STEFAN ORTEGA: The Elite Veteran Replacing Kostas Tzolakis | OneFootball

Stefan Ortega Announcement at Olympiacos - Giorgos Matthaios/EUROKINISSI

Stefan Ortega arrives without any cost. The role of a backup goalkeeper is an extremely difficult one. In most cases, they only play in the domestic cup, which usually amounts to fewer than 10 matches per season. Sometimes, they are fortunate enough to play more often if the first-choice goalkeeper gets injured or is

sent off. However, some backup goalkeepers go through an entire campaign without making a single official appearance. There are many examples that when they are finally called upon, their lack of competitive rhythm due to limited playing time prevents them from delivering the level expected of them. That, however, was not the case at Manchester City.

In the summer of 2022, the Citizens decided to part ways with Zack Steffen, who never truly inspired confidence whenever he played, and brought in Stefan Ortega instead. The signing came as something of a surprise. Although Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid were also interested in him, Ortega was playing for Arminia Bielefeld, who had just been relegated from the Bundesliga. The German goalkeeper joined City on a free transfer.

Whenever he was given the opportunity to play, Ederson's absence was barely noticeable, as Ortega consistently delivered performances at a level very close to the Brazilian goalkeeper. His most iconic moment came in May 2024, when he saved an extraordinary one-on-one to deny Heung-min Son’s goal. That intervention became decisive in Manchester City's eventual Premier League title triumph.

Last season, however, proved to be a turbulent one for the German goalkeeper. The arrivals of

James Trafford and Gianluigi Donnarumma pushed him out of the matchday squads and, with

less than a year remaining on his contract, he left in the January transfer window to join Nottingham Forest. There, he established himself as the club's first-choice goalkeeper in the Europa League, a competition in which Marinakis' side reached the semi-finals.

He finished as the competition's sixth-best goalkeeper for goals prevented (3.82) and averaged 3.6 saves per match, one of the highest figures in the tournament. Across his eight appearances, he conceded just seven goals and kept three clean sheets. Ortega also produced impressive numbers during his time at Manchester City. He conceded just 51 goals in 56 appearances, 51 of them as a starter and 25 of them in the Premier League. Whenever he was called upon, he consistently proved to be a reliable deputy for Ederson.

Now in Greece, he arrives to replace Konstantinos Tzolakis, who is moving to Hull City. It will not be an easy task because he was crucial in that memorable Conference League campaign and has produced many outstanding performances with both Olympiacos and the Greek national team. It is worth noting that this last season, he didn’t perform at the level that he showed us previously. Ortega is exceptionally comfortable with the

ball at his feet; otherwise, Manchester City would never have signed him. He is also an excellent shot-stopper. In addition, City and Olympiacos play in a similar way, as both teams are willing to take significant risks both in possession and out of possession.

According to the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Ortega had reached an agreement with

Real Sociedad to replace Álex Remiro. However, the deal ultimately collapsed after the Spanish

goalkeeper decided to remain at the club. Despite arriving on a free transfer, this move cannot be fully understood without considering the multi-club ownership model. Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos share the same owner, Evangelos Marinakis, and transfers between the two clubs have become increasingly common.

In fact, Ortega is not the first player to swap the City Ground for the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, or vice versa. Recent examples include Gustavo Sá, David Carmo and Jota Silva. This will be the first time, after leaving Arminia Bielefeld, that Stefan Ortega will be the first-choice goalkeeper. The German has shown on numerous occasions that he possesses the quality required to perform at the highest level, but now he faces a different kind of challenge: maintaining that standard week after week as a regular starter. If he can reproduce the

consistency he displayed whenever called upon at Manchester City, Olympiacos will have

signed one of the most reliable goalkeepers in European football.