Olympiacos appoints former Real Sociedad manager Imanol Alguacil to succeed José Luis Mendilibar

Managerial change in Piraeus

Olympiacos officially announced the hiring of Imanol Alguacil as their new head coach on 10 September 2026, ending the two-and-a-half-year spell of José Luis Mendilibar. The Greek club moved to replace Mendilibar immediately after terminating their cooperation, selecting another Basque tactician to lead the first team. Alguacil arrived in Athens on Thursday to take charge of squad sessions at the club's Rentis training center. In an immediate effort to begin preparations, the 55-year-old manager canceled a scheduled day off for the squad. His arrival comes ahead of competitive fixtures across two competitions, including a domestic Super League match against OFI and a UEFA Europa League encounter against Polish side Jagiellonia.

Olympiacos FC announces the start of its cooperation with coach Mr. Imanol Alguacil Barrenetxea.

Career pathway and Real Sociedad tenure

Born on 4 July 1971 in Orio in the Basque Country, Alguacil developed his entire early sporting identity at Real Sociedad. He initially came through the San Sebastian club's youth academy before playing as a right-back in the senior side, later returning to work through the club's coaching system. Alguacil took charge of Real Sociedad's first team from 2018 until 2025, spending six and a half seasons at the helm. Reporting across sources places his record at the Spanish club at between 330 and 339 matches, highlighted by winning the Copa del Rey in 2021 for the 2019/20 season. Following his departure from Real Sociedad in 2025, he managed Saudi Arabian club Al-Shabab before leaving that post in February 2026, remaining unattached until accepting the Olympiacos role.

Tactical identity and possession philosophy

Alguacil brings a structured playing style centered on high possession, positional discipline, and controlled build-up play from the defensive third. His teams predominantly set up in a 4-3-3 formation, while frequently adapting to a 4-2-3-1 depending on match conditions and opposition setups. The system places heavy technical demands on central defenders to construct play from deep areas and relies on a defensive midfielder to act as the primary link between the defense and midfield line, a role fulfilled by Martín Zubimendi during Alguacil's tenure at Real Sociedad. Alguacil utilizes interior midfielders, wingers, and full-backs to form passing triangles, creating central overloads that draw opponents inward before releasing rapid vertical passes to isolate wide players.

Defensive pressing and transition setup

Without the ball, Alguacil demands immediate counter-pressing to recover possession before opposing teams can organize offensive transitions. The Basque coach instructs his players to react instantly upon losing the ball, applying intense pressure high up the pitch. When that initial wave of pressing is bypassed, the team retreats into a compact defensive block aimed at closing central corridors. While maintaining the high physical intensity seen under Mendilibar, Alguacil introduces more systematic passing networks and controlled tempo shifts. The manager's immediate focus at the Rentis training facilities remains drilling these tactical principles into the squad before their upcoming fixtures against OFI and Jagiellonia.