Greek football mourns Kyrastas

Blood disease
The former Olympiacos CFP and Panathinaikos FC player died on Thursday after being admitted to hospital with the blood disease on 5 March. Kyrastas's condition was said to be improving last week, but on Monday he went into a decline from which he was not to recover.

Olympiacos days
The Piraeus-born, right-sided defender signed for Olympiacos at the age of 15 and made his first-team debut in December 1972. He won four league titles with the club in 1971/72, 1973/74, 1974/75 and 1979/80, as well as Greek Cups in 1974/75 and 1979/80.

Controversial move
In 1980, he made a controversial move to Olympiacos's fierce local rivals Panathinaikos where, playing largely in the centre of defence, he won league championships in 1983/84 and 1985/86 and Greek Cups in 1981/82, 1983/84 and 1985/86 as well as captaining the team to the European Champion Clubs' Cup semi-final in 1984/85.

Greek career
Kyrastas retired in November 1986 having made a total of 334 appearances in Greece's top flight and scored six goals in the process. He also won 39 caps for the Greek national team and played in the finals of the 1980 UEFA European Championships in Italy.

Coaching apprenticeship
Having cut his teeth as a coach in the lower leagues with Proodeftiki FC and Panionios NFC, Kyrastas returned to the top flight as coach of Ethnikos Piraeus FC in 1994/95. The following season, he was in charge at Paniliakos FC before further brief spells with Panionios and Paniliakos.

Panathinaikos days
Kyrastas was appointed coach of his old club Panathinaikos in the summer of 1999 and, following a stint at Iraklis FC, returned to the club, forging the squad which would reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in 2001/02.