Former AEK Athens forward Nikos Sevastopoulos dies at 81 in Attikon Hospital

Passing in Athens

Former AEK Athens forward Nikos Sevastopoulos died in the early morning hours of Friday, 2 October 2026, at Attikon Hospital at the age of 81. He had been hospitalized in critical condition during the preceding weeks due to severe health issues. Born on 26 February 1945 in Tavros, an inner suburb of Athens, Sevastopoulos grew up playing in neighborhood dirt pitches. His family held roots in Constantinople and maintained strong ties to AEK Athens. He began his organized football development at age 11 with local club Panthiseaikos before moving to AEK's youth academy one year later. His path into the club was aided by his sister's husband, who worked at the time collecting tickets at AEK's home ground.

Early breakthrough and South African stint

At AEK, Sevastopoulos quickly established a reputation as one of the most promising young talents in Greek football. By 1963, he helped lead AEK to the Greek youth championship and earned regular call-ups to the Greek youth national squad. Contemporary sports newspapers and supporters nicknamed him "Pele" because of his dark complexion, agility, and technical control, framing him as a potential successor to star forward Kostas Nestoridis. He made his official senior debut for AEK on 13 October 1963 during a scoreless draw against Iraklis in Thessaloniki. Internal tensions soon surfaced when club official Kleanthis Maropoulos suggested he take a job at a sporting goods shop run with coach Tryfon Tzanetis. Sevastopoulos rejected the offer to pursue an accounting degree at a commercial school, resulting in reduced playing time and friction with management.

Real Madrid interest and European campaign

Following a four-month suspension resulting from a clash during a fixture against Ethnikos, Sevastopoulos left Greece to play abroad. He signed with Hellenic FC in Cape Town, taking advantage of South Africa's exclusion from FIFA regulations during apartheid. During his nine-month spell in South Africa, he played in an exhibition match against Real Madrid, facing stars including Ferenc Puskas, Francisco Gento, and Amancio. Real Madrid president Santiago Bernabeu watched the match and offered Sevastopoulos a trial in Madrid, though the forward chose to return to Athens in December 1964. In January 1965, he reported for compulsory military service, which he completed stationed in Cyprus. He rejoined AEK in 1968 under Yugoslav coach Branko Stankovic, playing alongside forward Mimis Papaioannou. During the 1968–1969 campaign, he recorded 18 appearances and four goals, contributing to AEK's run to the European Cup quarter-finals and scoring in a 2-1 away loss to Spartak Trnava.

North American seasons and life after football

Sevastopoulos continued his travels later in his career, returning for spells in South Africa and Rhodesia before crossing the Atlantic. In 1976, he signed with Toronto in Canada, sharing the pitch with international stars Eusebio and Bobby Moore. He returned to Greece to close out his playing career with Vyzas Megaron, officially retiring from football in 1981. Outside of his athletic career, Sevastopoulos worked for decades as a bartender at the Athens Hilton, balancing hospitality work with regular appearances in veteran exhibition matches.