Olympiakos vs Ferencváros TC: 

UEFA Conference League Playoffs Preview

By Stephen Kountourou

There is a time of uncertainty currently surrounding Olympiakos. Performances in the derbies this season have left a lot to be desired. The team is in transition with a revolving door of players, managers and even sporting directors, which is the only consistency of the past two seasons. 

The club's legal representatives are also fighting on multiple fronts. Firstly with CAS regarding the derby against Panathinaikos in Karaiskakis. Secondly, the vice-president and legal adviser Alexis Kougias was summoned to the Professional Sports Committee regarding comments on the corruption in Greek football. 

With that all being said, European football returns for the Piraeus side, and fans will be back in the stadium to cheer their team on. The side standing in front of Olympiakos and the UEFA Conference League round of 16, is Hungarian giants Ferencvaros. 

While not the toughest opponent that Thrylos could have drawn, this will be a challenging task to progress past the Hungarian champions. But with an improved performance in the league over the weekend, and the arrival of new manager José Luis Mendilibar, there is a small glimmer of hope that the tied could turn.

 

How both teams reached the UECL knockout stages

Olympiakos 

To briefly go over Olympiakos' European campaign thus far: 

Thrylos qualified for the UEFA Europa League group stages after knocking out Belgian side K.R.C. Genk and Serbian side FK Čukarički. 

The group stages were a topsy-turvy time for Thrylos, with Bundesliga team Freiburg returning to haunt them home and away with two defeats, including a 5-0 loss in Germany that ultimately cost Diego Martinez his job. 

Against group favourites West Ham United, Olympiakos famously won 2-1 in Piraeus, before the return match in London was a spirited but toothless 1-0 loss.

The team that Thrylos ultimately competed with for the UECL playoffs, that being TSC Baka Topola, snatched a 2-2 draw in added time in Belgrade. Thrylos however, decisively won 5-2 at home on the final match day to finish 3rd and qualify for the UEFA Conference League playoffs.  

Ferencvaros

The Hungarian champions began in the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round against Faroe Islands side KÍ Klaksvik. In one of the biggest shocks in the qualifying phase, the greens were eliminated, after drawing the first leg away and losing the second 0-3 at home. Then head coach, Stanislav Cherchesov, was sacked with Csaba Máté coming in as caretaker manager.

With Ferencvaros dropping to the UEFA Conference League, Máté guided them to the group stages undefeated, eliminating the Irish side Shamrock Rovers, Maltese club Ħamrun Spartans and Lithuanian team FK Žalgiris respectively. They then hired Dejan Stanković as their permanent manager.  

The Hungarian champions drew Italian side ACF Fiorentina, and ironically, Olympiakos' previous opponents in the Europa League qualifiers, Genk and Čukarički. Over six games the Greens remained undefeated, picking up two wins, both against the Serbian side, and four draws against the Italians and the Belgians. This meant that, with Fiorentina topping the group, Ferencvaros progressed to the playoffs in second place.  

Previous Encounters 

Olympiakos' only encounter with Hungarian opposition was Ferencváros during the first round of the 1996/97 UEFA Cup first round. Over two legs, Thrylos lost in Budapest 3-1 before drawing 2-2 at home in Piraeus, to be knocked out of Europe early.

Domestic Performances 

Olympiakos 

After a disappointing loss to eternal rivals Panathinaikos, both Sporting Director Pedro Alves and manager Carlos Carvalhal were shown the door. This meant that while the club brought in returning Sporting Director and former player, Darko Kovačević, and Europa League winning manager José Luis Mendilibar, under 19s coach Sotiris Silaidopoulos took temporary charge of the game against OFI. 

With the new Spanish coach in the stands, waiting to be handed the reins of the team, Thrylos ran out 4-0 victors in Karaiskaki over a poor Cretan side. In a dominant display, Giorgos Masouras opened the scoring within six minutes before Ayoub El Kaabi doubled the home side's lead three minutes later. Daniel Podence added a third in the 34th minute before Kostas Fortounis rounded off the thrashing with a chip over the goalkeeper in the second half. 

Ferencvaros

The Hungarian champions most recently travelled to play Debrecen VSC in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I (Hungarian First Division). Within the first minute, Ferencvaros went behind with a goal from the home side. They were able to claw back an equaliser ten minutes later through Barnabas Varga. 

After staving off pressure from Debrecen, with chances of their own, the champions managed to find a winner through Norwegian midfielder Kristoffer Zachariassen 15 minutes before the end of normal time.

Interview with Bence Bocsák

I had the great opportunity to speak with Senior Football Journalist Bence Bocsák about this upcoming game.

How is Olympiakos perceived in the Hungarian media going into this game?

“Olympiakos is viewed as a very strong opponent in Hungary. Especially after the January transfer window where the club made some very good signings. Everyone understands this will not be an easy game for Ferencvaros.” 

What is the expectation from Ferencváros supporters in the Conference League this season?

“After reaching the round of 16 in the Europa League last season - the objective in the Conference League is to go even further - maybe reach the quarter-finals. But of course, this is a very difficult thing to do even in this competition.”

How does Dejan Stanković like to set up his team and what brand of football do they play?

“Fradi plays attacking football - they score a lot of goals - however defensively they can be left vulnerable at times.” 

Which key players should Olympiakos watch out for?

“Barnabas Varga - he has 33 goal contributions in 24 games for Ferencvaros this season and he's also scored some important goals for the national team. If he gets a chance in front of goal he will punish you.” 

Expectations, reality and hope for the future 

Manager Jose Luis Mendilibar's debut in charge of Thrylos is against a tough opponent in Europe. While, at the time of writing, it looks as though the weekend game against PAOK will be postponed, arriving at a club either their European campaign hanging in the balance is a tough start to life in Piraeus. 

As has been said by journalists, fans, and myself, the Spanish coach needs time to properly work on Olympiakos to take them back to the top, whether that is this season or if his four-month contract is extended to next season. 

With fans back in Karaiskaki for the first time in 2024, and the packed stadium bound to be rocking for another European night, the match against Ferencvaros could also be the perfect opportunity for him to start his tenure at Olympiakos in the best possible way.

@SteveKountourou

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