Jose Luis Mendilibar’s European Success Story Ahead of Olympiakos vs. Rangers Europa League Match

The upcoming Europa League match between Olympiakos and Rangers is scheduled for Thursday, 6 November, at 17:45 GMT at the Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis in Piraeus, Athens. Live commentary will be available on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Sounds, and BBC Sport online. Olympiakos manager Jose Luis Mendilibar, who led the club to Conference League success, may not be widely known to Scottish football fans, but he has achieved notable success late in his career as he prepares to host Rangers. Mendilibar’s career has seen significant accomplishments in his 60s, following a playing career spent in the Spanish second tier and a managerial journey that included less prominent Spanish clubs such as Eibar, Valladolid, Osasuna, and Levante. His curriculum vitae, while demonstrating his employability, only featured one fourth-tier and one second-tier title. At the age of 62, his career trajectory shifted dramatically. He was appointed by Sevilla after the dismissal of Argentine Jorge Sampaoli, and his impact was immediate. Within days, the Spaniard’s team eliminated Manchester Utd from the Europa League quarter-finals. They achieved a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford with two dramatic late goals before securing a 3-0 victory in the return leg in Andalusia. Sevilla then narrowly defeated Juventus in the semi-finals after extra time, proceeding to win the final by beating Roma on penalties. Jose Mourinho, then manager of Roma, “insisted he would not recognise” this outcome, expressing his “frustration” that Mendilibar had won the trophy and his belief that the result was “unjust.” However, his time at Sevilla was short-lived; he was relieved of his duties just four months later following a poor start to the season. Remarkably, 12 months later, he received another offer, this time from Greece. Mendilibar accepted the challenge to manage Olympiakos, and swiftly guided the Greek club back into continental competition and to their first European final. On their path, he outmaneuvered his countryman and continental specialist Unai Emery, defeating his Aston Villa side in the Conference League semi-finals. Olympiakos then made further history by overcoming Fiorentina in the final, held in Athens. This achievement meant Mendilibar joined Rafa Benitez in winning back-to-back European trophies with two different clubs. More significantly, it marked the first time a Greek club had won a European honor, ending a 13-year period of dominance by clubs from the major four leagues, during an era where these competitions and teams are becoming increasingly powerful. Since Porto’s victory over Braga in the secondary tournament in Dublin in 2011, only clubs from Spain, England, Italy, and Germany had won the Champions League, Europa League, or Conference League, until Olympiakos’s success. This European triumph provided a counterbalance to the club’s domestic disappointment, as they finished third in the Greek Super League, behind champions PAOK, who secured their fourth title, and local rivals AEK Athens. Olympiakos is recognized as the most successful club in Greece, having regularly participated in the Champions League and now holding a European title. Goals from Ayoub El Kaabi were instrumental in their elimination of Aston Villa last season. Entering match-day four, Olympiakos shares six points with Rangers. Both teams suffered a defeat against Lyon. Olympiakos has beaten Malmo, and their other success was a 3-0 home victory against Sporting Braga, a team known to Rangers. Greece’s “Erythroleykoi” have demonstrated good form recently. They are currently fourth in the domestic table, with Aris Thessaloniki having surpassed last year’s top two teams. Olympiakos has lost only once in their last eight matches and has maintained an unbeaten home record since mid-March, when they were defeated by Panathinaikos. Olympiakos also features Ayoub El Kaabi, considered one of Europe’s top strikers, whose 11 goals, including the sole goal in the final, were crucial to their Conference League win last term. The Morocco international was widely anticipated to depart in the summer following his performances at home and abroad, which included scoring five of his team’s six goals to defeat Aston Villa in their tie, and then deciding the tense final against La Viola. Goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis has recently made a name for himself, having secured the starting position in time for last season’s final. His notable three penalty saves in the shoot-out victory over Fenerbahce underscored his quality. The 21-year-old made his Greece debut earlier this year. Sister club Nottingham Forest has loaned defender David Carmo to Olympiakos for a second time this season. Additionally, Argentine defensive midfielder Santiago Hezze has reportedly garnered interest from Liverpool and Newcastle United. Turkey attacker Yusuf Yazici, a summer arrival from Lille, will miss the match due to injury. Defenders Lorenzo Pirola, a promising Italy Under-21 international, and Francisco Ortega, who started last season’s final, are also sidelined. Nevertheless, Rangers will face Mendilibar, a manager aiming for a third consecutive European trophy.