Leonis makes national squad comeback
Alekos Leonis is returning to the helm of the men’s national team almost two-and-a-half years after leaving the post.
The successful coach reportedly had a meeting on January 21 with Achilleas Mavrommatis, president of the Hellenic Volleyball Federation (EOPE), and the two parties quickly reached an agreement.
The deal will be ratified on January 24 during the meeting of the federation’s governing board, which is certain to approve the hiring.
The Greek coach, who left the national team in 2008 to join Panathinaikos, will succeed US coach Gordon Mayforth, whose coaching certificate did not comply with the requirements of the General Secretariat for Sports.
This technical detail means that EOPE was able to terminate the contract with the American coach, which ran to 2012, without having to pay a hefty amount in compensation.
Federation officials moved quickly to secure Leonis, who recently came close to being hired by a Romanian club side. He will work on a part-time basis, allowing him also to coach at club level if he wants to.
Leonis had won championship and cup trophies in his first stint with Iraklis, which he joined for a second time last summer for a few months before quitting in November.
