In Piraeus, where Olympiacos are settling into Imanol Alguacil’s early weeks in charge, Mexican forward Armando “Hormiga” González is facing a changed route into the side. A scorer in Europe soon after the coaching switch, the former Chivas player has nevertheless seen his involvement reduce, culminating in an unused place on the bench for the derby victory over Panathinaikos.
A new coach and fewer openings
Alguacil replaced José Luis Mendilibar on 10 September 2026, bringing his own priorities to Olympiacos as the Greek club reshapes its season. González has appeared in three matches under the Spanish coach, but the pattern of his minutes has moved downward.
- He played 67 minutes against OFI Crete.
- He completed 62 minutes against Jagiellonia in the UEFA Europa League.
- He came on in the 76th minute against Levadiakos and played around 14 minutes.
That leaves González with 143 minutes across Alguacil’s first three games at the helm. His most significant contribution came against Jagiellonia, when he scored the equaliser before Olympiacos completed a 2-1 comeback.
The Panathinaikos derby sends a message
The clearest indication of the current selection order arrived in the Greek capital’s major derby. González was included in the squad against Panathinaikos but did not leave the bench during Olympiacos’ 1-0 win.
Instead, Marius Mouandilmadji started as the central forward. For González, the decision followed his substitute appearance against Levadiakos and underlined the competition he now faces within Alguacil’s attacking options.
Europe offers another chance
It is still too early to conclude that González has been permanently pushed aside. Olympiacos are only at the beginning of Alguacil’s project, and the Mexican has already shown that he can affect a match when given an opening, particularly through his Europa League goal against Jagiellonia.
His immediate task is to regain regular minutes and press for a return to the starting side. The next opportunity comes on Thursday, when Olympiacos meet Olympique de Marseille in the UEFA Europa League. For the forward, the continental fixture could provide a timely stage to reassert his value in Piraeus.
