Rafael Benitez is reportedly set to become the new gaffer at Panathinaikos, and I can't bloody believe it!
This Spaniard is taking over from Rui Vitoria at the Greek club, and I'm wondering what the hell he's thinking!
Benitez has been out of work since he left Celta Vigo back in March 2024, and now he's decided to take his talents to Greece for the first time in his career. What a muppet!
According to some local rag called Sport24, Benitez has agreed a two-and-a-half year deal with Panathinaikos worth £4.35million a year until 2028. That's a lot of dosh for a manager who's been on the beach for months!
Panathinaikos are currently sitting in seventh place in the Greek league table, seven points behind the leaders AEK Athens, but they do have a game in hand. They're also still in the Europa League, with one win and one loss in their first two matches.
Benitez's first game in charge could be away to Aris on Sunday, followed by a trip to Feyenoord in the Europa League four days later. I can't wait to see how he screws it up!
Benitez tipped for Rangers
Before this news broke, there were rumours that Benitez was being lined up to take over at Rangers. Can you imagine that? A former Liverpool manager in charge at Ibrox? The fans would have gone mental!
But it looks like Rangers are going to appoint some Aussie bloke called Kevin Muscat instead. He's currently in charge of Shanghai Port in China, but he's expected to take over at Rangers once the Chinese season is over.
I don't know much about Muscat, but he can't be any worse than Benitez, can he? The Spaniard may have won the Champions League with Liverpool back in the day, but he's also had some shocking spells at Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton in recent years.
He's managed some big clubs in Europe, like Valencia, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Napoli, but he's never really set the world alight. I reckon he's past his best, and I'm not sure what Panathinaikos are hoping to achieve by hiring him.
But hey, what do I know? I'm just a football fan who likes to have a rant and rave about the beautiful game. I'll be keeping a close eye on Benitez's progress at Panathinaikos, and I'm sure I'll have plenty more to say about it in the coming weeks and months.
Until then, I'll just have to content myself with watching the Premier League and dreaming of what might have been if my team had a decent manager in charge. But that's another story for another day!
