Olympiacos ended the 2025/26 Super League campaign in second place on 66 points, 32 matches played, and a +34 goal difference. Respectable. But respectability does not hang banners in Piraeus. The season is over, the trophy went elsewhere, and the attention now turns to a summer that will either close the gap or widen it.
The First Domino Falls
Gabriel Strefezza is heading for the exit. The Brazilian forward arrived with pedigree but leaves without a legacy, Mendilibar has made his assessment and the verdict is clear. Parma are advancing talks, and a deal is close (4). Sportime reports the first departure is being finalized, with the player's own wishes aligning with the club's decision to move on (3).
This is not sentiment. It is surgery. And it is exactly what this squad needs.
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Mendilibar's Revolution Has Teeth
The Strefezza move confirms what the end-of-season signals already suggested: José Luis Mendilibar is building something on his terms. Reports point to a minimum of seven new signings this summer, concentrated where the weakness was most glaring, goalkeeper and the defensive line. Polish international Cezary Mija has emerged as a strong candidate to replace Alexandros Paschalakis between the posts. The message is unambiguous. No one is untouchable. No reputation outweighs the system.
That is how a proper rebuild works. The previous Olympiacos squads carried too much dead weight, too many players who fit a tactical idea that no longer existed. Mendilibar is stripping that away.
The Parma Triangle and the Straffessa Puzzle
The Italian connection deserves closer inspection. Strefezza to Parma looks straightforward. But the situation around forward Straffessa is more delicate. Parma want to keep him. Olympiacos, however, have reportedly vetoed a major sale in that area. This is not a fire sale, it is selective reshaping. Mendilibar appears willing to sanction certain exits while protecting specific assets. Straffessa, it seems, may still have a role.
The risk is obvious. Sell the wrong players, keep the wrong ones, and the gap to the champions remains. The reward is equally clear: a squad actually built to execute Mendilibar's football, rather than a collection of names assembled under a different vision.
What Fans Should Watch Next Week
The Strefezza deal could be announced within days. That will be the first concrete signal of how aggressive this window will be. But the bigger story is what follows. Which defensive targets surface? Does Mija materialize as the goalkeeper signing? And crucially, does any unexpected departure emerge, a player fans assumed was safe suddenly linked away?
Olympiacos under Marinakis does not do quiet summers. This one already has its first headline. There will be more.
