Panathinaikos deny worrying management feud
Panathinaikos have denied strong rumours suggesting that Giannis Alafouzos has decided to strip Giorgos Donis of control concerning plans for the 2020/2021 season.
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On Thursday evening, gazzetta.gr released a report stating that Alafouzos, the owner of Panathinaikos, has decided to take control of planning for the 2020/2021 campaign away from head coach Donis, with the 62-year-old himself and technical director Xavi Roca taking care of matters instead. Alafouzos also stated that the budget is not going to be increased.
In addition, it was reported that if midfielder Christos Donis accepts the offer of a new Panathinaikos contract, Giorgos Donis will be fired. The Panathinaikos management does not believe that both of them should be working together in the club.
Christos is the son of Giorgos.
Nevertheless, later on, Panathinaikos issued this following statement:
“Reports stating that the majority shareholder of Panathinaikos FC has made decisions concerning the coach and issues regarding transfer policy, the existing team and everything else are completely false.”
It remains to be seen how the situation eventually unfolds.
Christos Donis, 25, began his senior career at Panathinaikos, and his current stint at the Athens-based club started in the summer of 2017 after he transferred from Iraklis. Giorgos Donis was appointed the manager of Panathinaikos in July 2018.
At the start of the 2019/2020 season, the 50-year-old offered to resign after a poor run of form, but he was persuaded to stay and Panathinaikos do now sit in fourth place of the Super League. The leading six teams in the league will compete in the championship playoffs.
Panathinaikos return to Super League action on Saturday against Asteras in Tripoli. Two rounds remain in the regular season.
