Greek club Olympiacos have finalized their European squad roster under head coach Jose Luis Mendilibar following late night discussions in Piraeus, leaving out six senior players from the submission.
Olympiacos reporter Vasilis Konstantopoulos detailed the decision process during an appearance on The Football Show by Stoiximan on protothema.gr, explaining that the Basque manager faced a difficult calculation in deciding who would be omitted.
Six players ultimately missed out on selection for the European list. The excluded group comprises Popovic, Dani Garcia, Scipioni, Roca, Yaremchuk and Cleyton.
Excluded players and selection deliberations
Konstantopoulos noted that the evening preceding the final decisions was particularly intense for Olympiacos, marked by extensive internal discussions before the roster was completed.
Rumors had surfaced during those talks that Mendilibar might leave striker Armando Gonzalez off the European list. However, club officials ultimately decided against excluding the forward.
Despite the tough decisions, Konstantopoulos emphasized that the final selection represents a very strong version of Olympiacos, adding that there is optimism about what the team can achieve in continental competition.
Olympiacos, based in the port city of Piraeus, are the most successful football club in Greece. Mendilibar, a veteran Spanish coach from the Basque region, took charge of the club after managerial spells across Spain, leading the side into European competition, where strict UEFA registration rules force managers to limit their registered A-list squads.
Standout performances against AEL
In addition to squad selection, Konstantopoulos evaluated individual player performances from Olympiacos's recent match against AEL. He highlighted midfielder Freuler, describing his display on the pitch as majestic throughout the contest.
Konstantopoulos also underscored the importance of Armando Gonzalez scoring a goal against AEL. He stated that the goal helped the forward unlock his game as a striker, while noting Gonzalez's extraordinary popularity in his homeland, which is reflected across Olympiacos's social media platforms.
Younger player Filis also earned positive comments from the reporter. Konstantopoulos noted that Filis showed he can perform at a high level, attributing his success to both his physical stature and his overall match performance.
