Santos takes Greece helm

Portuguese tactician follows Rehhagel into Greece hot-seat

Last updated: 1st July 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Santos takes Greece helm

Santos: New Greek boss

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Portuguese tactician Fernando Santos has been named as the new Greece national team coach to replace Otto Rehhagel.

The Greek Football Federation confirmed the 55-year-old's appointment on a two-year deal on Thursday after former boss Rehhagel stood down last week following Greece's elimination from the World Cup.

Rehhagel will be a hard act to follow, leading the Greeks to a shock Euro 2004 title success in his nine-year tenure, as well as qualifying for Euro 2008 and this summer's world finals, where they were eliminated at the group stage.

Santos takes on the job after leading PAOK Salonika to a place in next season's UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds for the first time before resigning in May.

He is well established in Greek football, having also enjoyed coaching stints at Panathinaikos and AEK Athens previously and being named as Coach of the Decade earlier this year by the Greek Super League.

He has also coached Benfica, where Greek midfielders Costas Katsouranis and Giorgos Karagounis both played for him, Sporting and Porto, whom he led to the Portuguese championship in 1994.

Santos will receive a reported 500,000 euros (£412,000) per year, about half of what the Greeks were paying Rehhagel.