 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1950-01-17)17 January 1950 | ||
| Place of birth | Epanomi,Thessaloniki,Greece | ||
| Date of death | 13 October 2022(2022-10-13) (aged 72) | ||
| Place of death | Thessaloniki, Greece | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1963–1967 | Anagennisi Epanomi | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1967–1981 | PAOK | 358 | (136) |
| International career | |||
| 1969–1977 | Greece | 32 | (7) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1989 | PAOK (caretaker) | ||
| 1994 | PAOK (caretaker) | ||
| 1995 | PAOK (caretaker) | ||
| 1999 | PAOK (caretaker) | ||
| 2006 | PAOK (caretaker) | ||
| 2010–2013 | PAOK (youth) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Stavros Sarafis (Greek:Σταύρος Σαράφης; 17 January 1950 – 13 October 2022) was a Greek internationalfootballer whospent his entire career atPAOK, playing mainly as amidfielder and occasionally as aforward. A versatile midfielder and prolific goalscorer, he was mostly renowned for his excellent abilities in the air, being able to deliver powerfulheaders towards goal. Regarded as one of the club's most iconic figures, Sarafis isPAOK record top goalscorer. His nickname was"Ceasar"(Greek:"Kaisaras").
Sarafis was born inEpanomi, on the outskirts ofThessaloniki in 1950 and at the age of 13 he began his football career withAnagennisi Epanomi, while when he turned 16, he was called up for a match with theGreek Youth National Team. In the summer of 1967, at the age of 17, he was transferred toPAOK, who fought with city rivalsAris for his acquisition.[1] He made his PAOK debut in the league match againstEgaleo (October 8, 1967) and in the 72nd minute, he scored his first goal and paved the way for the 2–0 victory. Sarafis spent his entire football career at theDouble-headed eagle of the North and wore the No 8 white-black jersey for 14 years, retiring in 1981. In the summer of 1976, when his contract was expiring,AEK Athens presidentLoukas Barlos offered him 5 milliondrachmas to join theDouble-headed eagle of the South, however Sarafis turned down the offer and decided to stay at his beloved PAOK despite the fact that he was informed by PAOK presidentGiorgos Pantelakis that the club could afford to offer him only 1 million drachmas.[2] Sarafis was a prolific goalscorer with an incredible heading ability, netting 136 goals in 358 league matches with PAOK.[3] He also scored 26 goals in theGreek Cup and 7 inUEFA competitions, for 169 goals in total.[4] His partnership withGiorgos Koudas was one of the most prominent midfield duos in Greek football during the 1970s, winning one league title (1976)[5] and two Cups (1972,1974).[6][7][8] After retiring, he continued serving the club from various positions, including caretaker and assistant manager.
Sarafis had 32 caps for theGreece national team between 1969 and 1977, scoring 7 goals.[9]
On 17 September 2022, Sarafis suffered astroke and he was admitted to theAHEPA Hospital. He died on 13 October 2022, at the age of 72. Upon the news of his death, theToumba Stadium's flags were at half-mast as a sign of mourning.[10][11]
| Club | Season | Greek League | Greek Cup | Europe[a] | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| PAOK | 1967–68 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 7 |
| 1968–69 | 33 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 11 | |
| 1969–70 | 31 | 17 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 21 | |
| 1970–71 | 26 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 7 | |
| 1971–72 | 21 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 12 | |
| 1972–73 | 28 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 25 | |
| 1973–74 | 28 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 38 | 17 | |
| 1974–75 | 27 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 15 | |
| 1975–76 | 24 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 11 | |
| 1976–77 | 31 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 40 | 10 | |
| 1977–78 | 21 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 8 | |
| 1978–79 | 30 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 34 | 14 | |
| 1979–80 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 | |
| 1980–81 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 6 | |
| Career total | 358 | 136 | 54 | 26 | 21 | 7 | 433 | 169 | |
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 3 | 0 |
| 1971 | 3 | 0 |
| 1972 | 4 | 1 |
| 1973 | 4 | 1 |
| 1974 | 7 | 3 |
| 1975 | 4 | 2 |
| 1976 | 3 | 0 |
| 1977 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 32 | 7 |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 September 1972 | Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus |  France | 1–1 | 1–3 | Friendly |
| 2 | 31 January 1973 | Nikos Goumas Stadium, Athens |  Bulgaria | 1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 3 | 29 May 1974 | Stadionul Național, Bucharest |  Romania | 1–1 | 1–3 | Balkan Cup |
| 4 | 15 November 1974 | Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus |  Cyprus | 2–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 18 December 1974 | Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus | Bulgaria | 1–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 1976 qualifying |
| 6 | 24 September 1975 | Kaftanzoglio Stadium, Thessaloniki | Romania | 1–1 | 1–1 | Balkan Cup |
| 7 | 30 December 1975 | Stadio Comunale, Florence |  Italy | 2–2 | 2–3 | Friendly |
PAOK
Individual
