Mendilibar scaling new heights with Rangers' hosts

Jose Luis Mendilibar (left) led Olympiakos to Conference League success

Europa League: Olympiakos v Rangers

Venue: Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis, Piraeus Date: Thursday, 6 November Kick-off: 17:45 GMT

Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Sounds & BBC Sport online

Jose Luis Mendilibar may not be a household name to football fans in Scotland, but the Olympiakos manager has been writing quite the tale in the twilight of his career as he prepares to welcome Rangers to Athens' port city of Piraeus and their Europa League clash.

The Mendilibar story has come to spectacular fruition in his 60s after a playing career spent jobbing in the Spanish second tier and a managerial journey that wove through some of the country’s lesser lights such as Eibar, Valladolid, Osasuna and Levante.

He was quite clearly employable but with a CV that only boasted one fourth and one second-tier title.

Then, at the age of 62, it all changed.

Given the call by Sevilla in the wake of their sacking of Argentine Jorge Sampaoli, Mendilibar answered and then some.

Within days, the Spaniard's side had knocked Manchester Utd out of the Europa League quarter-finals, scoring two dramatic late goals to salvage a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford before winning the return in Andalusia 3-0.

They then squeezed past Juventus in the semis after extra time before going the distance in the final, beating Roma on penalties. It was an outcome that the then Roma manager, Jose Mourinho, insisted he would not recognise such was his frustration that Mendilibar had got his hands on the trophy and his belief that the outcome was unjust.

The honeymoon did not last long, though, and he was relieved of his duties just four months later after a poor start to the season.

Incredibly, 12 months on, he received another call, this time from Greece. Olympiakos needed a manager and Mendilibar accepted the challenge.

Within days, he was back in continental competition and guiding the Greek giants to their first European final.

He had to outfox continental specialist and countryman Unai Emery en route, beating his Aston Villa side in the Conference League semi-finals before creating more history as they overcame Fiorentina in the final in Athens.

This meant that Mendilibar followed Rafa Benitez in winning back-to-back European trophies with two different clubs.

However, perhaps more importantly, it meant a Greek club had won a European honour for the first time and ended a 13-year stranglehold by the big four leagues in an era when those competitions and teams are getting more and more powerful.

Only clubs from Spain, England, Italy and Germany had got their hands on the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League since Porto's victory over Braga in the secondary tournament in Dublin in 2011. Until Olympiakos of course.

That success tempered the club's domestic disappointment as they finished third in the Greek Super League behind champions PAOK, who won the title for just a fourth time, and neighbours AEK Athens.

Erythroleykoi hitting form

Goals from Ayoub El Kaabi (left) helped knock out Aston Villa last season

Olympiakos are the most successful club in Greece. They have been Champions League regulars and are now European title holders.

Like Rangers, they sit on six points coming into match-day four. Like Rangers, their defeat came at the hands of Lyon. Like Rangers, they have beaten Malmo with their other success being a 3-0 home hammering of the Ibrox side's old foes, Sporting Braga.

Greece's "Erythroleykoi" have hit some form in recent weeks. Currently fourth in the domestic table with last year's top two being left in the shadow of shock-troops Aris Thessaloniki, they have only lost once in their last eight and have not lost at home since mid-March, when they were beaten by Panathinaikos.

Olympiakos also boast one of the top strikers in Europe in the shape of Ayoub El Kaabi, whose 11 goals, including the only goal in the final, helped them to their Conference League win last term.

The Morocco international was widely expected to leave in the summer following his exploits at home and abroad, which included spectacularly putting Aston Villa to the sword, scoring five of their six goals in the tie before he settled the nervy final against La Viola.

Goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis has recently been making a name for himself having claimed the starting berth in time for last season's final, with his headline-making three penalty saves in the shoot-out success over Fenerbahce underlining his quality. The 21-year-old made his Greece debut earlier this year.

Sister club Nottingham Forest loaned Olympiakos defender David Carmo for a second time for this season and Argentine defensive midfielder Santiago Hezze has reportedly been interesting Liverpool and Newcastle United.

Turkey attacker Yusuf Yazici, the summer arrival from Lille, misses this one through injury, with defenders Lorenzo Pirola, a promising Italy Under-21 international, and Francisco Ortega, who started last season's final, also on the sidelines.

However, in Mendilibar, Rangers are up against a man on a hat-trick.