Slovenian coach Srecko Katanec, formerly of Olympiakos, yesterday rejected reports suggesting he had reached an agreement to take over at the Iraklis soccer team.

Katanec has a contract with the federation of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and is determined to honor it, as he told a radio station yesterday. “It sounds like a joke that I will take over at Iraklis,” he said. “This is the first time I have heard of that scenario.”

All other coaches associated with Iraklis’s search for a successor to Angel Pedraza have refuted suggestions they would manage the Thessaloniki side. They include Takis Lemonis, Yiannis Matzou-rakis and Dusan Bajevic, who are all former Olympiakos managers.

Argentine coach Guillermo Hoyos is another candidate. He is currently the coach of second-division PAS Ioannina, but his contract contains a clause allowing him to depart if he gets an offer from a Super League club.

OFI is also looking for a coach, with Pedraza and Israeli manager Itzhak Shum tipped as favorites for the post.