Olympiakos parts ways with Mendilibar, appoints European Cup winner Alguacil

Olympiakos dismissed the Spanish successful coach José Luis Mendilibar on Wednesday and at the same time introduced Imanol Alguacil as the new head coach, with the Greek traditional club aiming to secure its first European trophy in its history. After a run of five games without defeat and despite winning the Conference League two years ago, which attracted great international attention, the decision remains surprising.

Successes and Record of Mendilibar

Mendilibar arrived in February 2024 in Piraeus and led the club to the Conference League final, which was won 1-0 after extra time against AC Florence. The golden goal came from Ayoub El Kaabi, who participated in the World Cup with Morocco. During his tenure he won four titles – the Conference League, the Greek league and the Greek Super Cup twice – and recorded in 127 matches 79 wins, 28 draws and 20 defeats.

New Coach Imanol Alguacil

As a successor Olympiakos already announced the appointment of Alguacil. “We welcome Imanol Alguacil, our new Head Coach!” the club wrote on Twitter. The Spaniard was the youth coach of Real Sociedad from 2018 to 2025, where he oversaw 330 matches, and was most recently at the Saudi club Al‑Shabab, which he left in February.

The traditional club is owned by Nottingham boss Evangelos Marinakis, who is regarded as the owner and boss of the club. Under his leadership the club is set to compete in the Europa League against AC Milan and TSG Hoffenheim, after missing out on a place in the Champions League.

The dismissal comes despite a five‑game unbeaten run, which surprised many observers. For José Luis Mendilibar it is over at Olympiakos, and the decision is seen as a signal for new sporting objectives.

He won four titles for the club, but it remains a chapter that lives on in the history of the Greek traditional club. The hope now lies with Alguacil, who is to take on the task of winning the first European trophy.