Peter Raskopoulos

NSL Career: Sydney Olympic, Marconi 261 (22) / 1977 - 1989

Socceroos Career: 14 (0) A Internationals / 21 (2) B Internationals

One of the best Greek-Australian footballers of the 1980s, Peter 'Rasko' Raskopoulos was a technical and industrious midfielder who started his NSL career as a teenager and became a legendary figure of the Sydney Olympic Football Club. Raskopoulos was for the first 18 seasons of the national league it's youngest ever debutant at just 15 years and 167 days.

Born in Kastoria, Greece - Raskopoulos immigrated to Australia at just eight months of age and began his junior career at Earlwood Wanderers at the U-5 level. Raskopoulos progressed through the Earlwood junior ranks before joining Sydney Olympic's youth side in 1977. During the inaugural Phillips Soccer League season in 1977, Raskopoulos made his first team debut at just 15 years and 167 days of age - a record that was only broken by Parramatta Eagles player Daniel Watkins in 1995.

Raskopoulos remained with the first team for the remainder of the season, making eight appearances, but made just three first team appearances the following season. In the 1979 season, Raskopoulos became a regular in the Olympic side before they were relegated at the end of season.

With Olympic back in the NSW Division One, Raskopoulos moved to NSL club Marconi for the 1980 season. Joining a talented Marconi midfield that included Socceroo Gary Byrne, Italian star Roberto Vieri and Scotsman Jim Cant - Raskopoulos developed his game and improved his defensive output under coach Les Scheinflug. Raskopoulos played in the club's NSL Cup Final victory over Heidelberg before returning to Olympic early in the 1981 season after struggling to adjust to Scheinflug's successor Raúl Blanco's system. 

Returning to Olympic a more complete player, Raskopoulos scored six goals during the season and captained the Socceroos at just 19 years of age in his full international debut against Indonesia. Following the 1981 NSL season, Raskopoulos captained the Young Socceroos to the quarter-finals of the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Raskopoulos missed just two games during the 1982 season and made two Socceroos appearances despite Olympic's inconsistent season as the club continued their trend of making managerial changes. Raskopoulos struggled during the 1983 season with an ankle injury and made just 18 league appearances before missing out on Olympic's NSL Cup Final victory over Heidelberg.

In the 1984 season, Raskopoulos was made club captain at just 22 years of age by coach Manfred Schaefer, who was the first Olympic coach to keep his position for an entire NSL season. In his first season as captain: Raskopoulos played in 33 of Olympic's 34 league games, scored in the Northern Conference Preliminary Final and led the side to their first grand final in which they lost four-two on aggregate to South Melbourne.

Raskopoulos played in 10 B internationals for Australia during the year, scoring a goal against Greek side Iraklis, and earned his first full international since 1982 against China in what was advertised as the Ampol Cup. The Olympic captain led the club to another successful season in 1985, winning the NSL Cup in which he scored a stinging low-drive against Preston to seal the match before scoring the opening penalty in Olympic's penalty shoot-out loss to Marconi in the Northern Conference Minor Semi-Final.

In Schaefer's third full season at the club in 1986, Raskopoulos led Olympic to their second NSL Grand Final in three seasons and became a Socceroos regular. Influential in Olympic's finals series matches with his pin-point passing and dangerous crossing ability, Raskopoulos was however unable to lead the side to championship glory after Adelaide City won the second leg of the grand final to earn a three-two victory on aggregate.

Schaefer left at the end of the season before the club went through several coaching changes at the start of the 1987 season and Raskopoulos missed several games through international duty which affected team results as Olympic finished the season in seventh place.

Coach Eddie Thomson held his position at the club the following season, improving the side's performances as Raskopoulos again missed part of the season due to injury. In the 1989 season, Raskopoulos played in 11 of Olympic's first 17 games as injuries caught up to the experienced midfielder before he hung up his boots at just 27 years of age.

Raskopoulos stayed on as team manager as the club won the 1989/90 NSL Championship and reached the 1989/90 NSL Cup Final. Raskopoulos took over as head coach for the 1992/93 season and held the position for most of the season before being replaced by Berti Mariani. Raskopoulos later became CEO of Sydney Olympic and was in charge when the club won it's second NSL Championship in the 2001/02 season.