Avraam to the rescue for Olympiacos

Expected to add depth to the Olympiacos backline, Avraam Papadopoulos has been an unsung hero in the club’s early push for the Super League title.

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Avraam Papadopoulos has had his share of success at Olympiacos having initially spent six seasons in Piraeus between 2008 and 2014. His return to the club last January was seen as one of the final stops in a career that has seen the 34-year-old ply his trade in Greece, Turkey, Japan, and his native Australia.

While rumours of retirement lingered at the end of last season, Papadopoulos extended his initial six-month contract through the 2019/2020 season. In spite of his contract extension there was no indication that Papadopoulos was a frontrunner in Pedro Martins plans, and that was further solidified with the arrival of Ruben Semedo during the summer transfer window.

As the Olympiacos roster took shape during the offseason, the club’s early kick-off to qualifying for the UEFA Champions League did force Martins’ hand to name Papadopoulos to the starting lineup for the first leg clash against Viktoria Plzen. An injury early in that contest forced Olympiacos to make an early substitution to replace Papadopoulos, which ultimately ruled out the former Greek international for the rest of the qualifying campaign.

Having missed out the Super League opener against Asteras Tripolis, Papadopoulos was named to the 18-man squad for three straight weeks (Larissa, NFC Volos, Panathinaikos) before making his domestic debut late-on in the meeting Lamia on 28 September.

Squad rotation allowed Papadopoulos to make his full season debut in the Super League the following week against Aris in Thessaloniki alongside Semedo in the centre of defence. It’s a trend that has continued on the domestic front since then with Papadopoulos starting in the Olympiacos backline for five straight games, including the Matchday 10 defeat of Atromitos prior to the international break.

by Peter Katsiris

Image Source: to10.gr

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