Rumors emanating from Turkey are swirling that coach Fatih Terim will be appointed as head coach of the Greek football club Panathinaikos FC.
The reports suggest that current coach Ivan Jovanovic will be imminently dismissed and replaced by the Turkish coach a day after Christmas Eve, with the latter coming to take the reins of the club within the next few days, Turkish media reports.
The news of Jovanovic’s dismissal came out of the blue just a day before the team returned for preparation ahead of the second half of the season.
The reports from Turkey indicate that the Greek club has terminated its contract with Jovanović, and an agreement with Terim has been reached, while the arrival of the 70-year-old Turkish coach in Greece is expected tomorrow, so he can assume his new post.
Despite the speculation, Panathinaikos has remained conspicuously silent in response to news items from neighboring country. The “Greens”, who stand second in the country’s top-flight league, have yet to deny the reports, suggesting a deal may have already been reached with the Turkish coach.
Especially noteworthy is the recent statement attributed to Terim in the mass Turkish daily “Hurriyet”: “Yes, it is true. I reached an agreement with Panathinaikos. We finalized things yesterday. I will travel to Greece tomorrow and will be present at the afternoon training session.”
