Besnik Hasi

Olympiakos officially confirmed the sacking of coach Takis Lemonis on Thursday as the Greek champion is said to have reached a deal with Spanish manager Oscar Garcia.

Olympiakos Piraeus named Takis Lemonis as coach on Monday in place of Besnik Hasi who left the club after three months in charge following the 3-2 defeat by fierce rival AEK on Sunday.

The Greek champion, who travels to Juventus on Wednesday in the Champions League, let a 2-0 lead slip in the Super League match at the Olympic Stadium and is now five points behind league leader AEK.

Former coach of Olympiakos Takis Lemonis will take the helm of the club after the administration sacked coach Besnik Hasi following the champion’s defeat to AEK Athens (3-2) Sunday night. The club issued the following statement: “Olympiakos FC announces the start of its co-operation with coach Takis Lemonis”.

Olympiakos has informed manager Besnik Hasi he is no longer the coach of the Greek champion, following the dramatic 3-2 loss at AEK.

The Reds squandered a 2-0 lead conceding three goals in the last half-hour of the derby at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday, and in the early hours of Monday the Olympiakos board decided it should move on with another manager.

Lazaros Christodoulopoulos led AEK to a comeback triumph over Olympiakos in the season's first derby, as the Yellows won 3-2 at home on Sunday to stay alone on top of the table.

They are two points clear of PAOK and Panionios who scored home wins on Sunday, in a much more productive Super League weekend than the previous one.

Greek champion Olympiakos Piraeus on Thursday named Besnik Hasi as the club's new coach, the Kosovo Albanian setting an immediate target of reaching the Champions League group stages.

Hasi, 45, signed a two-year-contract with the Super League club after several days of talks, and he replaces previous boss Takis Lemonis.