Management Career
Lienen remained at MSV after ending his playing days, coaching the club's amateurs. He quickly got the opportunity to move up into the first team management in summer 1993, after the club regained its Bundesliga status. His first season coaching at this level saw him attain a comfortable ninth place finish in the 1993–94 season. The next year started less favourably though, and saw MSV Duisburg rock bottom by November (with just two points from 22). Lienen was fired after a 0–5 home defeat to Hamburg SV.
He then accepted the invitation of his former Borussia Mönchengladbach coach Jupp Heynckes to join him at Spanish club CD Tenerife as his assistant. The team achieved an excellent fifth place spot in 1994–95 in La Liga. The following season was not as spectacular but still a solid tenth place position. When Heynckes left the club to move to Real Madrid C.F., Lienen's time in Spain was up and he returned to his homeland as head coach of Hansa Rostock.
Lienen's first season with the eastern club was a success, as they repeated their highest ever finish of sixth in the Bundesliga of 1997–98. The next season proved a far trickier affair as the club sat in the relegation zone throughout the majority of the campaign. Lienen paid the price for a 0–4 home defeat by Bayern Munich in March 1999 and was fired (the club would miraculously manage to avoid the drop).
Another opportunity soon fell his way as 1. FC Köln, newly relegated to the 2. Bundesliga, called on his services. Lienen immediately returned the club to the Bundesliga, as champions in his first season. The 2000–01 season saw them finish a comfortable tenth, but the next season proved tougher and they slipped back down to the second tier, ending Lienen's time here.
He returned to Spain in the following season, when CD Tenerife returned to him after suffering relegation. His spell back in the Canary Islands was less successful as before as the team failed to mount a promotion challenge. After a string of poor results, Lienen was fired in January 2003, just six months after his appointment.
Lienen was not on the sidelines for long, as his former club Borussia Mönchengladbach looked to him after the sudden retirement of Hans Meyer in March 2003. The club had slumped into the relegation zone, but Lienen stabilised them in their remaining 11 games and moved them up to 12th. He was retained for the next season, but after a weak start (one win in six), he was replaced by Holger Fach on 21 September 2003.
After a six month absence from the Bundesliga, Lienen was recruited by Hannover 96 after their dismissal of Ralf Rangnick in March 2004. The club were flirting with the drop, but Lienen again proved adept at taking over in such circumstances, as he maintained the club's top flight status with a 14th place finish. The 2004–05 season was Hannover's best Bundesliga finish up to that time, as they recorded a 10th place position. The next season began poorly though, and hopes of building on the previous campaign's strong outcome evaporated. The club acted quickly and fired Lienen in November 2005, after 12 games.
Lienen again looked abroad for his next position, and headed for a new challenge in the Greek Super League with Panionios for the 2006–07 season. His first season in Athens was a success, as the club finished fifth, enough to qualify for the UEFA Cup. The following season was equally successful for the club, again finishing in fifth position, only to lose their UEFA Cup berth on the following playoff.
He was released from the Greek club by mutual consent on 11 November 2008. This followed the club's decision to sack his assistant, Abder Ramdane because of an incident with striker Lambros Choutos. Panionios cited various disagreements from the start of the season, as well as the tension developing between players and staff, as the reasons for this decision.
On 28 April 2009, the Cypriot football club Anorthosis Famagusta announced an agreement with Ewald Lienen for a one-year contract with an option of renewal for another one. On 13 May 2009, he was named as the new manager of TSV 1860 München. In June 2010, it was announced that Lienen would be the new coach of Olympiacos F.C. On 5 August 2010, the German coach was fired by Olympiacos because of the club's elimination from the Europa League after Olympiacos lost against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
On 7 November 2010 he was named the successor of Christian Ziege at Arminia Bielefeld, however Bielefeld were relegated to the 3. Fußball-Liga after only four wins in the 2010–11 season, three of which were under Lienen (one of which was won as VfL Osnabrück scored two own goals, resulting in Bielefeld winning 2–1). After Bielefeld's relegation to the 3. Liga in June 2011, Lienen was replaced as manager by Markus von Ahlen.
On 10 October 2012, Lienen signed a one-year contract, becoming AEK's manager.
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