor in 1977 and from 1987 he has been the head of their medical department. Since 1987, his professional relationship with the Orthopedic Clinic of the Medical Center led a medical coverage agreement between the Center and Olympiacos, which brought him as head of the medical department of the club from 2003 to 2009.

Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

1971–72

1972–73

1973–74

1974–75

1975–76

1976–77

1977–98

1978–79

1979–80

1980–81

1981–82

International

Honours

AEK Athens Alpha Ethniki: 1977–78, 1978–79 Greek Cup: 1977–78