Greek club Olympiacos has unexpectedly ended its collaboration with head coach José Luis Mendilibar. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the club's official website. The Spanish coach is leaving the team after one of the most successful periods in its history, while the management has not disclosed the specific reasons for the decision. Notably, Mendilibar's contract was set to run until the summer of 2027, which makes his departure even more surprising for fans and experts alike.
The Mendilibar era: Greece's first European trophy
The Spaniard took charge of Olympiacos in February 2024 and, in a relatively short time, turned the team into one of the main favourites in Greek football. Under his leadership, the club won the championship, the Cup and the Greek Super Cup, completing a full domestic treble. The crowning achievement, however, was triumph in the 2023/24 Conference League: Olympiacos won a European trophy for the first time in its history, becoming the first Greek club to conquer a European prize. It was this success that became the calling card of the Mendilibar era and, probably, the main reason why his departure is being received as a sensation.
Season start and the European route
In the new season the team started successfully on the domestic front, winning two of the first two rounds of the Greek championship. However, on the international stage Olympiacos failed to break through to the main stage of the Champions League: in the qualifying rounds the Greek club lost to NEC Nijmegen. As a result, in the new European season Olympiacos will play in the main stage of the Europa League, which for a club of this stature is considered a step back after last year's Conference League triumph.
Yaremchuk: a chance after being dropped from the squad
The change of head coach may have direct consequences for Ukrainian striker Roman Yaremchuk, who has been playing for Olympiacos since the summer of 2024. Under Mendilibar, the Ukrainian never managed to become a starter: the main role in attack was long played by Moroccan Ayoub El Kaabi, while Yaremchuk mostly came on from the bench. Over this period he made 49 appearances in all competitions, scoring 14 goals and providing five assists. After his return from loan at Lyon, the situation became even more complicated for the 30-year-old Ukrainian — Mendilibar did not include him in Olympiacos' squad for the Europa League. Now, following the change of manager, Yaremchuk may potentially get a fresh chance to prove himself, but, as expected, only in domestic competitions.
Contradictory data
When cross-checking with additional sources, a discrepancy emerges regarding the club's European route. The main body of the article states that in the current season, after losing to NEC Nijmegen in the Champions League qualifiers, Olympiacos will play in the Europa League. At the same time, a number of publications record Mendilibar's comments following Champions League matches against Bayer and Real. A reasonable explanation for this difference lies in the chronology: references to games with Bayer and Real relate to the previous Champions League campaign, whereas in the current season the Greek club is competing in the Europa League. Thus, this is not a contradiction in the facts but a difference of seasons, which is important to keep in mind when interpreting news about the team's current status.
It is also worth noting that another Ukrainian theme runs in parallel in the football agenda: it was previously reported that Mykhailo Mudryk suffered an injury at Tottenham and risks missing matches for the national team. The combination of these events underscores that for Ukrainian legionnaires in Europe the current period is unfolding in an ambiguous way — from unexpected squad reshuffles at clubs to health problems among national team players.
