Manolis Saliakas says leaving St. Pauli was "very difficult," but returning to Olympiacos was the right decision for him and his family.
Manolis Saliakas returned to Olympiacos this summer, after a fairly successful career in Germany with St. Pauli.
The Greek defender spoke to Hamburger Abendblatt about the difficulty of his decision to leave St. Pauli after several years, and apologized to Olympiacos, the team where he grew up.
On Philipp Treu, with whom he played together at St. Pauli: "Of course, we talked after the game and even exchanged shirts. I was very happy for Philipp when he moved to Freiburg and reached the Europa League final last season. That was a big deal."
On his return to Olympiacos: "It was a very difficult decision to leave St. Pauli, but I believe it was the right thing for me and my family to return to Greece. Olympiacos has always been my favorite club in Greece, but I will also follow St. Pauli for the rest of my life. It was four incredible years."
On the birth of his child and his return to Greece: "That was one reason I moved to Olympiacos. It's always nice to play at a European level. It's not exactly easy, but of course it's fun to play every three days.
My wife is currently in Hamburg and is preparing everything for the move. Our lease is still valid because the transfer happened so quickly. Of course, I can promise that I will come to Hamburg often in the future and visit Millerntor. I have made many friends there."
On his 5th appearance with the National Team: "Of course, I am very proud. As a soccer player, the most important thing is to play for your country and make my family and friends happy," he said. "I am equally happy that this victory was historic. It is the first time that Greece has won a match in Germany."
In other news, and continuing the discussion of Olympiacos' defense, Diego Campillo's contract with Chivas runs until 2029, according to sources. Reports say that Olympiacos has not made a formal approach for the defender.
Sportime reported that Olympiacos is evaluating the Red-and-White player's situation and highlighted one detail: his contract with Chivas ends on Dec. 31, 2026.
The interest, however, is still in its early stages. So far, Olympiacos and Chivas have made no offer and have not entered into formal negotiations for Campillo. In addition, sources close to the Mexican club informed OlympiacosRoundtable that Campillo's contract with Chivas extends until 2029.
Mexican outlet FOX Sports reported that Chivas has not received any formal approach from Olympiacos or any other club to sign the defender.
This means that if Guadalajara decides to let him go, the defender would have to leave after a generous offer that, frankly, given the player's age and quality, Olympiacos does not seem willing to make.
Just over a month after Armando 'Hormiga' Gonzalez's signing, another Chivas player appears to be linked to Olympiacos. For now, there is nothing. The best thing to do is wait until the January transfer window to see whether the reports resurface.
