Olympiakos, who had been ‘insistent’, eventually changed his mind “Hwang In-beom 1+2 year contract is correct, but…”

Olympiacos has changed its story. One day they said they signed Hwang In-bum (27) to a three-year contract, and now they admitted that it was actually a 1+2-year contract.

Greek media outlets such as ‘Gazeta’ and ‘SDNA’ reported on Thursday (Feb. 14) that Hwang In-bum signed a 1+2-year contract with Olympiacos. This reverses previous reports that had consistently claimed a three-year contract.

However, they continued to point out that the problem was with Hwang In-bum, not Olympiacos. “Don’t get confused. Olympiacos signed a 1+2 year contract with Hwang In-bum, but it was not in the form of an option. He himself signed a two-year contract,” Gazeta claimed.

“He went to the relevant department with the contract and asked to renew his expired work permit,” the media outlet continued. Everyone knows that Olympiakos’ actions were legal. So in the end, Hwang In-bum’s side offered the club between €3 million and €4 million to get the transfer approved. Why would he do that if he was a free agent?” The outlet added.

Hwang In-beom donned an Olympiakos jersey last summer, making the move to Greece after a short stint with FC Seoul. He immediately established himself as a key midfielder, making 40 appearances across all competitions in the 2022-2023 season.

Hwang was clearly the ace of Olympiakos, and his performance was recognized at the end of the season when he was named Olympiakos’ Player of the Year by Elada, the Greek professional soccer superliga.

After conquering Greece, Hwang In-bum wanted a bigger challenge and pushed for a move. In fact, several teams were reportedly interested in him this summer, including Serie A Napoli and Inter Milan, and Bundesliga clubs Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Hwang In-bum also wants to move. “Hwang In-bum has demanded a transfer, and now Olympiakos lawyers will have a say,” Gazzetta reported on Nov. 11. “According to the club, he has violated the terms of his contract and demanded to leave, despite having two years left on his contract.”

Olympiakos has threatened a strong response, calling it a breach of contract. According to Gazeta, Olympiacos declared that no player is above the team. “Hwang’s behavior is generally considered inappropriate and unprofessional,” the outlet said.

Legal action is expected. According to Sportime, Olympiacos has already referred the matter to the club’s legal services. ‘IN’ also reported that “Olympiacos will take Hwang’s transfer request to the extreme,” and “Olympiacos is annoyed by his attitude. A lawsuit is the only solution.”

While Greek media outlets criticized Hwang In-bum in unison, he also had grounds to request a transfer. His contract with Olympiacos last year was for 1+2 years, not 3 years. Since Hwang has already spent a year in Greece, he could leave the team this summer if he doesn’t sign a new contract.

Initially, Hwang was not eligible to sign a three-year contract with Olympiakos last year. Although he temporarily suspended his contract with Rubin Kazan (Russia) in the aftermath of the Russian-Ukrainian war, he remained with Rubin Kazan until June 2023, the end of his original contract. As such, it was impossible for him to sign with another team beyond June 2023.

If Hwang wanted to extend his contract beyond June 2023, his new team would have to negotiate with Rubin Kazan to officially sign him. However, Olympiakos did not pay Rubin Kazan a transfer fee and used a special clause to retain him. This means that Hwang is free to leave the team unless he signs a new contract after June 30 of this year.

However, the buyout clause seems to be the key. Hwang’s camp is claiming that the two-year extension of his contract triggered a buyout clause of €3 million to €4 million, which Olympiakos is reportedly denying.

Gazeta reported, “Olympiakos will only accept an offer of €6 million to €7 million. This is what Galatasaray, the most interested team, can pay.”

Whatever happens, it’s hard to envision Hwang and Olympiacos together next season. The rift is already too deep. Hwang has already been ruled out of both the preseason and the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round. Although the transfer deadline is approaching, the ideal scenario would be for him to leave in search of a new team. 메이저놀이터

Olympiacos has been looking for a replacement for Hwang for some time now. According to IN, Olympiacos are in talks to sign Paul Akuoku, who plays for Real Betis in La Liga. They’ve had their eye on him since June and have reportedly already made a €2 million offer.

Akoukou is not the end of the story. According to the media, Olympiakos are also targeting Argentina international Sandago Eze (CA Uracan) and want to add at least one more central midfielder. While Hwang’s departure has become a hot topic in the last days of the transfer window, it is unlikely to be resolved quickly as the two sides are far apart.