Meet Olympiacos starlet Mouzakitis - the 17-year-old who is drawing comparisons to Yamal

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 22 Jul 2024 09:50 BST
• 3 min read

Earlier this year, Olympiacos' Under-19s side became the first Greek club to win a European trophy.

The side prevailed over AC Milan in the UEFA Youth League final in what was a 3-0 win. Antonis Papakanellos and Theofanis Bakoulas got among the goals but the spotlight was firmly on the third goal-scorer. 17-year-old Christos Mouzakitis.

The Olympiacos midfielder has a bright future, with clubs in Italy and Spain interested in purchasing him already. But just who is the teenage player whose performances and goals have drawn comparisons to Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal?

Mouzakitis has been bang in form again this summer. Following on from his key role in Olympiacos’ UEFA Youth League triumph, he scored a goal reminiscent of Yamal’s strike against France in Euro 2024 in a pre-season friendly against K.V. Mechelen, a delightful curling effort from range into the top corner.

The Greek has been with Olympiacos since he was seven years old - the Olympiacos training centre in Renti has become his second home, reports suggest. But he started playing there as a goalkeeper before transitioning to midfield, with coaches at the time noticing that his natural ball-playing ability would be better-served outfield.

Mouzakitis looks up to Real Madrid legend Luka Modric and has expressed admiration for the midfielder’s style; being tactically intelligent, having sublime passing range, and the ability to act as the centrepiece to help the team transition from defence to attack.

Mouzakitis is positioned slightly deeper on the left side for his team in the centre of the park. An exceptional playmaker, he uses his eye for a long ball to switch play to the opposite side or find the attackers in behind the last line of defence.

Out of possession, Mouzakitis drops between the defence, more centrally, where he spreads the ball to the flank when a turnover occurs.

Whether the youngster decides to make the move to another continent is something only he would know, but his talent suggests that it would only be a matter of time before offers are made.