On Thursday afternoon, Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) president Evangelos Grammenos officially revealed that Angelos Anastasiadis has replaced the sacked Michael Skibbe at the helm of the Greek national team.
As previously reported, Grammenos’ patience reached the end of its tether after Greece lost 0:2 to Finland in the UEFA Nations League, however, he was in two minds whether to give Skibbe a final chance or sack him. Eventually, after a week of weighing up his options, he took the decision to dismiss Skibbe and replace the German with 65-year old Angelos Anastasiadis. Grammenos revealed the news when speaking to the media after the EPO’s Board of Directors meeting in Thessaloniki:
“At today’s EPO Board of Directors meeting, we decided to cease our cooperation with Michael Skibbe, while employing Angelos Anastasiadis at the same time. This decision was based on the national team’s poor performances and disappointing results. We have hired a Greek coach who will install discipline, national pride and commitment. The Board of Directors considered that the next head coach should be a Greek manager with those qualities, so that’s why we chose Angelos Anastasiadis. I have negotiated a compensation fee with Michael Skibbe and engaged in conversations with Angelos Anastasiadis. I would like to publicly thank Mr. Skibbe. The possibility of introducing figures such as Giorgos Karagounis and Angelos Charisteas to the Ethniki set-up? This will all be discussed with Anastasiadis. The same goes for possible changes to the assistant coaches.”
The EPO’s contract with Anastasiadis will run until December 2019 when the qualification process for UEFA Euro 2020 finishes. Anastasiadis will reportedly sign the deal on Sunday.
Anastasiadis is the first Greek citizen to coach the national team on a permanent basis since Vasilis Daniil’s spell in charge between 1999 and 2001. In the past, Anastasiadis has notably managed PAOK, Iraklis, Panathinaikos and the Cypriot national team, winning the 2003 Greek Cup with the Dikefalos tou Vorra. He last managed in 2016 with AE Larissa.
by Shaun Nicolaides
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