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Kostoulas record move shows how Marinakis's academy investment is transforming Greek football
Greek football is entering a new era, and Olympiacos president Evangelos Marinakis is leading the charge with a long-term strategy focused on youth development, infrastructure, and international credibility.
The record-breaking transfer of Charalambos Kostoulas to Brighton for over €40 million is a landmark moment.
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It is now the most expensive transfer in Greek football history, eclipsing Kostas Manolas's €36 million move from Roma to Napoli, and marking a 51% increase from the previous major transfer of Stefanos Tzimas from Nuremberg to Brighton (€26.4 million).
Charalambos Kostoulas: Olympiacos rewarded for investment in youth
This is not an isolated success. It is the result of nearly €60 million invested into Olympiacos's academy and training base over the past decade and a half. The club has consistently upgraded its facilities, coaching, and scouting systems to create a production line of elite-level talent.
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The recent UEFA Youth League triumph and the increasing number of academy players in the first team have drawn the attention of top clubs across Europe. Greek players are no longer seen as undervalued.
Olympiacos is sending a strong message to the global market: it develops quality, and it knows the value of its talent.
Kostoulas, who turned 18 in May and has spent his entire career at Olympiacos, made his senior European debut in the Europa League while still a teenager.
Brighton have signed him not as a loan project or reserve, but as a key addition to a first-team environment that has produced some of the Premier League's most exciting talents.
Olympiacos has built a reputation similar to clubs like Benfica, Ajax, and Lyon, who have generated hundreds of millions through academy-developed players. Benfica, for example, earned €516 million from the sales of 30 academy products between 2014 and 2023. Marinakis's Olympiacos is now entering that conversation.
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And the pipeline is far from dry. Giannis Mouzakitis, who recently turned 18, is being tracked by Atletico Madrid and Chelsea. Behind him are names like Tzolakis, Papakanellos, Pneumonidis, Liatsikouras, Bakoulas, Kostoulas — all part of a carefully built system designed to develop, prepare, and promote the next generation.
The sale of Kostoulas is not just a big transfer. It is a symbol of how far Olympiacos and Greek football have come. And it is a sign of what is still to come under Marinakis's leadership.
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