Former Olympiacos striker Youssef El Arabi said he was surprised by Jose Luis Mendilibar's departure from the Piraeus club, and gave an update on the recovery of injured teammate Ayoub El Kaabi. El Arabi spoke on The Football Show by Stoiximan on protothema.gr.
"I was surprised when you see a coach like that, with so many successes at Olympiacos, leaving in September," El Arabi said of Mendilibar's exit.
El Arabi said Olympiacos had made many signings, and in such cases a team needs time to build the necessary cohesion. He added that the situation had since changed, with a new coach now in place, a new season underway, and important European fixtures ahead for the club.
Mendilibar took charge of Olympiacos after winning the Europa League with Sevilla in 2023, and led the Piraeus club to the UEFA Conference League title in 2024, the first European trophy in the club's history. He left the post this September.
Mendilibar changed Olympiacos's mentality
El Arabi spoke warmly of Mendilibar, praising above all his ability to motivate players.
"As a person, he is a coach who gives everything for the players, to motivate them. He might not speak English very well, but he has the experience to motivate the team. When he came to Olympiacos, he changed the mentality in the team," El Arabi said.
He said he believed the Spanish coach was now ready to look for a new challenge in his career, adding that his contribution at Olympiacos would not be forgotten.
"It is time for him to try a new challenge, and I am sure that no one at Olympiacos will forget him," he said.
El Arabi also highlighted Mendilibar's directness, recalling an incident from the dressing room.
"He is very direct. I remember a player who had joined and did not understand something, and he told him: 'If you don't understand, I won't play you.' We were all surprised, but then he did what he said," El Arabi revealed.
He said that often the way Mendilibar communicated with players was enough for them to understand what he wanted, even when there was a language barrier.
"In the dressing room, sometimes he would try to talk to a player, and even without anyone translating what he said, you understood what he meant from his eyes, from how intensely he spoke," he said.
'I visited El Kaabi so he would smile'
El Arabi also spoke about the condition of Ayoub El Kaabi, who is going through a difficult period following surgery.
"It's a difficult moment for him and for me. It's not easy, because I want to give him the strength to smile. Yesterday I went to visit him, so he would smile," El Arabi said.
He explained that after major surgery, an athlete can feel isolated and in need of support from those close to him.
"Sometimes, after a big operation, you are left alone and you need help. But he is strong, and with a little time he will return. If he sets his mind to something, he will never let it go," he concluded.
