Bruno Onyemaechi and Philip Otele have been handed fresh opportunities to make their cases at club level after Olympiacos and Basel both changed managers, giving the Super Eagles duo a clean slate as two new coaches prepare to take charge of their respective teams, Footynaija.com reports.
Olympiacos ended José Luis Mendilibar’s two-year spell despite the Greek champions making a strong start to the domestic season, while Basel dismissed Stephan Lichtsteiner after seven league matches and two straight home defeats.
For Onyemaechi, the departure of Mendilibar closes a period in which he became a regular option at Olympiacos. The Nigerian left-back joined the Greek club from Boavista in January 2025 and played 17 league matches last season as Olympiacos finished second. Across all competitions, he made 22 appearances for the club in 2025/26.
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Mendilibar had been in charge when Onyemaechi helped Olympiacos win the Greek domestic double in 2025, after the club had already secured the UEFA Conference League under the Spanish coach.
Olympiacos later won the Super Cup as part of the historic treble celebrated during their centenary season.
Onyemaechi and Otele get new managers to impress
Olympiacos have not suffered a poor domestic start. They opened the league season with wins over Atromitos and Asteras Aktor before drawing 1-1 away to Volos, leaving them unbeaten after three matches. Their Champions League qualifying campaign, however, ended in disappointment after NEC Nijmegen eliminated them 2-1 on aggregate.
That European setback ultimately formed part of the backdrop to Mendilibar’s departure, with Olympiacos confirming the end of his tenure today.
Onyemaechi now has another coach to convince, but he enters the change with a stronger position than he had when he arrived in Greece. He has already shown that he can handle the demands of a major club and has been used mainly at left-back.
For Otele, the Nigerian winger returned to Basel in July after spending last season on loan at Hamburg, where he made nine Bundesliga appearances, scoring once and providing one assist. He had previously played an important role for Basel, registering five goals and four assists in 20 league appearances during the 2025/26 campaign.
He has found regular starts harder to come by this season, though. Otele has featured in six league matches, starting two and coming off the bench in four.
Basel ended Lichtsteiner’s tenure after seven league rounds, with the club sitting fifth on 10 points. The Swiss side said the expected improvement under the former Arsenal and Switzerland defender had not arrived, while Luigi Nocentini has been placed in temporary charge.
