Panathinaikos’ new coach takes over
Panathinaikos football club’s new head coach Rui Vitoria, from Portugal, has officially taken over at the Athens team, replacing Diego Alonso, the club announced Thursday.
Vitoria has signed a contract with Panathinaikos until June, 2026, the club announced.
The Portuguese coach, aged 54, has held a host of coaching positions over the past couple of decades, including at Benfica, one of Portugal’s biggest clubs, for a three-and-a-half-year stint until January, 2019.
Most recently, Vitoria led the Egyptian national team, from July, 2022 to February, 2024, but was sacked following Egypt’s Round of 16 exit at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Panathinaikos has made a poor start to its campaign this season. The club is currently placed eighth in the 14-team Greek Super League, the country’s top-tier competition, with 13 points after nine rounds, five points behind frontrunner Aris.
It cost Uruguayan coach Alonso his job just four months after signing a two-year contract. He was sacked earlier this week.
