The Lucescu era ends, the unknowns begin
Razvan Lucescu is gone. PAOK and the Romanian coach parted ways by mutual agreement this week, the club confirmed in an official statement (6). No compensation payout, no protracted legal fight, just a clean break after what had already become an untenable situation (1) (2). The man who delivered the 2018–19 double and returned for a second act in 2021 walks away with the club in third place, 64 points from 32 matches, and a +34 goal difference that flatters more than it reassures.
It had been drifting for weeks. The Al Sadd saga earlier this year, the back-and-forth over his release clause, and then Lucescu's direct appeal to Ivan Savvidis that he wanted to stay until 2027, all of it pointed toward a relationship that had run its course. Mutual agreement sounds polite. What it means is that both sides knew this could not limp into another season.
Two names, no clarity
The succession plan, if one exists, is not obvious. Two candidates surfaced within days. Alessio Lisi, currently at Osasuna, is the name gathering the most traction in Greek media (3). A compatriot of his inside Osasuna told Athletiko that Lisi is "built for clubs with pressure" and that PAOK fans "will adore him" (3). Bold claim about a coach most supporters have never seen on a touchline.
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The second name is Marino Pusic, now out of Al-Jazira in Abu Dhabi, reported by Dutch outlet VI as the man set to become the new PAOK trainer (4). Pusic has worked under Arne Slot at Feyenoord and carries a reputation for attacking football, but his head-coaching CV is thin. That is the common thread here: neither candidate has managed a club the size of PAOK.
The fan forums are edgy. "Generally I see a lot of complaining about the names being heard for coach," one supporter wrote on Reddit this week. "Obviously I would have preferred a more well-known coach with a heavy CV, but the coach market isn't like the player market" (2). That is the polite version. Others are blunter, describing Lisi as "completely unknown" and asking anyone who knows something to explain who he is (3).
The club has not signaled urgency. No shortlist has been published, no timeline disclosed. The silence after Lucescu's exit is beginning to feel less like due diligence and more like a vacuum.
Kedziora departs, the squad thins
Tomasz Kedziora is returning to Dynamo Kyiv after four seasons in Thessaloniki. The club confirmed the move this week with a "Thank you, Tomasz" farewell (5). The Polish defender made 112 appearances for PAOK, a reliable presence at right-back and centre-back through multiple managers and systems. He leaves a hole.
He also leaves a pattern. PAOK are losing their manager and a defensive regular in the same week, with no replacement for either confirmed. The squad that finished third was already short of the top two, and now it is getting thinner.
What to watch
The managerial appointment. Everything else is noise. Lisi and Pusic are the names, but the club needs to either confirm one of them or broaden the search, and do it soon. The transfer window will not wait. Kedziora's departure demands a defensive signing, and the new coach will want a voice in that. PAOK are entering a new era, but right now it looks less like a plan and more like a clearing-out.
