ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece has hired veteran Ivan Jovanovic as head coach of its men's soccer team, which has failed to qualify for major tournaments for a decade.
The 62-year-old Serb replaces Uruguayan coach Gus Poyet, who narrowly failed to take Greece to the European Championship this year, losing to Georgia on penalties in the qualifier playoffs.
“Being appointed coach of the Greek national team is a special honor for me. I will certainly try to live up to the expectations of the fans,” Jovanovic told a news conference on Friday.
Former national team stars Dimitris Salpingidis, Vasilis Torosidis, and Dimitris Papadopoulos have been appointed as assistants to Jovanovic under a two-year contract, the Greek soccer federation said.
“It has been quite some time – since 2014 – since Greece last participated in a major football tournament,” Jovanovic said. “I would say that in recent years, especially since my return to Greek football over the last three years, the level of football has significantly improved.”
Jovanovic spent most of his career as a player at the northern Greek club Iraklis. As a coach, he led teams in Greece, Cyprus, and the United Arab Emirates, serving a spell as UAE national team coach before returning to Greece in 2021. He led Panathinaikos in his previous coaching post until December last year.
Greece faces Finland at home next month in the Nations League in a group that also includes England and Ireland.
This year, Greece celebrated the 20th anniversary of winning the European Championship in Portugal. It last played in a major tournament at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, reaching the knockout stage.
“There was a very important period from 2004 to 2014 when the Greek team represented quality in major tournaments,” Jovanovic said. “I believe it is time for this generation of players, who currently make up the national team, to do everything possible to bring back that pride.”
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Former Panathinaikos coach Ivan Jovanovic watches his players during a Europa League against Maccabi Haifa in Athens, Greece, Dec. 14, 2023. The 62-year-old Serbian was formally named as the head coach of the Greek national soccer team on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)
FILE - Former Panathinaikos coach Ivan Jovanovic reacts during a Europa League against Maccabi Haifa in Athens, Greece, Dec. 14, 2023. The 62-year-old Serbian was formally named as the head coach of the Greek national soccer team on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Parched Southern California was forecast to face more dangerous winds on Wednesday but could get some badly needed rain this weekend, dampening the prospects of another round of killer wildfires though even a small amount of precipitation could could create new challenges like toxic ash runoff.
Los Angeles officials were preparing for that prospect even as a small number of residents were allowed to return to the devastated Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas and firefighters quickly controlled small blazes that broke out.
Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order Tuesday to expedite cleanup efforts in burn areas and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. She ordered crews to remove vegetation, shore up hillsides, install barriers and reinforce roads ahead of the possible weekend rain, which could create mud and debris flows.
“This is to prevent additional damage to areas already ravaged by fire and also to protect our watershed, beaches and ocean from toxic runoff,” Bass said during a news conference.
Los Angeles County supervisors also approved an emergency motion to install flood control infrastructure and expedite and remove sediment in fire-impacted areas.
A 60% to 80% chance of a small amount of rain was forecast for Southern California starting Saturday, with most areas likely getting not more than a third of an inch (0.8 cm), according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s office for Los Angeles. However up to an inch (2.5 centimeters) could fall in localized thunderstorms, which would be a worst-case scenario if enough to trigger debris flows on scorched hillsides.
“But even if the rain doesn’t materialize this time, it could be a good practice run for those communities because this will be a threat that they’ll have to deal with for months or years,” Kittell said.
In 2018, Montecito, a town 80 miles (130 kilometers) up the coast from Los Angeles, was ravaged by mudslides after a downpour hit mountain slopes burned bare by a huge wildfire. Twenty-three people died, and hundreds of homes were damaged.
Winds eased somewhat Tuesday afternoon after peaking at 60 mph (96 kph) in many areas, but gusty conditions were expected to return the next two days. Red flag warnings for critical fire risk were extended through 8 p.m. Thursday in LA and Ventura counties.
“Our concern is the next fire, the next spark that causes the next wildfire,” said David Acuna, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. Another worry was that the two major blazes, the Palisades and Eaton fires, could break their containment lines as firefighters continue to keep watch for hot spots.
Fire engines and water-dropping aircraft allowed crews to swiftly douse several small blazes that popped up in LA and San Diego counties, officials said.
Evacuation orders were lifted for the Friars Fire, which broke out near a San Diego mall, and partially for the Lilac Fire, which burned through dry brush after threatening some structures, Cal Fire said. Nearby crews fully contained the Pala Fire, another small blaze. The Clay fire in Riverside was 40% contained Tuesday night and evacuation orders were lifted.
Southern California Edison preemptively shut off power to more than 60,000 customers in five counties to prevent new fires from being sparked by winds toppling electrical equipment; electricity was later restored to some. The utility was considering precautionary shutoffs for an additional 160,000 customers.
Authorities urged residents to review evacuation plans, prepare emergency kits and be on the lookout for fires and report them quickly.
Bass also warned that winds could carry ash and advised Angelenos to visit the city's website to learn how to protect themselves from toxic air during the latest Santa Ana wind event.
The low humidity, bone-dry vegetation and strong winds came as firefighters continued to battle the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have killed at least 28 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they broke out Jan. 7. Containment of the Palisades Fire reached 63%, and the Eaton Fire was at 89%.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is investigating the causes of the fires but has not released any findings.
Several lawsuits have been filed by people who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire, alleging Southern California Edison equipment sparked the blaze. On Tuesday a judge overseeing one of the lawsuits ordered the utility to produce data from circuits in the area where the fire started.
President Donald Trump, who criticized the response to the wildfires during his inaugural address Monday, has said he will travel to Los Angeles on Friday.
Associated Press radio reporter Julie Walker in New York contributed.
Firefighter Joshua Cari sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A firefighter sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Firefighters stand along a ridge as they battle the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Two firefighters roll up a fire hose during the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Firefighters walk up a ridge to battle the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
San Diego firefighters knock down a small brush along a hillside over the Mission Valley Shopping Mall in San Diego on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Firefighters battle the Lilac Fire along Interstate 15 near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A firefighter battles the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A lone home stands among residences levelled by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A woman search inside a destroyed home by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Firefighter Joshua Cari sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Vehicles pass through smoke from the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Vehicles drive along Interstate 15 as the Lilac Fire burns along a hillside in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
San Diego firefighters knock down a small brush along a hillside over the Mission Valley Shopping Mall in San Diego on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego firefighters knock down a small brush along a hillside over the Mission Valley Shopping Mall in San Diego on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)