Ioannis Kyrastas


Ioannis Kyrastas was a Greek footballer and football manager.

Club career

Born in Piraeus, Kyrastas started his football career in Olympiacos, where he played his first game on 10 December 1972 against Kavala. With Olympiacos he played 223 games, 16 of them in European competitions, and won 5 Greek Championships and 3 Greek Cups.
In 1981, he went, together with Mike Galakos, to archrival Panathinaikos, where he played in 145 games, 14 of them in European competitions, and won 2 Greek Championships and 3 Greek Cups. He retired in 1986 after playing his last game against Aris in November.
Kyrastas made 46 appearances for the Greek national team, from 15 November 1974 to 19 May 1985. He also played in the 1980 UEFA European Championship.

Career as coach

After retiring, he became a coach. Starting in the 1987–1988 season and until 2001 he successfully coached many teams, including Ethnikos Piraeus, Paniliakos, Panionios FC, Iraklis and finally Panathinaikos. After his second time as coach of Panathinaikos, he retired from coaching.

Death

Kyrastas was admitted on 5 March 2004 to hospital with septicaemia, after being infected with the rare Fournier gangrene. Kyrastas's condition was said to be improving, but on Tuesday, 30 March he went into a decline from which he was not to recover. He died on Thursday, 1 April 2004 at the age of 51.
The football players and staff of Panathinaikos, devoted the Double of 2004 in his memory.