Romanian coach Răzvan Lucescu (57) is reportedly preparing to leave PAOK Thessaloniki, with businessman Ivan Savvidis (67), who leads the club, already in the process of finding a replacement. According to reports, Lucescu has attracted the interest of a traditional Turkish team, and negotiations could start in the near future.

Lucescu's tenure at PAOK Thessaloniki ended with a disastrous 2025-2026 season, marred by failures in both European and domestic competitions. After a play-off defeat to Celta Vigo in the Europa League, PAOK focused solely on Greek domestic leagues. However, the team's performance deteriorated, leading to their elimination from the race for the Greek championship and a disappointing loss in the Greek Cup final to Ofi Crete.

The final blow came in the Greek league playoffs, where PAOK under Lucescu failed to secure second place and a spot in the UEFA Champions League preliminary rounds, losing out to Olympiacos. Turkish media reports suggest that Beşiktaş Istanbul could be Lucescu's next destination.

Russian sources, controlling the Telegram channel "MYACH RU," confirm that Savvidis is already preparing for Lucescu's departure and has found a suitable replacement in Andrey Talalaev (53). Talalaev, a Moscow-born coach, has been preparing Baltika Kaliningrad since September 2024.

Talalaev had a professional playing career from 1990 to 2000, playing for various clubs including Torpedo Moscow and making a brief stint in Italy with Treviso. After retiring as a player, he became a coach and worked with the Russian Football Federation as a selector for various age groups. He has also coached several club teams, including Rostov and Kuban Krasnodar.

It is reported that Talalaev will bring two key players from Baltika to PAOK. The coming weeks will determine whether Lucescu leaves PAOK and whether tensions between him and Savvidis have escalated.

Lucescu's contract with PAOK runs until June 30, 2027, but Greek media has not reported any significant rift between the coach and the club's leadership.