Legendary coach Rafa Benitez is on his way to Greece with reports stating he has signed on as Panathinaikos’ new coach until the end of the 2026/27 season.
The 65-year-old Spaniard has reportedly been confirmed to take over the Greens’ managerial post, having sent his signature to the contract on Sunday evening (Greek time).
The deal is said to be in the multiple millions of euros (some reports saying four and others five), which would be the highest amount ever paid to a Greek team coach.
Benitez is slated to come to Athens this week to finalise the details, with him expected to officially take over following Panathinaikos’ Europa League match with Feyenoord (which will be the last game with Christos Kontis in the dugout).
Benitez comes in with a strong resume, having won multiple trophies across his time in Spain, England and Italy.
His most famous success is his 2005 Champions League win with Liverpool when the Reds famously came back from three goals down to win on penalties.
Among his honours also includes two La Liga titles with Valencia, with Benitez having the distinction of being one of the rare coaches to win the Spanish league with a team other than Real Madrid or Barcelona.
There will be plenty of intrigue to see how he fares at Panathinaikos, whose moves in recent years have suggested their priorities are set mostly on winning their first league title since 2010.
