Champions League opener: NEC Nijmegen at home
Your season starts Tuesday. Olympiacos host NEC Nijmegen in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, kick-off 21:00 (1) (2) (4). Mendilibar has named his squad and the message is simple. "I chose a squad to qualify," he said (2). The Spanish coach told Marca: "Estamos listos", we are ready (3).
Who is missing and who is in
Mendilibar is without Santiago Esse and Lorenzo Scipioni, both out injured (2). Medhi Taremi and Roman Yaremchuk are also absent (2). Stefan Ortega, the new German goalkeeper, is in the squad alongside established names like Fortounis, El Kaabi, Rodinei, and Carmo (2).
Mendilibar wary of Schreuder's NEC
Mendilibar made a point of praising NEC coach Dick Schreuder ahead of the match (7). "I watched Tadic shine on TV, it's an honor to play against him," Schreuder said of your team (7). Respect flowing both ways.
Schreuder walked out of his own press conference
The NEC coach cut his pre-match press conference short with an unusual exit. "Sorry, but I really have to go," Schreuder told reporters, according to De Gelderlander. "We only have one hour to train. I have to be on the pitch at 20:00 Greek time" (6) (8). The Dutchman simply got up and left. Training waited.
Almyras chose Djurgården over Olympiacos
Christos Almyras, the Asteras Tripolis midfielder, has signed for Djurgården despite links to Olympiacos (5). The Swedish club announced the deal and Almyras said he is targeting titles there (5). One that got away.
