Dimitrios Nikolaou

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Dimitrios Nikolaou

| fullname = Dimitrios Nikolaou

| image = Dimitris Nikolaou, U21 CZE-GRE 2019-10-10.jpg

| caption = Nikolaou with Greece in 2019

| height = 1.88 m{{cite web|url=https://www.acspezia.com/en/teams/profile/dimitrios-nikolaou.4093.html |title=Dimitrios Nikolaou |publisher=Spezia Calcio |accessdate=2 September 2022}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|08|13|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Chalkida, Euboea, Greece

| currentclub = Palermo

| clubnumber = 43

| position = Centre-back

| youthyears1 = 2007–2016

| youthclubs1 = Olympiacos

| years1 = 2016–2019

| clubs1 = Olympiacos

| caps1 = 11

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2019

| clubs2 = → Empoli (loan)

| caps2 = 4

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2019–2021

| clubs3 = Empoli

| caps3 = 45

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2021–2024

| clubs4 = Spezia

| caps4 = 107

| goals4 = 1

| years5 = 2024–

| clubs5 = Palermo

| caps5 = 29

| goals5 = 1

| nationalyears1 = 2013–2014

| nationalteam1 = Greece U16

| nationalcaps1 = 2

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2014–2015

| nationalteam2 = Greece U17

| nationalcaps2 = 13

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 2015–2017

| nationalteam3 = Greece U19

| nationalcaps3 = 13

| nationalgoals3 = 1

| nationalyears4 = 2017–2020

| nationalteam4 = Greece U21

| nationalcaps4 = 21

| nationalgoals4 = 1

| nationalyears5 = 2018–

| nationalteam5 = Greece

| nationalcaps5 = 1

| nationalgoals5 = 0

| club-update = 15 May 2025

| nationalteam-update = 13 October 2020

}}

Dimitrios Nikolaou ({{langx|el|Δημήτριος Νικολάου}}; born 13 August 1998) is a Greek professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for {{Italian football updater|Palermo}} club Palermo.{{cite web | url=http://www.superleaguegreece.net/en/teams/team/olympiacos-fc-463/2016-2017-superleague-61/players/dimitris-nikolaou-2633 | title=ΔΗΜΗΤΡΗΣ ΝΙΚΟΛΑΟΥ, ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΣ Σ.Φ.Π. | accessdate=17 September 2016}}{{cite web | url=http://www.uefa.com/uefayouthleague/season=2015/clubs/player=250065883/profile/index.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208160055/http://www.uefa.com/uefayouthleague/season=2015/clubs/player=250065883/profile/index.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=8 February 2017 | title=Dimitris Nikolaou - Uefa.com | accessdate=17 September 2016}}

Club career

=Olympiacos=

On 29 January 2017, Nikolaou made his debut with the club in a 2–1 away Super League win against Veria. A month later, he scored his first goal in a 2–0 Greek Cup win game against Aris.

On 18 October 2017, Nikolaou scored an own goal and headed goal for his team in a 3–1 away loss in the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League group stage against Barcelona.{{cite news|last1=Unwin|first1=Will|title=Barcelona 3-1 Olympiakos: Lionel Messi scores 100th European goal as Gerard Pique sees red|url=http://www.skysports.com/football/barcelona-vs-olympiakos/report/384284|accessdate=18 October 2017|work=Sky Sports|date=18 October 2017}}

==Loan to Empoli==

On 28 January 2019, the 20-year-old Dimitris Nikolaou departed Piraeus, signing for Serie A club Empoli on loan for the remainder of the 2018–19 season, with a purchase option at the range of €3.5 million. This season, Nikolaou has largely been sitting on the sidelines with Olympiacos, only participating in one Greek Cup match. The young defender is regarded as a prospect for the future and will hope to receive regular playing time with Empoli.{{cite news|title=Και επίσημα στη Έμπολι ο Νικολάου|url=https://sportsroom.gr/2019/01/28/kai-episima-sti-empoli-o-nikolaou-pic/|publisher=sportsroom.gr|date=28 January 2019}} On 15 April 2019, he made his debut with the club in a 0–0 away draw game against Atalanta.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-a/empoli-nikolaou-ero-pronto-per-l-esordio-ora-penso-solo-a-crescere-1236636|title=Empoli, Nikolaou: "Ero pronto per l'esordio. Ora penso solo a crescere" - TUTTOmercatoWEB.com|website=www.tuttomercatoweb.com|language=it|access-date=2019-04-15}}

=Empoli=

On 2 June 2019, Empoli activated the option of the 20-year-old international defender, who reportedly was worth €3.5 million. Nikolaou played in four games at Campionato, and the leaders of the Italian club decided to activate the option of the young Greek defender despite their relegation. Nikolaou signed for four years for an undisclosed fee. The announcement from the Italian club stated: "Empoli announces that he has exercised the right to buy, and signed the young international Dimitris Nikolaou from Olympiacos." {{Cite web|url=https://www.sport24.gr/football/omades/Olympiakos/olympiakos-h-empoli-energopoihse-thn-opsion-agoras-toy-nikolaoy.5527865.html |title=Ολυμπιακός: Η Έμπολι ενεργοποίησε την οψιόν αγοράς του Νικολάου |website=sport24.gr|language=el|access-date=2 June 2019}}

=Spezia=

Since the end of the 2020–21 season, it was obvious that Dimitris Nikolaou's performances with the Empoli jersey, leading it to the Serie B title and the promotion to Serie A, would hardly keep the 23-year-old central defender in the Azzurri, especially since he was in the last year of his contract. His coach, Alessio Dionisi, wanted him in Sassuolo since he became head coach at the beginning of summer 2021, while at the same time, the technical director who brought him to Empoli, Riccardo Pecini, wanted him in his own new team Spezia Calcio, with which he will sign a five-year contract and will increase more than double his current earnings.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sport24.gr/football/nikolaoy-episima-paiktis-tis-spetsia-gia-pente-chronia.9319949.html |title=Νικολάου: Επίσημα παίκτης της Σπέτσια για πέντε χρόνια |website=sport24.gr|language=el|access-date=9 August 2021}}

On 13 August 2021, he scored his first goal with the club in a Coppa Italia away 3-1 win game against Pordenone Calcio.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fantacalcio.it/news/calcio-italia/13_08_2021/coppa-italia-pordenone-spezia-1-3-cronaca-e-tabellino-del-match-410622 |title=Coppa Italia, Pordenone-Spezia 1-3, cronaca e tabellino del match |website=www.fantacalcio.it|language=it|access-date=13 August 2021}}

=Palermo=

On 14 July 2024, Serie B club Palermo announced the signing of Nikolaou from Spezia on a four-year contract, with the player reuniting with his former coach Alessio Dionisi.{{cite web |publisher=Palermo FC |date=2024-07-14 |accessdate=2024-07-15 |url=https://www.palermofc.com/en/news/nikolaou-is-rosanero/ |title=NIKOLAOU IS ROSANERO}}

Career statistics

As of 1 May 2024 (UTC).{{cite web|title=Dimitris Nikolaou|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/dimitrios-nikolaou/317606/|website=Soccerway|accessdate=30 June 2017}}{{cite web|title=Dimitris Nikolaou|url=http://www.superleaguegreece.net/el/teams/team/olympiacos-fc-530/2017-2018-superleague-70/players/dimitris-nikolaou-2633|website=superleaguegreece.net|accessdate=20 August 2017}}

colspan=3 \| Club performance ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! colspan=2 \| Continental ! colspan=2 \| Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
Season ! Club ! League ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals
colspan=3 \| Greece ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Greek Cup ! colspan=2 \| Europe ! colspan=2 \| Total
2016–17	rowspan="2"\|Olympiacos	rowspan="2"\|Super League Greece	2	0	4	1	0	0	6	1
rowspan="2" \|2017–18	\|9	1	7	0	3	1	19	2
colspan="2" \|Total !11	1	11	1	3	1	25	3
colspan=3 \| Italy ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Coppa Italia ! colspan=2 \| Europe ! colspan=2 \| Total
2018–19	rowspan="3"\|Empoli	rowspan="1"\|Serie A	4	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
2019–20	rowspan="2"\|Serie B	\|16	0	3	0	0	0	19	0
rowspan="2" \|2020–21	29	0	0	0	0	0	29	0
colspan="2" \|Total !49	0	3	0	0	0	52	0
2021–22	rowspan="3" \|Spezia	rowspan="2" \|Serie A	36	0	1	1	0	0	37	1
2022–23 \|37	1	2	0	0	0	39	1
rowspan="2" \|2023–24 \|Serie B \|33	0	2	0	0	0	35	0
colspan="2" \|Total !106 !1 !5 !1 !0 !0 !111 !2
colspan="3" \| Career Total !166	2	19	2	3	1	188	5