According to the "Daily Mail" report, Spanish coach Benitez, who has been idle for 19 months, is about to return to the coaching bench and take over his 17th head coaching job. His destination is the Greek giant Panathinaikos, and the two players will sign a two-year contract.
The 65-year-old Benitez has been unemployed since being fired by Celta Vigo in March 2024. According to reports, the contract signed by Benitez with Panathinaikos will break the historical record of the Greek League. He will receive an annual salary of up to 3.47 million pounds per year, becoming the highest paid manager in the history of Greek football, after negotiations with club chairman Giannis Alafuzos in London on Sunday.
However, Benitez’s coaching will not start immediately. He has made a request to the club and needs some time to deal with the move to Athens, so he will miss the team's Europa League away game against Feyenoord on Thursday. Feyenoord coach Robin van Persie expressed "relief" because Benitez's absence prevented pre-match preparations from being disrupted.
Benitez’s brilliant coaching career has spanned giant clubs such as Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Naples and Real Madrid, and he has won many honors, including 2 La Liga championships, 1 Champions League championship, 2 Europa League/UEFA Cup championships and 1 Club World Cup championship. He made it clear in an interview in September that he wanted to return to teaching, particularly in England or Europe, and now he has got his wish.