to resign in February 2001. Return to Thessaloniki The next month, Anastasiadis returned to his home town to lead Iraklis for a second time but managed two wins and a draw in the last ten matches of the 2000–01 Alpha Ethniki season to a fifth-place finish. He stayed on for the following season and the club finished in sixth place in the league, earning a place in the 2001–02 UEFA Cup qualification round. Anastasiadis returned to PAOK a month after leaving Iraklis in May 2002. The club finished the 2002–03 Alpha Ethniki season in fourth place, earning a spot in the 2003–04 UEFA Cup. The same season, Anastasiadis led PAOK to the Greek Cup, overcoming league champions Olympiacos and cup holders AEK, before defeating Aris in the final. The following season, the club finished in third place domestically, earning direct qualification to the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League. After failing to qualify for the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League and facing elimination from the 2004–05 UEFA Cup, PAOK announced their decision to sack Anastasiadis in September 2004. Cyprus Three months later, Anastasiadis ventured into international management, replacing Momčilo Vukotić as Cyprus national team manager, in December 2004. Taking over midway through the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, the Greek coach managed just one victory, a 3–0 win over the Faroe Islands, in the last five qualification matches, finishing in fifth place and failing to qualify from a group that also included France, Switzerland, Israel, and the Republic of Ireland. During the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers, Anastasiadis led the team to a 5–2 victory over the Republic of Ireland, a 2–1 victory over Hungary, a 3–1 victory over Wales, and a 1–1 draw with Germany before finishing sixth in Group D, which also included the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Despite failing to qualify for the tournament, the Cyprus Football Association renewed the Greek's contract in November 2007. Cyprus did not qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa but Anastasiadis led the team to a fourth-place finish that included a 4–1 victory over Bulgaria. In his fourth international campaign, Anastasiadis led the island nation in their quest to UEFA Euro 2012. After a 4–4 draw with Portugal, the side only managed two points in their first four qualification matches, leading to Anastasiadis's dismissal from the post. Return to club management Following his experience in Cyprus, Anastasiadis returned to club management