Nioplias quits post, then changes mind
Panathinaikos manager Nikos Nioplias stated yesterday evening that he intended to quit his post, only for club President Nikolas Pateras to convince him to change his mind less than an hour later. The Greek coach stated that he planed to meet with Pateras early in the week to inform him why he had decided to leave the Panathinaikos bench. The statement came at the end of the press conference at Iraklio after Panathinaikos’s 4-1 victory over Ergotelis in the league. «I no longer want to be the manager of Panathinaikos, as it is not possible for me to be the best coach on August 22 and to be the laughing stock of Greek soccer on September 22,» said a visibly emotional Nioplias. Yet just over 30 minutes later, Pateras reached Nioplias by phone and reportedly told him: «You are not going anywhere. We trust you, believe in you and we will proceed together.» Meanwhile, AEK was reportedly close to agreeing to terms with Spanish manager Manolo Jimenez last night in its bid to appoint a successor for coach Dusan Bajevic.
