From historic triumphs over Germany to a booming talent pipeline into the Premier League, Olympiacos' elite youth academy is transforming the Greek national team into a European powerhouse.
Dimitrios Kourbelis' 74th-minute strike against Germany stood as the decider for the match as the Ethniki Omada made history in Matchday 2 of the Nations League. The 1-0 victory over Die Mannschaft became Greece's first-ever win over the Germans. Only a handful of people would have expected Ivan Jovanovic's men to prevail in the clash at the WWK Arena in Augsburg, but young players, mostly coming out of the Olympiacos academy, fuelled Greece's shot at European relevance after several years of hiatus.
As Greece prepare to face the Netherlands after sealing victories over Serbia and Germany, the Olympiacos youth academy cohort will again be under the spotlight. The Evangelos Marinakis-led project has made Greece's youth base in the likes of Christos Mouzakitis, Konstantinos Tzolakis and Charalampos Kostoulas. Their moves to the Premier League further accelerated a fresher look at Greek football in a time when many European giants are finding it tough to promote young talent.
The Marinakis Football Group has undoubtedly played its part in increasing the odds for Greece's brighter footballing future. Furthermore, they offer a pipeline for players to graduate through the Rentis system at Olympiacos before being offered a chance to feature in the Premier League, as Nottingham Forest is part of the group. Mouzakitis, Tzolakis and Kostoulas represent this system, and they are leading the Ethniki Omada's development at young ages.
From European champions to the Premier League
The breakthrough came in the spring of 2024 when Olympiacos sealed the the UEFA Youth League by defeating AC Milan by a commanding 3-0 scoreline in the final. This triumph firmly put the Thrylos youth system on the European football map. The year proved to be a hugely successful one for the club as the senior team lifted the UEFA Conference League, beating Fiorentina in the final.
While Tzolakis delivered strong performances throughout the knockouts of the competition to help his team seal a piece of European silverware, Mouzakitis and Kostoulas played crucial roles in the academy to win the Youth League. Kostoulas went on to sign a five-year contract with Brighton in 2025, showcasing the nature of Greek talent coming from the Olympiacos ranks.
Unlike Mouzakitis who chose to opt for a Premier League switch at Hull City at just 19 years of age, Tzolakis followed a different route, committing his youth career to Olympiacos and then establishing himself as the first-choice goalkeeper for the senior team. Ultimately, he became a part of the historic Olympiacos squad which won the Conference League.
The investment behind the progress
This development has been supported by investment from Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis, including improvements to the club’s Rentis training centre. Facilities, coaching and a sustained commitment to youth development have helped provide the foundations for players to progress. Marinakis has publicly emphasised the importance of supporting young footballers. The European trophies of 2024 brought recognition to that work, but its longer-term impact can also be seen in academy graduates reaching the senior side and building careers abroad.
The matchday 3 of the Nations League against the Netherlands offers yet another opportunity for his refreshed Greek team to make a mark after securing back-to-back promotions in the competition from their initial start in League C.
