Taremi returns, El Kaabi is your main man
Mehdi Taremi is back in training. The Iranian striker joined the squad in the Netherlands on Monday as Olympiacos gear up for the Champions League qualifiers, with a friendly against Antwerp set for Friday, July 24 (4). Ayoub El Kaabi has been unstoppable in preseason. The Moroccan looks ready to lead the line, and his partnership with Taremi is taking shape fast. Roman Yaremchuk is the third piece, described as a "perfect fit" for Mendilibar's system (4). The attacking hierarchy is becoming clear, and it is built around El Kaabi.
Champions League draw: NEC Nijmegen stand in the way
Olympiacos drew NEC Nijmegen in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Mendilibar is not brushing this off. "They finished ahead of Ajax," he said, calling it "almost the best year in their history" (5) (7). NEC beat Ajax twice last season and pushed PSV close. Your manager wants the squad fully locked in. No complacency.
Podence in Greece, return talk heats up
Daniel Podence is in Greece. On holiday, officially, but that has not stopped the rumors. The winger remains a fan favorite and a return to Piraeus is being talked about again (1). Nothing concrete yet, but a player the crowd loves, back in the country, always stirs something.
A coach remembers: 1–0 win, penalty heartbreak
A Turkish coach looked back at a past European tie against Olympiacos and made his feelings clear. "We beat Olympiacos 1–0, we were eliminated on penalties. I don't see failure here," he said, pointing to a season where his side won 99 league points and brought home the most European coefficient points for the country (6). A reminder of how fine the margins are at this level.
Fan-reaktioner
The fan chatter is mostly about basketball right now. A post on the PAOK subreddit drifted into Olympiacos territory, wondering about Tyler Dorsey's contract talks after the Osman presentation. The mood across Greek fanbases is expectant, lots of moves still to come before the season starts. Join the discussion.
