Panathinaikos ended its collaboration with Rafa Benitez on 24 October 2025, less than seven months after the Spanish coach was announced as the club’s new manager. The Greek side said Benitez and his staff were leaving immediately, bringing a short and turbulent spell to an abrupt close.
The club thanked Benitez and his team for the professionalism and ethos they brought during their time in charge, but the result on the field never matched the scale of the appointment. Panathinaikos finished fourth in the table, 20 points off the top, even as Benitez guided the side to the semi-finals of the Greek Cup and the last 16 of the Europa League.
When Panathinaikos named Benitez on 24 October 2025, it cast the move as a major statement, describing him as one of the most successful coaches in world football. His departure now leaves the club back where it started: searching for another manager after betting on an experienced name to lift it into contention.
Panathinaikos had already considered Jacob Neestrup as a replacement, though the Danish coach was later sacked by FC Copenhagen in March 2026. That detail underlines how quickly the market for elite managers shifts, but it also reflects the uncertainty around Panathinaikos’ next step after a season that produced some progress in Europe without delivering a title challenge.
For Benitez, the dismissal adds to a difficult run in recent years. He previously left Newcastle United after Mike Ashley forced him out, his move to Dalian Professional did not work out partly because of the impact of Covid, and he spent only six and a half months at Everton. He was also sacked by Celta Vigo less than nine months before the Panathinaikos dismissal, leaving the 66-year-old once again looking for his next job after another brief spell ended before it had time to settle.
What Panathinaikos saw as a fresh start in October became another short chapter in Benitez’s career. The club got the European runs it needed, but not the league progress it wanted, and that gap was enough to end the partnership before the next season could begin.
