Mumbai City FC Signs Greek Striker Nikolaos Karelis for ISL Season

Mumbai City FC has signed Greek striker Nikolaos Karelis ahead of the Indian Super League season. Karelis, who started his career at Ergotelis, has played for clubs in Russia, Belgium, England, and the Netherlands. He has scored 103 goals in 361 matches. Karelis was last with Panetolikos and was named their Player of the Season for 2022-23.

Mumbai City FC on Thursday announced the signing of Greek striker Nikolaos Karelis ahead of the upcoming Indian Super League season.

The 32-year-old, known as Nikos Karelis, is embarking on his first stint in India. Starting his youth career with Ergotelis, he made his senior professional debut with them in 2007.

Karelis has played for seven other clubs, including stints in Russia (Amkar Perm), Belgium (Genk), England (Brentford), and the Netherlands (ADO Den Haag). Mumbai City FC will be his eighth club.

Karelis has netted 103 goals in 361 professional matches, contributing 29 assists. His best performance was with Panathinaikos, scoring 36 goals in 114 competitive games, and notably scoring 19 goals in 50 contests in the 2014-15 season. He won the Greek Cup with Panathinaikos in 2013-14 and two titles with PAOK in 2018-19 (Super League Greece and Greek Cup).

Most recently, Karelis was associated with Greek club Panetolikos, where he was named Player of the Season for 2022-23.

''The team has achieved significant success over the past few years, and I am eager to contribute to its continued success in the upcoming season,'' Karelis said in a release. MCFC head coach Petr Kratky added, ''Nikos is a highly talented player who perfectly matches the requirements we expect from our forwards. He has experience playing in various European countries and has consistently proven his calibre in different leagues.''

(With inputs from agencies.)