Oscar Garcia the latest manager to leave the Olympiakos bench
Oscar Garcia has become the third manager to leave Olympiakos’s bench this season, as on Tuesday he announced in a personal statement at the club’s website he is departing by mutual consent.
The Spaniard was at the focus of criticism for the poor results of Olympiakos in the last few weeks, culminating in a mediocre performance last Saturday at Levadiakos, where the Reds drew 1-1 to drop from second to third at the table.
“I have decided, with the club’s consent, to terminate out cooperation so as to give the club more time to prepare for the next season,” read the unexpected statement of the Spanish coach, thanking Olympiakos president Vangelis Marinakis “for giving me the chance to manage the best team in Greece.”
It followed an angry speech by Marinakis at the Olympiakos training center on Monday in which he reportedly promised to sweep almost everyone in the soccer club, saying that “next time I come I do not even want to see the same dogs here”, according to press reports.
Assistant coach Christos Kontis will be the caretaking manager in the four remaining league games, with Ariel Ibagaza on his side. Kontis had also coached Olympiakos after the departure of Takis Lemonis, who had replaced Besnik Hasi.
Garcia will definitely be remembered in Greece for the till roll that struck him at Toumba, leading to the game between PAOK and Olympiakos being called off in February.
