Orestis Karnezis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Orestis Karnezis

Karnezis with Greece in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Orestis-Spyridon Karnezis
Date of birth	(1985-07-11) 11 July 1985 (age 40)
Place of birth	Athens, Greece
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1999–2003	Agios Mattheos Corfu
2003–2005	OFI
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005–2007	OFI	0	(0)
2007–2013	Panathinaikos	53	(0)
2013–2019	Udinese	108	(0)
2013–2014	→ Granada (loan)	6	(0)
2017–2018	→ Watford (loan)	15	(0)
2018–2019	→ Napoli (loan)	9	(0)
2019–2020	Napoli	0	(0)
2020–2022	Lille	0	(0)
2021–2022	Lille II	3	(0)
Total		194	(0)
International career
2004–2005	Greece U21	3	(0)
2012–2018	Greece	49	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:17, 22 May 2022 (UTC)

Orestis-Spyridon Karnezis (Greek: Ορέστης-Σπυρίδων Καρνέζης; born on July 11, 1985) is a Greek former professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper, known for his quick reflexes and strong presence in goal.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Panathinaikos

Orestis Karnezis was born in Athens, Greece, but grew up in Corfu. He began his professional football journey at Panathinaikos in 2007. For a few years, he didn't play much. However, during the 2011–12 season, he started getting more chances to play. He impressed his coach, Jesualdo Ferreira, who then made him the main goalkeeper for Panathinaikos. Karnezis played very well, making important saves for his team.

His great performances in the Superleague Greece during the 2012–13 season caught the eye of many clubs in Europe. Udinese Calcio from Italy's top league, Serie A, was very interested in signing him.

Moving to Udinese

Karnezis officially joined Udinese Calcio from Panathinaikos. This move was agreed upon by both clubs. Udinese paid about €750,000 for the 28-year-old goalkeeper. On July 22, 2013, Karnezis signed a five-year contract with Udinese. Right after signing, he was loaned out to Granada, a Spanish club, for the entire season.

Playing on Loan at Granada

Karnezis made his first appearance in Spain's top league, La Liga, for Granada on January 4, 2014. He also played in the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) matches earlier that season.

One of his most memorable games was on April 12, 2014. Granada won 1–0 against Barcelona at home. Karnezis was the star of the match, making incredible saves against shots from famous players like Cesc Fàbregas and Lionel Messi. Barcelona had many shots on goal, but Karnezis stopped every single one.

Back at Udinese: 2014–15 Season

After his loan at Granada, Karnezis returned to Udinese. He made his Serie A debut for Udinese on August 31, 2014, in a 2–0 home win against Empoli. He continued to show strong performances, even saving a penalty kick in a game against Palermo.

His coach, Andrea Stramaccioni, praised Karnezis for bringing a sense of security to the team. Italian sports newspapers even reported that Napoli was interested in him because of his excellent season. Famous former Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff called Karnezis one of the best goalkeepers in Serie A.

In May 2015, Udinese considered selling Karnezis to make way for a younger goalkeeper, Simone Scuffet. However, Udinese later decided to keep him. Karnezis signed a new contract to stay with the club until 2020.

Consistent Play: 2015–16 Season

On July 1, 2015, Karnezis signed a new contract with Udinese, extending his stay until June 2019. He started the 2015–16 season strongly. In the first game against champions Juventus, he made key saves that helped his team win.

Throughout the season, Karnezis continued to make crucial saves, helping Udinese achieve important results. He was often praised for his goalkeeping skills. On May 14, 2016, fans voted him as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the club during the 2015–16 season. He was also the only player to play in every single game that season.

2016–17 Season and Beyond

Karnezis remained the main goalkeeper for Udinese in the 2016–17 season. He had many superb performances, especially in December 2016, where he allowed only one goal in four matches. On February 5, 2017, he reached 100 appearances for Udinese in all competitions. A few weeks later, he also reached 100 appearances in Serie A for the club.

In March 2017, he suffered a finger injury that kept him out for a few weeks. He returned to play in April. After this season, there were rumors about him moving to other clubs like Napoli or Watford. Udinese's coach started playing Simone Scuffet more towards the end of the season.

Joining Watford

Just before the transfer window closed, Karnezis joined Watford in England on a one-season loan from Udinese. He was expected to compete for the starting goalkeeper spot.

He made his Watford debut on November 5, 2017, in a game against Everton. He later returned to the starting lineup in January 2018. On January 31, 2018, in his third Premier League game, Karnezis made a fantastic save against a powerful shot from Xherdan Shaqiri. This helped his team earn a crucial point and was his first clean sheet for Watford in the Premier League.

Moving to Napoli

On July 5, 2018, Napoli announced that they had signed Karnezis from Udinese on a three-year contract. He was brought in to compete with a young Italian goalkeeper, Alex Meret.

However, after some preparation matches, Napoli decided to sign David Ospina on loan from Arsenal. Ospina became the main goalkeeper for the start of the 2018–19 season. Despite this, Karnezis made his official debut for Napoli as a starter on August 18, 2018, in a 2–1 win against S.S. Lazio.

By February 2019, Karnezis had made only a few appearances. He became the third-choice goalkeeper after Meret recovered from his injury. Still, Napoli decided to sign Karnezis permanently.

Final Stop: Lille

In July 2020, Karnezis moved to the French club Lille. This transfer was part of a deal that sent another player, Victor Osimhen, to Napoli. Karnezis signed a three-year contract with Lille.

With his move to Lille, Karnezis made history. He became the first Greek footballer to play in four of Europe's top five football leagues: La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy), Premier League (England), and now Ligue 1 (France). He retired from professional football in 2022.

International Career

Karnezis's strong performances for his clubs led to him being called up to the Greece national football team. He made his international debut on February 29, 2012, in a friendly match against Belgium.

Although he wasn't chosen for UEFA Euro 2012, the national team coach, Fernando Santos, said that if Karnezis continued to play well, he would definitely be part of the team for future matches. True to his word, Karnezis was called up for the 2014 World Cup qualifying matches. He was also part of Greece's final 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

Panathinaikos

• Super League Greece: 2009–10
• Greek Cup: 2009–10

Napoli

• Coppa Italia: 2019–20

Lille

• Ligue 1: 2020–21
• Trophée des Champions: 2021

See also

In Spanish: Orestis Karnezis para niños