Azar Karadas

Azar Karadas
Personal information
Full name Azar Karadas
Date of birth (1981-08-09) 9 August 1981
Place of birth Nordfjordeid, Norway
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Centre back / Forward
Club information
Current team
 Brann
Number 18
Youth career
0000–1998 Eid IL
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2001 Brann 50 (12)
2002–2004 Rosenborg 60 (13)
2004–2007 Benfica 27 (4)
2005–2006 → Portsmouth (loan) 20 (1)
2006–2007 → Kaiserslautern (loan) 11 (1)
2007–2009 Brann 48 (10)
2009–2012 Kasımpaşa 36 (2)
2012–2014 Sogndal 44 (4)
2014– Brann 74 (9)
National team
1999–2000 Norway U21 33 (12)
2001–2008 Norway 10 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 August 2017.

Azar Karadas (Turkish: Azar Karadaş; born 9 August 1981) is a Norwegian footballer who plays for SK Brann. Although he can also play as a central defender, he operates primarily as a centre forward.

He won the Tippeligaen while playing for Brann and Rosenborg, and also competed professionally in Portugal, England, Germany and Turkey.

Club career

Karadas was born in Nordfjordeid of Turkish origin, his surname meaning "Black stone" in Turkish.[1] He started his career with Eid IL, moving to the professionals in 1999 with SK Brann.

On 13 March 2002, Karadas signed for Rosenborg BK, reportedly receiving death threats over this move. At his new club, his performances soon earned him a call-up to the Norwegian under-21s, and it was not long before foreign eyes focused on the him. He further enhanced his reputation by scoring two goals against Inter Milan in a UEFA Champions League game, a 2–2 home draw;[2] he was linked with the likes of Roda JC, Liverpool and Udinese Calcio, but Portuguese club S.L. Benfica eventually bought the 23-year-old, and he joined the squad of veteran coach Giovanni Trapattoni after signing a four-year contract.[3]

After one season at Benfica, where he scored four goals (including a brace at S.C. Beira-Mar in a 3–2 win[4]) and helped them win the Primeira Liga championship after 11 years, Karadas was loaned to Premier League side Portsmouth for 2005–06.[5] His spectacular volley, which helped the relegation-threatened team earn a crucial 1–1 draw against Bolton Wanderers,[6] was both his highlight and only goal of the campaign, in 20 overall appearances.

A 16 June 2006 Norwegian press release reported that Benfica and Brann had agreed on a Karadas transfer back to Bergen. The deal was speculated to be worth GB£695,000 (€102,000), where he was to give up £435,000 worth of bonuses Benfica owed him. Only his personal contract was an issue, as the player refused to give up a £350,000 compensation which had to be paid to him whenever he was sold from the Lisbon club.

Despite being declared unwanted in Lisbon, Karadas returned to Benfica after his transfer to Brann fell through. On 16 August 2006, news broke out that he was in negotiations with German's 1. FC Kaiserslautern, which had just been relegated to the second division; the clubs finally agreed with a one-year loan deal, brokered by his uncle who was also his agent.

Karadas made his debut in German football on 27 August 2006 in a 2–0 home league victory over SC Paderborn 07, starting but being substituted in the 61st minute. On 9 September he scored his first goal for his new team, in its 2–0 away victory over amateurs 1. FC Gera 03 for the first round of the German Cup. His first league goal came 20 days later in a 1–1 draw at SpVgg Unterhaching,[7] his only of the season in an eventual sixth-place finish; he was also sent off after being shown two yellow cards in a local derby against 1. FC Köln, which ended in a 2–2 draw.[8]

On 24 August 2007, Karadas signed a contract with Brann for a second spell with the club.[9] In his comeback to Brann Stadion, in a match against Sandefjord Fotball on 2 September, he was greeted as a hero and a banner stating "Vi hatet deg så mye, fordi vi elsker deg så høyt!" ("We hated you so much, because we love you so much!").[10] The season ended with Tippeligaen conquest, with four goals in only eight appearances from the player.[11]

On 1 September 2009, Karadas signed a three-year contract with Kasımpaşa S.K. of Turkey,[12] scoring only once in seven contests in his debut campaign as the team ranked 11th the Süper Lig. On 27 May 2012 he netted a critical goal that brought his team back to the top flight, in the play-off match against Adanaspor.[13]

Karadas joined Sogndal Fotball in August 2012, on a short-term deal.[14] He was injured early on, and only played in seven league matches.[15] After being a free agent for three months he decided to return to the club in February 2013,[16] leaving at the end of the season[17] and returning for a third stint in 2014.

On 16 July 2014, 12 years later, Karadas returned to Brann.[18]

International career

Karadas made his debut for the Norway national team on 24 January 2001, starting in a 3–2 win over South Korea for that year's Lunar New Year Cup.[19] He went on to earn a total of ten caps, in seven years.

Club statistics

As of 8 August 2017[20]
Season Club Division League Cup Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
1999 Brann Tippeligaen 600060
2000 21710227
2001 23543278
2002 Rosenborg 23541276
2003 22553278
2004 15333186
2004–05 Benfica Primeira Liga 27400274
2005–06 Portsmouth Premier League 20130231
2006–07 Kaiserslautern 2. Bundesliga 11100111
2007 Brann Tippeligaen 840084
2008 21340253
2009 19343236
2009–10 Kasımpaşa Süper Lig 710071
2010–11 15000150
2011–12 TFF First League 14100141
2012 Sogndal Tippeligaen 700070
2013 27411285
2014 10031131
2014 Brann 10110111
2015 First Division 27330303
2016 Tippeligaen 24510255
2017 Eliteserien 13021151
Career Total 37056391640972

Honours

Rosenborg
Benfica
Brann

References

  1. ↑ "Biography" (in Norwegian). Official website. Archived from the original on 28 July 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  2. ↑ "Crespo's rescue remedy". UEFA.com. 17 September 2002. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "Karadas chegou para marcar" [Karadas arrived to score]. Record (in Portuguese). 29 July 2004. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  4. ↑ "Benfica frente ao Beira-Mar: Mentira da D. Águia nos pés de Karadas" [Benfica frente ao Beira-Mar: Lady Eagle tells a lie in the feet of Karadas]. Record (in Portuguese). 30 August 2004. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "Pompey snap up Benfica's Karadas". BBC Sport. 22 July 2005. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
  6. ↑ "Portsmouth 1–1 Bolton". BBC Sport. 1 February 2006. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  7. ↑ "1:1 in Unterhaching – Mehr als nur ein Punkt!" [1:1 in Unterhaching – At least one point!] (in German). 1. FCK Fanclub. 7 October 2006. Archived from the original on 15 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  8. ↑ "Als die Berliner Mauer noch stand" [As the Berlin Wall stood still] (in German). Der Betze Brennt. 14 December 2006. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  9. ↑ "Ekte lidenskap har et navn" [Real passion has a name] (in Norwegian). SK Brann. 24 August 2007. Archived from the original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2007.
  10. ↑ Ellingsen, Roy (2 September 2007). "«Vi hatet deg så mye, fordi vi elsker deg så høyt!»" [«We hated you so much, because we love you so much!»]. Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  11. ↑ "Brann er årets seriemester" [Brann is the year's league champion] (in Norwegian). NRK. 22 October 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  12. ↑ "Kasımpaşa'da 5 imza" [Five to Kasimpaşa] (in Turkish). NTV. 3 September 2009. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  13. ↑ "Karadas avgjorde kaotisk opprykkskamp i Tyrkia" [Karadas decided chaotic promotion battle in Turkey]. Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 27 May 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  14. ↑ Hjetland, Geir Bjarte (27 August 2012). "Azar Karadas klar for Sogndal" [Azar Karadas confirmed at Sogndal] (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  15. ↑ "Karadas ferdig i Sogndal" [Karadas finished at Sogndal]. Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 11 December 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  16. ↑ Skeie, Terje (27 February 2013). "Karadas klar for ny sesong i Sogndal-trøya" [Karadas clear for new season with Sogndal] (in Norwegian). TV 2. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  17. ↑ "Karadas ferdig i Sogndal" [Karadas finished at Sogndal] (in Norwegian). NRK. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  18. ↑ "Azar har signert for Brann" [Azar has signed for Brann] (in Norwegian). NRK. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  19. ↑ "Carlsberg Cup 2001". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  20. ↑ "A. Karadas". Soccerway. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
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