Under-21 manager Tsanas to coach Greece vs Serbia
Greece named youth coach Costas Tsanas as interim coach of the senior national team on Sunday but there was no official confirmation yet of the sacking of Italian Claudio Ranieri.
The country’s soccer federation (EPO) has effectively suspended Ranieri for the time being as both sides work out the financial settlement surrounding his 1.6 million-euro contract.
Ranieri, 63, was expected to stay on for Greece’s friendly with Serbia in Crete on Tuesday but that is no longer the case.
“The Hellenic Football Federation announces that the role of interim coach for the friendly match with Serbia with be Costas Tsanas and Nektarios Pantazis,» EPO said in a brief media statement.
EPO chief Giorgos Sarris had made clear the organization’s intentions to part company with Ranieri on Saturday following the humiliating 1-0 defeat to the Faroe Islands which left Greece bottom of Euro 2016 qualifying Group F.
Ranieri was appointed after the 2014 World Cup, taking over from Portuguese boss Fernando Santos on a two-year deal amid enthusiastic media hype.
Under the former Chelsea, Juventus and Monaco boss, Greece showed incredibly poor form and a total lack of ideas in attack.
Greek media termed the national team’s shock 1-0 home defeat by Faroe Islands as a «black night» for football in the country.
Local media linked two Greek coaches – Giorgos Donis and Angelos Anastasiadis – with the post.
[Reuters]
