TEMPO.CO, Athena - Sergio Markarian has been named Greece's new national coach, the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) said Thursday.
The 70-year-old Uruguayan replaces Italian Claudio Ranieri, who was sacked after only coaching for three months, following Greece's poor start at the Euro 2016 qualifier.
"Mr. Sergio Markarian is the new coach of the national team following a unanimous decision of the EPO board and the recommendation of (former Greece captain) Mr. Giorgos Karagounis," EPO said in a statement.
"The contract will run until December 2015 and will be extended until July 2016 if the team qualifies for the final phase of the European Championship."
Former Greece international Nikos Kostenoglou was appointed as one of Markarian's assistant coaches.
Ranieri was shown to the exit in November following a humiliating 1-0 home defeat to the Faroe Islands, which left Greece sitting at the bottom of qualifying Group F.
Markarian, who is nicknamed El Mago (The Magician) for his tactical approaches, won domestic titles with several clubs in Paraguay, Chile and Peru, and his last job was with the Peruvian national team.
During his time in Greece, he had coached Ionikos, Panathinaikos and Iraklis. He was popular for his "tsuku tsuku" football, which seized victory with low-scoring wins.
ANTARA
