Former Panathinaikos player Giorgos Donis signed a three-year contract to coach the team, the Greek Super League club announced Tuesday.
“It was a great desire to come back to my team at a crucial moment for the club. We all need to work together to bring Panathinaikos to the right place,”said the 48-year-old Donis, a midfielder for Panathinaikos from 1991-1996.
As a coach Donis worked with Cypriot team APOEL last season and in 2013-2015, with United Arab Emirates side Al-Sharjah (2016-2017), with Saudi club Al-Hilal (2015-2016), and with Greek teams PAOK (2012-2013), Atromitos (2009-2012), AEK Athens (2008-2009), Larissa (2004-2008) and Ilisiakos (2002-2004).
Donis played for the Greek national team from 1991-1997 making 24 appearances and scoring five goals, and on a club level also turned out for English clubs Huddersfield Town (1999-2000), Sheffield United (1999) and Blackburn Rovers (1996-1997), as well as for Greek sides AEK Athens (1997-1998) and Giannina (1990-1991).
Meanwhile, Thai entrepreneur Pairoj Piempongsant arrived in Athens Tuesday in order to complete the deal of acquiring a majority stake in the financially-troubled club, according to media reports.
He is meeting with current Panathinaikos owner Yiannis Alafouzos with the expected takeover of the club by Pan Asia Investments owned by Piempongsant to the tune of 27 million euros.
If the sale is completed, Panathinaikos will become the first Greek professional football team owned by a foreign group. Agence France-Presse
