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2026-08-04 20:54 UTC → 2026-08-13 21:32 UTC ·
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Olympiacos Champions shifts to Europa League qualification drive after UCL elimination
Olympiacos continue their push for a Champions League group‑stage berth under coach José Luis Mendilibar. After a series of Dutch‑based friendlies, the squad travelled to the Netherlands where captain Panagiotis Retsos reiterated the primary objective Olympiacos’s pursuit of reaching the competition’s Champions League group stage and winning the Greek league. He highlighted new signings Kostas Fortounis and Davide Karmo as key additions. Mendilibar praised the team’s training level, noting has concluded with a transition to the integration of academy players such as Christos Filis and Giorgos Siotis following Europa League. Following an initial 0–0 draw against Ajax, the Greek Cup rule that mandates two U‑21 players. The transfer window remains open until early September, allowing further adjustments. The club’s third‑qualifying round opponent was confirmed as Dutch side Ajax. The first leg, played club faced Nimeggen in the Netherlands third qualifying round on 4 August, ended in a 0‑0 draw, leaving the tie undecided ahead of the return fixture. Mendilibar stressed the need for greater attacking sharpness before August 2026. Despite the second leg. Olympiacos also stands potential to benefit bolster its coefficient by 3,000 points through successful qualification and benefiting from UEFA’s rebalancing mechanism; mechanism, Olympiacos was eliminated from the Champions League by Nimeggen. As a successful qualification would add roughly 3,000 points to its coefficient, strengthening its case for result, the Piraeus-based club has secured a direct spot in the UEFA Europa League Phase spot. Modelling by Football Meets Data continues to project high probabilities League Phase. Olympiacos will be placed in the first seeding group for the upcoming draw scheduled for 28 August. This follows a period of intense competition among Greek clubs, with Olympiacos leading the rebalancing list. including AEK Athens and Panathinaikos, all seeking to secure direct participation in Europe’s premier club competitions.