He was affectionately known as the "Blonde Eagle of AEK" (Greek: "Ξανθός Αετός της ΑΕΚ").

Born in 1919 to Greek parents in Tuzla, near Constantinople, Maropoulos came to Greece with his family at the age of 3, during the population exchanges, after the Greco-Turkish War in 1922.

[6] He made his debut on 22 January 1938 in a 3–1 victory over Palestine in Tel Aviv in the 1938 World Cup qualifiers.

After leaving the field, Maropoulos was for many years an agent of AEK and a selector for the Greece national team.

He worked for AEK and HFF as a member of administration, all while being one of the pioneers of the movement for professional football in Greece.

He and his teammate, Tryfon Tzanetis had a strong friendship and they collaborated professionally, maintaining a joint sporting goods store in the center of Athens.