Rafa Benitez could be replaced by his former Liverpool player after just four months at new club

Feb 18, 2026 - 11:00

Rafa Benitez on the brink of being sacked at Panathinaikos.

Benitez is facing a fight to keep his job with the Greek club having won 13 of his 25 matches in charge, according to The Sun.

Rafa Benitez claps during a match — Benitez is reportedly on the ropes at his latest role

The report adds the Panathinaikos players are ‘not satisfied with pre-match preparations’, including a supposed lack of tactical analysis.

Panathinaikos’ upcoming fixtures against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League and OFI in Super League Greece action are expected to be critical in deciding Benitez’s future at the club.

Should the Athens-based outfit decide to twist rather than stick with the ex-Liverpool boss, Greek publication Sport24 claims a replacement has already been identified.

Who could replace Benitez at Panathinaikos?

The outlet claims Panathinaikos have already made contact with former player Igor Biscan.

Biscan’s last role was with Qatari club Al-Ahli, where he departed in November.

In an intriguing twist, Biscan and Benitez are no strangers to one another.

Biscan was a member of the Liverpool squad that came back from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final, with Benitez the manager of the Reds at the time.

The Croatian was an unused substitute in the final.

Biscan departed Anfield in the summer of 2005, bringing an end to his four-and-a-half-year stay with the Reds.

He moved to Panathinaikos, but spent only two seasons with the Greek club before he returned home to Croatia having joined Dinamo Zagreb.

Rafa Benitez gestures during a Panathinaikos match — The Spaniard may have only a handful of matches to save his skin

Igor Biscan watches a training session for Al Ahli — Biscan has reportedly been lined up to replace Benitez should Panathinaikos pull the trigger

Rafa Benitez’s Panathinaikos tenure at a glance

Benitez was appointed to the role in October on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

It marked the 17th stop in Benitez’s managerial career and was evidently a major coup for Panathinaikos given they handed him a reported £3.47million-per-year deal.

The seven-figure pay packet made Benitez the highest-paid manager in Greek football history.

At the time of Benitez’s appointment, Panathinaikos sat eight points behind the league leaders.

However, that margin has now widened to 16, with AEK Athens sitting atop the Super League Greece ladder while Panathinaikos lie in fifth.

Panathinaikos have not finished below fifth since the 2018/19 season, when they placed eighth.