Olympiacos selects Balsa Popovic as starter, leaves Stefan Ortega out of European squad

José Luis Mendilibar, the coach of Olympiacos, decided to exclude veteran goalkeeper Stefan Ortega from the club's UEFA Champions League list for the upcoming matches against Napoli, citing insufficient match readiness after a long period without a team.

Mendilibar chose Balsa Popovic as the starting goalkeeper, noting his strong performances in training and friendlies. UEFA rules allow up to two changes to the list before the first match on August 4 at the Karaiskakis Stadium. Ortega was originally signed to add experience but will remain on the bench.