Takis Lemonis
Encyclopedia
Takis Lemonis is a former Greek
football player , former manager of Cypriot champion Omonia and current manager of Panionios.
(1988 - 1991) and Panionios (1992 - 1993). During his playing career Lemonis was capped twice by the Greek national football team.
and, in 1996, became head coach at Asteras Zografou. In 2000, he returned to Olympiakos as the assistant coach and, after the dismissal of Ioannis Matzourakis
, as head coach. Lemonis had domestic success at Olympiakos by winning two championships in a row but internationally fell short of the fans' expectations and was dismissed in October 2002. He has since coached APOEL F.C. in Cyprus
(2003), Kallithea FC
(2005) and Levadiakos
upon their return to the Alpha Ethniki for the 2006 season
.
Olympiakos under the leading of Takis Lemonis won the championship with 12 points difference in 2001 and beat AEK in a match practically final of the championship with a 4-3 in an impressive match in April 2002. He also managed to win AEK 6-1 and Panathinaikos 1-4 in Leoforos, Panathinaicos' historical castle, which together with this season's 4-0 against Panathinaicos again are the biggest domestic victories a Greek team has ever achieved during the last 20 years. However, Olympiacos did miserably in the Champions League (lost 3-0 to Maccabi Haifa) and Lemonis was quickly fired.
In September 2006, Lemonis once again replaced Ioannis Matzourakis, this time as coach of Xanthi FC. He resigned in December 2006 and, later that month, signed a six months contract and replaced Trond Sollied
as the head coach of Olympiakos, but many fans were negative to his return. Despite the fact that Takis Lemonis is a genuine supporter of Olympiakos, many of the clubs fans dislike him because of his defensive coaching mentality and his inexperience in coaching international games.
Although Olympiacos was eventually crowned champion, the loss of the derby of the eternal enemies
, the disqualification by a lower division club in the Greek Cup
and the loss of Rivaldo
led Olympiacos fans to boo Lemonis, Sokratis Kokkalis (the chairman of the club) and the players. However the chairman decided to extend Lemonis's contract for two more years which keeps Lemonis in the club until summer 2009. The 2007-08
season started badly with Olympiacos losing points in the Greek Superleague and drawing with Lazio at home. The away match with Werder Bremen was critical for Lemonis. However Olympiacos prevailed 1-3 (his first win in an away Champions League match) and Lemonis was given an extension. Lemonis was doing better on his second spell with Olympiacos, leading the way to a second away victory in Champions League
away game against SS Lazio, a home win of 3-0 against Bremen (6-1 tally in favor of Olympiakos between the two teams), and a devastating 4-0 win against Panathinaikos in the Greek Cup eighth-finals. However he received a lot of criticism for his defensive coaching mentality, the poor performance of Olympiacos in the Super League Greece
and the poor summer training of the team which resulted in a large number of injuries. Takis Lemonis responded to the criticism by stating that the large number of injuries was not surprising given the fact that Olympiacos had a lot of new players. He dismissed the negative comments regarding the summer training. He "refused to apologize" for the team's performance so far and stated that Olympiacos remained a contender for all the targets he had set since the beginning of the season. However the draw in Karaiskákis Stadium
with Asteras Tripolis, days before the UEFA Champions League
actually terminated Lemonis' career at Olympiakos, as on 11 March 2008 the board of directors unanimously decided to sack him.
As coach of Olympiacos, Lemonis has achieved a great amount in both their domestic and UEFA Champions League campaigns. He achieved Olympiacos' greatest margin of victory in the competition by defeating Bayer Leverkusen
6-2 in 2002-03
. In his second reign as coach, Lemonis gave Olympiacos their first away win in the competition against SV Werder Bremen, and a trip to the Round of 16 for only the second time in their history in 2007-08.
On 12 November 2008, Lemonis signed a contract for rest of the 2008-09
season and replaced Ewald Lienen
as the head coach of Panionios. He finally resigned on 3 December 2008 after the refuse of the Panionio's board to accept his request to dismiss three members of Panionio's coaching and management staff.
On 17 March 2009, he signed a two-year contract with Omonia
. In 2010, Lemonis led Omonoia to its 20th Championship.
Omonia
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
football player , former manager of Cypriot champion Omonia and current manager of Panionios.
Playing career
Takis Lemonis played for local club Attikos before playing for Olympiakos from 1978 until 1987. He also played for LevadiakosLevadiakos
Levadiakos FC is a Greek association football club that plays in the second division Football League in Greece in the 2010–2011 season.Based in Livadeia, Greece, the club was promoted to the Alpha Ethniki, forerunner of the Super League, after ten seasons in minor divisions in the 2005–2006...
(1988 - 1991) and Panionios (1992 - 1993). During his playing career Lemonis was capped twice by the Greek national football team.
Coaching career
Having stopped football as a player, Lemonis studied coaching in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and, in 1996, became head coach at Asteras Zografou. In 2000, he returned to Olympiakos as the assistant coach and, after the dismissal of Ioannis Matzourakis
Ioannis Matzourakis
Ioannis Matzourakis is a Greek association football manager and former player. He is currently employed by Kavala FC....
, as head coach. Lemonis had domestic success at Olympiakos by winning two championships in a row but internationally fell short of the fans' expectations and was dismissed in October 2002. He has since coached APOEL F.C. in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
(2003), Kallithea FC
Kallithea FC
Kallithea F.C. is a Greek professional football club based in Kallithea, currently competing in the Football League .-Background:...
(2005) and Levadiakos
Levadiakos
Levadiakos FC is a Greek association football club that plays in the second division Football League in Greece in the 2010–2011 season.Based in Livadeia, Greece, the club was promoted to the Alpha Ethniki, forerunner of the Super League, after ten seasons in minor divisions in the 2005–2006...
upon their return to the Alpha Ethniki for the 2006 season
2005-06 in Greek football
The 2005-06 Greek Football season saw Olympiacos claim its second consecutive and 34th Greek title in the Alpha Ethniki. However, the season was somewhat overshadowed by the suspension of the Greek FA by UEFA, which jeopardized the European places of the Champions League, UEFA Cup, and Intertoto...
.
Olympiakos under the leading of Takis Lemonis won the championship with 12 points difference in 2001 and beat AEK in a match practically final of the championship with a 4-3 in an impressive match in April 2002. He also managed to win AEK 6-1 and Panathinaikos 1-4 in Leoforos, Panathinaicos' historical castle, which together with this season's 4-0 against Panathinaicos again are the biggest domestic victories a Greek team has ever achieved during the last 20 years. However, Olympiacos did miserably in the Champions League (lost 3-0 to Maccabi Haifa) and Lemonis was quickly fired.
In September 2006, Lemonis once again replaced Ioannis Matzourakis, this time as coach of Xanthi FC. He resigned in December 2006 and, later that month, signed a six months contract and replaced Trond Sollied
Trond Sollied
Trond Johan Sollied is a Norwegian football manager and retired player, currently managing the Belgian first division team Gent....
as the head coach of Olympiakos, but many fans were negative to his return. Despite the fact that Takis Lemonis is a genuine supporter of Olympiakos, many of the clubs fans dislike him because of his defensive coaching mentality and his inexperience in coaching international games.
Although Olympiacos was eventually crowned champion, the loss of the derby of the eternal enemies
Derby of the eternal enemies
The Derby of the eternal enemies , also called Mother of all battles , is a sport local derby in Athens between the most successful clubs of Greece, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos...
, the disqualification by a lower division club in the Greek Cup
Greek football Cup
The Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
and the loss of Rivaldo
Rivaldo
Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira , commonly known simply as Rivaldo , is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for São Paulo, on loan from Mogi Mirim, as an attacking midfielder and sometimes as a supporting striker.He most notably played five years with Spanish club FC Barcelona, with whom he...
led Olympiacos fans to boo Lemonis, Sokratis Kokkalis (the chairman of the club) and the players. However the chairman decided to extend Lemonis's contract for two more years which keeps Lemonis in the club until summer 2009. The 2007-08
Super League Greece 2007-08
2007-08 was the second season of the Super League's, and started on September 1, 2007. The defending champions were Olympiacos. Asteras Tripolis, Veria and Levadiakos were promoted from Beta Ethniki in the previous season.-Postponement:...
season started badly with Olympiacos losing points in the Greek Superleague and drawing with Lazio at home. The away match with Werder Bremen was critical for Lemonis. However Olympiacos prevailed 1-3 (his first win in an away Champions League match) and Lemonis was given an extension. Lemonis was doing better on his second spell with Olympiacos, leading the way to a second away victory in Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
away game against SS Lazio, a home win of 3-0 against Bremen (6-1 tally in favor of Olympiakos between the two teams), and a devastating 4-0 win against Panathinaikos in the Greek Cup eighth-finals. However he received a lot of criticism for his defensive coaching mentality, the poor performance of Olympiacos in the Super League Greece
Super League Greece
The Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
and the poor summer training of the team which resulted in a large number of injuries. Takis Lemonis responded to the criticism by stating that the large number of injuries was not surprising given the fact that Olympiacos had a lot of new players. He dismissed the negative comments regarding the summer training. He "refused to apologize" for the team's performance so far and stated that Olympiacos remained a contender for all the targets he had set since the beginning of the season. However the draw in Karaiskákis Stadium
Karaiskakis Stadium
Karaiskakis Stadium is in the Neo Faliro area of Piraeus, Greece. It is the home ground of Olympiacos F.C. and is named after Georgios Karaiskakis , hero of the Greek War of Independence, who was mortally wounded near the area....
with Asteras Tripolis, days before the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
actually terminated Lemonis' career at Olympiakos, as on 11 March 2008 the board of directors unanimously decided to sack him.
As coach of Olympiacos, Lemonis has achieved a great amount in both their domestic and UEFA Champions League campaigns. He achieved Olympiacos' greatest margin of victory in the competition by defeating Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.-Origins and early years:On 27 November...
6-2 in 2002-03
UEFA Champions League 2002-03
The 2002–03 UEFA Champions League was the 11th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since its rebranding in 1992, and the 48th European Cup tournament overall. The competition was won by Milan, who beat Juventus on penalties in the European Cup's...
. In his second reign as coach, Lemonis gave Olympiacos their first away win in the competition against SV Werder Bremen, and a trip to the Round of 16 for only the second time in their history in 2007-08.
On 12 November 2008, Lemonis signed a contract for rest of the 2008-09
Super League Greece 2008-09
-League table :||rowspan=8 style="background-color:white;"|-Results:...
season and replaced Ewald Lienen
Ewald Lienen
Ewald Lienen is a German former footballer and manager.-Playing career:Lienen began his professional career at Arminia Bielefeld of the 2.Bundesliga North in 1974. After three seasons, he moved up to the top flight with Borussia Mönchengladbach...
as the head coach of Panionios. He finally resigned on 3 December 2008 after the refuse of the Panionio's board to accept his request to dismiss three members of Panionio's coaching and management staff.
On 17 March 2009, he signed a two-year contract with Omonia
AC Omonia
Athletic Club Omonoia Nicosia is a professional football club that plays in the Cyprus capital city Nicosia. The club was established in 1948 and became a member of the Cyprus Football Association in 1953...
. In 2010, Lemonis led Omonoia to its 20th Championship.
Palmeras as player
Olympiacos- Greek Championship (4): 1980, 1981, 1982, 1987
- Greek CupGreek football CupThe Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
(1): 1981
Palmeras as coach
Olympiacos- Greek Championship (4): 2001, 2002, 2007, 2008
- Greek CupGreek football CupThe Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
(1): 2008 - Greek Super CupGreek Super Cup-Official edition:-External links:*...
(1) 2007
Omonia
AC Omonia
Athletic Club Omonoia Nicosia is a professional football club that plays in the Cyprus capital city Nicosia. The club was established in 1948 and became a member of the Cyprus Football Association in 1953...
- Cypriot ChampionshipCypriot First DivisionThe Cypriot Championship First Division is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus. As of 2007 it is sponsored by Marfin Popular Bank and is hence officially known as Marfin Laiki League .-Format:...
: 2010 - Cyprus FA Shield: 2010