Rafael Benítez has been officially dismissed from his role as head coach of Greek football club Panathinaikos. The 66-year-old Spanish tactician, known for his previous stints with Liverpool, Chelsea, and Real Madrid, lasted just seven months in Athens, failing to meet expectations during his tenure.
Benítez was appointed in October of the previous year, making headlines as the highest-paid coach in Greek football history with a contract worth £4.4 million per season. However, his time with the club was plagued by disappointing results, culminating in a record of 10 losses out of 41 matches.
Despite leading Panathinaikos to the Europa League round of 16, his reputation suffered significantly after a loss to rivals Olympiacos in the “Derby of the Eternal Enemies,” with a final score of 0-2 at home. The season concluded disappointingly for the club as they finished fourth in the league, thereby missing out on the Europa League and facing qualifiers for the Conference League instead.
Álvaro Arbeloa responded to the question of whether he will join José Mourinho’s coaching staff.