25.05.2018 16:29 h

Ouzounidis takes over at Greek champions AEK Athens

Greek champions AEK Athens announced Friday that former Panathinaikos coach Marinos Ouzounidis will replace Spanish mentor Manolo Jimenez, who stepped down earlier the same day.

Ouzounidis, 49, resigned from Panathinaikos earlier this month after the former 20-time Greek champions endured one of their worst seasons by finishing in the bottom half of the Super League table.

AEK said they signed a two-year contract with Ouzounidis without mentioning any financial details.

"I would like to thank AEK president Dimitris Melissanidis for the confidence he shows in me. What is important now is to be worthy of this confidence and, most importantly, to work together to meet the challenge and to achieve the high goals of AEK," Ouzounidis said.

Jimenez, 54, led AEK this season to their first league title for 24 years but the Spaniard expressed the desire to return to his native country, most likely to take up the coach's job at Las Palmas.

"Manolo has already written his own big chapter in AEK's history and we wish him every success in his career," AEK said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Thai Entrepreneur Pairoj Piempongsant is in Athens this weekend for further talks with Panathinaikos officials in an effort to complete the sale of the financially-troubled Athens club for a reported 27 million euros.

If the sale is completed, Panathinaikos will become the first Greek professional football team owned by a foreign group.