About Themis Rigas
Lived 1945 – 1984 (aged 38–39). Themis Rigas was a Greek association football player.
Themis Rigas (; 1945 – 13 January 1984), popularly nicknamed The Train, was a Greek footballer born in Patras. One of the fastest and most talented wingers of his generation, he was a member of the Panachaiki football team that impressed Greece in the 1970s and qualified for the 1974 UEFA Cup.
Career Greece Rigas began his career with Panachaiki's youth team and graduated to the senior team in 1962, which competed in the Beta Ethniki. Rigas would appear in the continental tournament, where FC Twente eliminated them.
United States In the summer of 1973, he played in the American Soccer League with the New York Apollo.
Canada In 1974, he played abroad in the National Soccer League with Toronto Homer. Rigas scored his first pair of goals for Toronto on May 5, 1974, against the Quebec Selects. He helped the club secure a playoff berth by finishing second in the league standings.
In 1976, Rigas returned to Canada, where he signed with the Toronto Metros-Croatia of the North American Soccer League. He debuted for Toronto on 16 May 1976, against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, where he contributed an assist. Rigas was named to the league's team of the week on 25 May 1976. His stint with Toronto was brief as he was placed on waivers in July 1976.
Death Rigas died in a domestic accident in 1984, at the age of 39, leaving behind him the family of Panachaiki without one of their most eminent members.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Themis Rigas's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Themis Rigas?
Greek footballer (1945-1984)
When was Themis Rigas born?
Themis Rigas was born in 1945 in Patras.
When did Themis Rigas die?
Themis Rigas died on 13 January 1984.
What was Themis Rigas's occupation?
Themis Rigas was an association football player.
What nationality was Themis Rigas?
Themis Rigas was Greek.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Themis Rigas. https://biography.guide/themis-rigas/
MLA: "Themis Rigas." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/themis-rigas/.
Chicago: "Themis Rigas." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/themis-rigas/.
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