Ortega’s arrival begins the most delicate part of Olympiacos’ goalkeeper change | OneFootball

Stefan Ortega At Athens International Airport - Thanasis Dimopoulos/EUROKINISSI

Olympiacos have spent the past several days negotiating their goalkeeping future. Tuesday afternoon begins the practical phase.

Stefan Ortega has landed in Athens to undergo examinations and finalise the contract intended to make him Konstantinos Tzolakis’ successor. This is important because it places the transfer beyond remote negotiations and verbal understandings. Ortega is now completing the transaction.

The transfer remains unfinished. Medical results, final signatures and an official announcement are still required, but the transfer looks very close nonetheless.

Olympiacos have synchronised the two deals

Tzolakis has already completed the medical stage of his move to Hull City. Ortega’s arrival allows Olympiacos to advance the outgoing and incoming transactions almost simultaneously rather than releasing their established starter before his replacement is physically secured.

That sequencing is especially important before the Champions League qualifier against NEC Nijmegen.

Goalkeeper changes are not ordinary substitutions within a squad. The incoming player must establish communication with the centre-backs, learn the team’s defensive distances and understand when José Luis Mendilibar expects direct distribution rather than patient buildup.

Olympiacos have minimised the period of uncertainty. They have not eliminated the adaptation challenge.

Why Ortega may not immediately start

Even after he signs, Balša Popović may retain the advantage for the first leg against NEC.

Popović has completed the full preseason and trained consistently with the defenders. Ortega would have only a handful of sessions before August 4, assuming the medical and registration proceed without delay.

The choice therefore may not reflect which goalkeeper Olympiacos consider superior over the full season. It may reflect which goalkeeper is currently better integrated for one specific European match.

Starting Popović would give Ortega additional time to learn the structure without being thrown immediately into a high-pressure qualifier. Starting Ortega would prioritise experience and individual quality despite the limited preparation.

Mendilibar’s decision will reveal how heavily he values defensive familiarity at this stage.

What Ortega can eventually change

Ortega’s ball-playing ability should expand Olympiacos’ options against pressure.

He is comfortable receiving near his goal, waiting for opponents to commit and identifying the free passing route. Mendilibar’s football is more direct than Manchester City’s, but that does not make technical goalkeeping irrelevant.

Ortega can potentially help Olympiacos alternate between:

That variety could be valuable against an Nijmegen side expected to play confidently rather than simply retreat.

The remaining checkpoints

The transfer should only be considered completed after:

The reported arrival time makes those steps imminent, not automatic.

Olympiacos appear to have chosen their long-term goalkeeper. This afternoon will determine whether the paperwork and medical process confirm that decision without complication.