Greece

Anthony Evgenidis

Managers from across the world have all too often met their worst nightmare in Socrates Kokkalis. He is a powerful figure whose influence stretches far beyond the depths of football. He demands nothing less than instant results and has an insatiable desire for success. Kokkalis is the owner of Greek powerhouse Olympiacos Piraeus, and has been since 1993, at which point the club was in dire straits.

With a name as historically majestic as Socrates you would only expect greatness. Kokkalis has been very, very, successful in his business and life endeavors so it is not hard to imagine the level of expectations he holds for his managers. No coach under Kokkalis’s watch has ever served four successive seasons at the helm of the Athens giants and the life expectancy of an Olympiacos manager during the Kokkalis era is about one and a half seasons, and many last much less longer than that.

Georgian coach Temuri Ketsbaia was the latest victim of Kokkalis, and it is safe to say there was no use of the famous “Socratic method” in the process. His replacement was Bozidar Bandovic, who stepped up as caretaker manager for a couple of games until the appointment of Brazilian legend Zico. It has been rumoured that Ketsbaia agreed terms with Kokkalis in his contract that if he were to be sacked during his first season he would not get further compensation other than for timed served. Whether this is true or not future managers should do their homework before deciding to put themselves in the lion’s den.

This is the second time this decade that Olympiacos have had three managers over the course of a full season. The firing of Dusan Bajevic during the first half of the 1999/00 season set a trend for the decade, and to be more specific 15 managerial changes have taken place and counting. Kokkalis is moving at such a pace he may yet match the legendary axeman, former Atletico Madrid president Jesus Gil. However, Kokkalis’s supporters would argue that all his moves have be necessary to drag Olympiacos to the top of Greek football and keep them there. And judging by the Super League club’s results one would find it hard to prove that they have not had the desired effect.

The Kokkalis strategy is quite simple, but nearly impossible to reproduce. Year in and year out  the Greek answers his fans’ calls for a new face in the dugout and a raft of new signings. He will fire a seemingly struggling manager, or a manager who does not have a positive relationship with the club’s fan base. Upon the build-up of tension and speculation, Kokkalis is far and away at his very best, he is ahead of everyone and the fans fully expect him to come through for them every single time. A shrewd businessman, he has turned himself into a populist leader.
 
When Kokkalis took over in 1993 as a relative unknown in football circles, Olympiacos were going through their worst ever period. The years 1988-1996 are known by Thyrlos fans as the “stone years”. Kokkalis promised the team’s faithful titles straight away, and that he would restore pride to the legendary club. It took Kokkalis a few years but finally in 1996 he found his knight in shining armour in the form of Dusan Bajevic. The appointment of Bajevic immediately paid dividends and the club ended their cursed streak, lifting Kokkalis to divine status. Bajevic firmly established himself as the prince and Kokkalis as the saviour. That accomplishment bought him affection and loyalty from overjoyed fans. Olympiacos would go on to win seven successive titles, but along the way, the occupant of the hot-seat changed drastically from year to year.

After firing the most successful manager in the history of Greek football it became apparent to fans and opponents alike that no one was untouchable while Kokkalis was in charge, and the fear that the supremo was going to bring down the hammer on someone over the years has created numerous sackings. The pressure attached to the coach’s job at the champions is simply huge.

The Olympiacos owner is someone who challenges the conventional wisdom for so long held in the game that managerial stability brings a greater chance of success. As the Athens giants have won 12 titles in the last 13 years, it is hard to argue against this method. Perhaps key though has been the fact that, while there were a core of players throughout the dynasty, two things have been constant, Kokkalis and former Serbian winger Predrag Djordjevic. Djordjevic is perhaps the only person who even comes close to being untouchable because of his status as the greatest captain in the club’s history. The duo have worked tirelessly to ensure Olympiacos have dominated the Greek game.

As long as Kokkalis continues to bring big name players to the club and the titles keep coming then he is justified in his methods. After all, the ends justify the means, and Kokkalis has given the fans what they wanted. But there must always remain a question mark over whether a coach has been cut down before they could achieve something truly special.

Related Articles:

• - Predrag Djordjevic: Olympiacos’ Eternal Captain
• - Life on the Edge: Management in Greece
• - Olympiacos’s Karaiskaki: Visitors Beware

Chelsea 08/09 Third *50% off*          PAOK Salonika 09/10 Home