The Olympiacos wonderkids driving the club’s centenary season | OneFootball

Olympiacos will celebrate its centenary next month and there have arguably been fewer brighter periods in the club’s 100-year history.

Greek football’s most successful side is thriving, having followed last season’s stunning European success by taking control of The Super League title race this time around.

Last season, as the first team celebrated its Europa Conference League triumph – and Greek football’s first continental prize – another Olympaicos outfit were making waves.

The club’s u-19 side beat some of European football’s biggest clubs en route to the UEFA Youth League. Inter Milan, Lens, Bayern Munich, and Nantes were all beaten before a 3-0 victory over AC Milan in the decider.

Two of the heroes from that triumph, Charalampos ‘Babis’ Kostoulas and Christos Mouzakitis, have since stepped into the senior side. Though just 17 years old, the pair are already turning the heads of recruiters across Europe for their impact with Erythroleykoi. Arsenal are among the sides to have checked in on the talented teenage duo.

Babis Kostoulas: Greek football’s next great goalscorer?

In a season that has seen Greece’s number nine, Vangelis Pavlidis, score twice to dispatch England at Wembley and net a Champions League hat-trick against Barcelona, Kostoulas is beginning to make his own name.

An explosive forward, he has five goals and two assists already this season and has showcased an ability to change games. He netted twice, including a 96th-minute winner, to turn defeat into victory against Aris and has racked up a top speed of 36 kmph this season.

Just two players in the Greek Super League have been clocked at a faster speed. His electric pace and goalscoring instincts have earned Kostoulas (who is still in school!) the nickname ‘Babistuta’ – in reference to Argentina legend Gabriel Batistuta.

Christos Mouzakitis: Olympiacos’s ‘Young Iniesta’

Kostoulas is not the only talent to earn comparisons to an all-time icon. Christos Mouzakitis’ comfort in possession and invention has seen him labelled ‘Young Iniesta’ in Athens.

His ability to break lines with his passing and ease in possession defy a footballer not yet old enough to get his driving licence. With a lovely left foot and the intelligence to make the right decisions under pressure, it’s little wonder top clubs are scouting Mouzakitis.

The future looks bright for Olympiacos

After consecutive third-place finishes, Olympiacos are leading the Super League title race as the club targets a record-extending 48th league title.

In Europe, a place in the Europa League’s Round of 16 has been secured after a top-eight finish. No side in the competition conceded fewer goals in the league phase with José Luis Mendilibar having built a team capable of going toe-to-toe with wealthier rivals.

Last season’s Conference League hero, Ayoub El Kaabi, continues to fire the goals, but it’s the homegrown talent that is fast becoming the heartbeat of the team. Mouzakitis and Kostoulas aren’t just the future of Olympiacos – they’re already leading the present.

Their ability to handle the pressures and demands of the Greek titans is a testament to their schooling in Athens. With the promise of more prospects from their victorious UEFA Youth League team breaking into the fold, the foundation is there for a golden period at the Karaiskakis Stadium.

Evangelos Marinakis has not always been received favourably in English football for a chaotic spending spree at Nottingham Forest, but the 57-year-old is on the verge of leading two clubs to historic seasons.

His significant investment in the youth facilities at Olympiacos has led to the emergence of a generation brimming with talent. Forest, meanwhile, are targeting a shock Champions League qualification in the Premier League.

Marinakis’ desire to turn Olympiacos’ into a hot-bed for producing talent was recognised with the Globe Soccer Club Revelation award in 2024. Upgrades in the club’s facilities, staff and scouting network and allowed Olympiacos to compete with some of Europe’s most reputable sides. He has urged the club to ‘keep on dreaming’.

Over in Nottingham, Forest have returned to the top division after a long absence, consolidated in the Premier League, and are now kicking on to greater things.

The ambition and vision of Marinakis has been the driving factor in dual success stories. Mouzakitis and Kostoulas are a testament to that.

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