Olympiacos have officially confirmed the appointment of Elvis Fatović as their new head coach, bringing an end to weeks of speculation and signalling a bold new era for the Greek champions.
The Piraeus-based club announced today that the 54-year-old Croatian will take the helm ahead of the 2025–26 season, marking one of the most high-profile coaching moves in recent European water polo history.
The change in leadership follows another year of European disappointment for Olympiacos, who failed to qualify for the Champions League Final Four for a second consecutive season. The club parted ways with Hrvoje Koljanin shortly before the season’s conclusion. Olympiacos legend Giorgos Droskas took over in an interim capacity, leading the team to another domestic title, but has stepped aside due to family commitments in Chios. Both parties have expressed openness to future collaboration.
Olympiacos wasted no time identifying a long-term solution, and they have now secured one of the sport’s most respected minds.
Fatović arrives in Greece after a successful three-year tenure with CN Atlètic-Barceloneta, where he won three consecutive Spanish league and cup doubles and consistently guided the team deep into the Champions League. His final match with CNAB came last week in Malta, where Barceloneta were eliminated in the semi-finals after a dramatic penalty shootout against Novi Beograd.
A former standout player with Jug Dubrovnik and Mladost, Fatović transitioned to coaching in 2005. He served as an assistant with the Croatian national team before leading Jug from 2008 to 2011. He then took over the Australian national team (2013–2021), where he significantly raised the international profile of the “Aussie Sharks.”
Olympiacos’ commitment to Fatović is not only strategic but financial. Reports from Greece suggest the club is investing heavily to secure his expertise, reportedly offering a salary nearly double what he earned in Spain. The move underlines Olympiacos’ ambition to reclaim its place among Europe’s elite — a status it last held in 2018 when it won the Champions League under Thodoris Vlachos.
Fatović takes charge of a talented squad, but expectations will be immediate and intense. A reshaping of the roster is expected, with Olympiacos aiming not only to maintain domestic supremacy but to become a serious continental contender once again.
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of Fatović’s departure from Barceloneta, Fran Fernandez is expected to take over as the new head coach. A club legend and former Spanish international, Español brings deep knowledge of CNAB’s culture and playing philosophy, having enjoyed a decorated career at the club as a player.
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