Yiannis Kyrastas
Yiannis Kyrastas (Greek: Γιάννης Κυράστας), (October 25, 1952 - April 1, 2004) was a Greek football player and coach.
Club career
Kyrastas was born in Piraeus and started his career in Olympiakos, where he debuted on December 10, 1972 against Kavala FC. With Olympiakos 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 Maik 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 played for the Greek national team in 46 games, from November 15, 1974 to May 19, 1985. He was a member of the Euro 1980 squad.
Career as coach
After retiring, he became a coach. Starting in the 1987-1988 season and until 2001, he was coach for many teams, including Ethnikos Piraeus, Paniliakos, Panionios FC, Iraklis and finally Panathinaikos. After his second tenure as coach of Panathinaikos, he retired from coaching.
Death
Kyrastas was admitted on March 5, 2004 to hospital with septicaemia. Kyrastas's condition was said to be improving, but on Monday, March 30 he went into a decline from which he was not to recover. He died on Thursday April 1, 2004 at the age of 51.
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