Within less than 24 hours, Panathinaikos issued two denials through its channels regarding upcoming changes in key positions of the football department.

The first concerned contacts with Spanish coach Rafa Benítez, and the second with a foreign sporting director. However, behind the smoke that appeared Wednesday morning, when Benítez’s name was first mentioned, there is real fire: the Spaniard is the favorite to take over the team.

It is still unclear whether he has come to Athens (sources insist he was here on Wednesday) or if a meeting took place abroad (in London). Talks between the two sides are ongoing, but no final agreement has been reached.

According to sources, the offer exceeds €4 million (including his staff), with a proposed contract running until summer 2028.

Benítez is the choice of Giannis Alafouzos’ new advisor, Italian Franco Baldini, who is handling the issue, along with the search for a sporting director.

Choosing Benítez, beyond his extensive CV (though he has had limited recent success), also sends a message from Alafouzos: despite the poor start to the season, he is committed to bringing the team back to title contention and strong performance in Europe. Even if the season fails, preparations for the next season will have started early.

Regarding the sporting director, Papadimitriou is finished, and the official announcement of his replacement will come in the next few days.

Baldini is also handling this part, while Panathinaikos is making other changes. A new commercial director has already been appointed; a few days ago, the former president of the Greek Football Federation, Sofoklis Pilavios, was mentioned, and there are rumors about former CEO Leonidas Boutsikaris. Overall, Alafouzos will overhaul the club’s organization, implicitly admitting the previous model didn’t produce the desired results.

For now, Panathinaikos will go into Sunday’s match against Aris in Thessaloniki with Christos Kontis, and this is unlikely to change for Thursday’s away game against Feyenoord in the Netherlands.