Nikos Anastopoulos

Nikos Anastopoulos (Greek: Νίκος Αναστόπουλος; born 22 January 1958) is a Greek former football player, one of the most prolific strikers in the Greek league during the 1980s and widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the history of Greek football. With 29 goals he is the all-time top scorer for the Greek national football team. He is considered as one of the greatest players in Olympiacos history, where he scored 159 goals in 291 official games for the Greek powerhouse and won the Bronze Boot as the third scorer in Europe in the 1982–83 season. Since retiring as a player he has become a football manager.

Club career

Anastopoulos was born on 22 January 1958. He started his career at Dafni before transferring to Panionios with whom he debuted in the Alpha Ethniki in the 1977–1978 season. Thanks to Anastopoulos, Panionios won the Greek Cup in 1979 upsetting AEK 3–1. His debut in European competition was also impressive as he scored twice against Twente Enschede of Holland and once against IFK Göteborg in the Cup-winners' Cup. His performance brought an immediate transfer offer from Twente as well as other Greek and foreign clubs. Finally, in 1980, he went to Olympiakos Piraeus.

As an Olympiakos player, Anastopoulos, also known as "Moustakias" (the moustachioed one), won top scorer honours in 1982–1983 season (29 goals), 1983–1984 season (18 goals), 1985–1986 season (19 goals) and 1986–1987 season (16 goals). His goal-scoring exploits in 1982–1983 won him the Bronze Boot as third scorer in all Europe.

In 1987, Anastopoulos left Greece to play for Avellino in Italy. Though he performed well in the Italian Cup, he failed to score a single goal in Serie A and returned to Greece the following season.

After coming close to signing with AEK, Anastopoulos chose to return to Panionios. He later played for Olympiakos, Ionikos and closed out his career with Olympiakos (once more) after the 1993–1994 season.

Club statistics

International career

On 21 September 1977 was participated for first time in National Football Team of Greeceand during his playing career Anastopoulos was capped 75 times scoring 29 goals – more than any other Greek international. He was a member of the Greek squad in the finals of Euro 1980 and scored the only Greek goal of that competition with a header against Czechoslovakia.

International statistics

After his playing career was over, Anastopoulos coached a variety of clubs:

• Panelefsiniakos (1995–96)
• Panetolikos (1997–98)
• PAS Giannina (1999, 2004, 2006–07)
• Panserraikos F.C.
• Panachaiki
• Kallithea FC
• Kerkyra FC (2005)
• Aris (2006)
• Ionikos (2008)
• PAS Giannina (2008)
• Kavala FC (2008–09)
• PAS Giannina (June 2010)
• OFI Crete (2010–12)
• Atromitos (2012–13)
• Platanias F.C. (2013–14)
• Panionios (2014)
• OFI Crete (2015)
• Aris (2015–17)

As of 25 May 2015

As player

• Olympiacos
  • Greek Championship: 1980, 1981, 1983, 1987
  • Greek Cup: 1990, 1992
  • Greek Super Cup: 1992
• Panionios
  • Greek Cup: 1979

As coach

• PAS Giannina
  • Greek Second Division: 2002
• Kavala
  • Greek Second Division: 2009
• OFI Crete
  • Greek Second Division, third place: 2011
• Aris
  • Greek Third Division Group 1: 2016