Garcia’s days numbered in Piraeus
Oscar Garcia’s short spell in Piraeus is coming to an end, with reports suggesting the Spaniard will leave Olympiacos in the near future.
WATCH Greek Sports and much more from any device with LIVE GREEK TV from AGONAsport! Details and purchase here!
The 44-year old Spaniard only took the reigns as Olympiacos head coach in January, replacing interim manager Takis Lemonis with the Thrylos in first place of the Super League. However, things quickly went wrong for Garcia, as Olympiacos dropped points in crucial matches and now find themselves languishing in third position of the standings, trailing leaders AEK Athens by a large nine points. It is worth noting that Olympiacos are appealing a three-point deduction for fan trouble after a crucial 1:2 loss to AEK in Piraeus.
Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis, who has an infamous record for ruthlessly firing coaches, is planning a mass summer clear-out following a disastrous campaign. Originally, Garcia seemed to be part of Marinakis’ plans, but recent results have dramatically changed his mind.
Matters took a serious turn for the worse when Olympiacos stuttered to a disappointing 1:1 home draw against eternal rivals Panathinaikos. Powerful figures in the club were said to mention that while Garcia isn’t a bad coach, his philosophy and general ideas simply do not match-up with Olympiacos.
On Saturday, the Thrylos dropped points when drawing 1:1 with Levadiakos on the road, a result which could prove to be the final nail in Garcia’s Olympiacos coffin. With PAOK winning their match, Olympiacos slipped to third place in the table, outside of the UEFA Champions League qualifying slots. Garcia’s disheartened players simply aren’t performing, important points are being lost in winnable matches and there is no faith left in Garcia’s methods.
Garcia’s sacking could happen in the coming hours/days, or Olympiacos might opt to see out the season and make the required changes in the summer. If Garcia is dismissed before the campaign ends, Christos Kontis will probably cover until the off-season.
As expected, replacements are already lined up to take over from Garcia. The main candidate seems to be Michel Gonzalez, a coach who managed Olympiacos between 2013 and 2015 and is currently unemployed. Popular among Thrylos fans, Michel has never denied his desire to return to Piraeus and work with Olympiacos a second time.
Other names in the mix are Pedro Martins and Vladan Milojevic. More information connected with the Olympiacos coaching situation is expected to be revealed during early April.
