Lienen agrees deal to coach Olympiakos

Germany’s Ewald Lienen said on Monday that he has agreed to become the coach of Greek heavyweights Olympiakos Piraeus for next season.

“We have agreed on all points but no contract has been signed as there are still some procedural issues with my current club 1860 Munich that I must settle,” he told reporters after a four-and-a-half-hour meeting with the Olympiakos management.

“This is a big challenge for me and I want to bring Olympiakos back to the top of the standings.”

The 56-year-old added that he would have to return to Germany to cancel his contract with 1860 Munich before penning a deal with Olympiakos.

“There is an agreement in principle. We must first settle some remaining issues with 1860 Munich and then the contract will be signed,” said Olympiakos press director Giannis Moralis.

Greek sport websites reported on Monday that Lienen will receive 550,000 euros yearly and will probably sign a two-year contract sometime this week.

Lienen has previously worked in Greece, having spent two years with Panionios between 2006 and 2008.

His other former clubs include Hannover 96, Borussia Moenchengladbach, Tenerife and Cologne.

Olympiakos won the Greek title for five years in a row between 2005 and 2009 but endured a disappointing 2009-10 campaign.

They finished second in the regular season but then ended up bottom of the four-team play-off table, meaning they missed out on a Champions League place next season and will have to qualify for the Europa League.

They also went through three coaches, with Georgian Temuri Ketsbaia, former Brazil great Zico and Montenegrin Bozidar Bandovic all taking the reins at different stages of the campaign.