Saliakas leaves FC St. Pauli for Olympiakos Piraeus

After four years with German second-division club FC St. Pauli, defender Manolis Saliakas is heading back to his Greek homeland to play for Olympiakos Piraeus. The move marks a return to the club where Saliakas began his football journey as a 16-year-old in their youth academy.

While FC St. Pauli did not officially announce the transfer fee, media reports suggest the club will receive approximately 1.5 million euros. "It is understandable that he wants to seize the opportunity to play internationally for his former club," said Sporting Director Andreas Bornemann regarding Saliakas's decision.

Saliakas, 29, was granted permission by FC St. Pauli to negotiate with other clubs and had already departed from the team's training camp in Flachau, Austria. He joined the Hamburg-based club in 2022 and had a contract extending to 2027. He was part of the team that was promoted to the Bundesliga in 2024, but they were relegated back to the second division just one year later.

During his tenure at FC St. Pauli, Saliakas played 64 matches in the second division, scoring six goals, and appeared in 47 Bundesliga games, contributing three goals. His transfer to Olympiakos signifies a homecoming for the player who was developed at the club.

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It is understandable that he wants to seize the opportunity to play internationally for his former club.