Razvan, Jose, Matias and… Ivan

That almost cynical postulate will always insist that coaches live and breathe the air from two lists: those who have already been fired and the others who will be fired at some point. But what happens when it’s their turn to sit in the center of the conversation? In general, many and various things. Specifically; Probably the most interesting ending to a football season that has happened to us – if it ever happened to us again – in years. With their signature on the script, wide and wide… Does anyone doubt that everyone is talking about the coaches at the door of the season’s epilogue? For Razvan Lucescu who, if he leads PAOK tomorrow (19/5) to victory over Ari in the Thessaloniki derby, will he win a championship that should have his photo on the cup? Matias Almeida, who has AEK lying in wait for PAOK’s biggest mistake, if he can redeem himself from the mistakes that the Argentinian coach took responsibility for one by one after Wednesday’s defeat by Olympiakos? The very Jose Luis Mendiliber who not only “revived” the Red and Whites but also reached the first European final in their history? Aki Manzio who brought Aris back to a Cup final with the hope of the first title after half a century and put it? Even for Ivan Jovanovic, who has been away from Panathinaikos since Christmas, but whose friends of the Greens not only do not forget him but (also) for his sake, tomorrow at noon they are preparing a rally demanding the resignation of Yannis Alafouzou who fired the Serb .

Mediliber and Lucescu. Normal relaunch of a job that rarely thrives here in our parts, but which when it happens gives him and… understands. Jose Luis Medilibar found the third different coach this year at Olympiakos in a condition that ninety-nine times out of a hundred simply leads to the need for the finale of the season to start the next one. And what did the atheophobe Vaskos do in three months? He built a team that reached the final of the Conference League and with which he is preparing (29/5 against Fiorentina) to claim a second straight European title after last year’s Europa League victory with (his) Sevilla in which he was also there third coach of the season! And if the 63-year-old has Vangelis Marinakis by his side, who even renewed his contract on the night of the shocking Olympiacos – Maccabi 1-4? Razvan Lucescu at PAOK has his loneliness in company. No technical director. Without a budget comparable to the competition. Without the comforts that got the North Double to the 2018 double. And yet he has built a team that has scored 85 league goals (and over 130 in all competitions), has the best defense (33), won the series AEK, Olympiakos and Panathinaikos before reaching Sunday’s challenge where he won the title of champion with a “double” in the Vikelidis Club. Everything everything the Romanian.

Almeida and the habit. Exactly what the fans of AEK have had in mind for two years now, what Matias Almeida is for them and their team. However, despite the excellent work of the first season, “Pelados” did not have the same success in the second cycle and may still win the championship tomorrow – with a win or a draw for Ari. His team throughout the year seemed to develop a strange habit. To think that matches are won by themselves. Somehow he lost a bunch of points in games where he even led 2-0 (2-2 in Agrinio with Panaitolikos or with PAOK in New Philadelphia). Bad attitude that got her in big trouble in the finale. On Wednesday, they had to go and beat Olympiakos in G. Karaiskakis to keep the upper hand in the championship. However, Andre Horta gave her a… bite and threatens to leave her empty-handed. He was excluded from the Champions League qualifiers. It finished last in its Europa League group. He lost to Ari – penalty – the way to the double. Now it is very likely that he will unexpectedly lose the championship as well.

Manzios and Panathinaikos. Who is the Union betting on? Apparently to Akis Manzios. The Greek technician of Aris who in turn is preparing for the ultimate week of his career. Sunday at the bench of the sold out Aris – PAOK that decides the title of the champion. Saturday (25/5) on the bench of the “closed doors” Ares Cup final – Panathinaikos. In the final where the Greens will try to heal the wounds opened by another season. From the beginning, they were among the favorites to win the championship. They were in the season two or three times at the top of the table. Essentially, however, it was always Ivan Jovanovic’s team. And until Christmas with the Serb at the helm. And then when veteran Fatih Terim took over. And a team in… foreign hands rarely succeeds. If Panathinaikos does not beat Olympiacos tomorrow at Leoforos, they will finish 4th in the league. If he loses the Cup to Aris, he will stay out of Europe. The season that started with the expectation of becoming… “cinema paradise” can turn into a “nightmare on the street with poplars”. And with an owner who is in the most difficult position: the one who understands that the public of his team is standing in front of him again. Maybe that’s why early Friday he finalized the dismissal of Fatih Terim and his replacement by Christos Contis: Ivan Jovanovic’s assistant…