Moroccan midfielder Azzedine Ounahi has been honoured by Spanish top flight La Liga with a 101-second tribute video following the official confirmation of his transfer return to Greek club Panathinaikos.
The video package compiled by Spanish league organizers highlights the 26-year-old international's five goals and three assists during his 24 appearances for Girona throughout the 2025-26 season.
Spanish football officials released the tribute to mark Ounahi's brief spell in La Liga, showcasing both his goalscoring highlights and creative moments on the pitch during his year in Spain.
Ounahi made his name on the international stage during Morocco's historic run to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He subsequently moved to French club Marseille before spending the 2025-26 campaign on loan in Catalonia with Girona. Girona FC, based in northeastern Spain, competes in La Liga and enjoyed a standout season with the Moroccan playmaker featuring in their central midfield line.
Panathinaikos Return and Squad Registration
Ounahi completed his official return to Greek football to rejoin Panathinaikos in Athens. The midfielder shared a short video message wearing the Panathinaikos shirt, saying he had returned and would see supporters on the pitch.
Panathinaikos published a promotional video documenting the player's arrival at their Koropi training complex. The video featured a tagline stating that while some chase time, Ounahi stops it.
The Moroccan international also visited OAKA stadium in Athens, where he was greeted with enthusiastic acclaim by supporters who gathered to welcome him back to the club. In another gesture to fans, Ounahi personally handed his match jersey to the first Panathinaikos supporter who ordered the new season shirt online.
Panathinaikos confirmed their squad list submitted for upcoming European competition, registering Ounahi alongside fellow midfield additions Imran Louza and Show Kangwa. Panathinaikos play their European home fixtures in Athens, and including new arrivals provides manager options across domestic and European matches. Spanish midfielder Pedro Chirivella and defender Esteban Chavez were left out of the European squad roster by the Athens club.
Greek Cup Opening Results and Reactions
On the pitch, Panathinaikos opened their domestic campaign in the Superbet Greek Cup with a 1-0 victory against Niki Volou in the opening fixture of the League Phase. The victory marked a winning start for the club in the newly structured cup competition.
The Superbet Greek Cup features teams from across the country competing in a multi-stage tournament. Niki Volou, based in the coastal city of Volos, competes in the lower divisions of Greek football and qualified for the League Phase.
Organizers of the Superbet Greek Cup published the complete set of opening matchday results alongside the official fixture schedule for the second round of group matches.
Following the cup victory, head coach Niestroop acknowledged that the opening fixture had been a difficult match for his team. He added that their upcoming fixture against rivals PAOK would present a completely different test.
Panathinaikos Football Club, founded in 1908, is one of Greece's oldest and most successful sporting institutions. The club plays its home fixtures in Athens and has a long history of competing in European football.
PAOK Leadership Statements and Transfer Moves
Off the pitch, supporters of PAOK expressed major concerns over club ownership. The Gate 4 fan group issued a statement declaring that the time had come for owner Ivan Savvidis to step down and leave the Thessaloniki club as a friend.
Gate 4 is the largest and oldest organized supporters group for PAOK, based at the Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki. Businessman Ivan Savvidis took control of PAOK in 2012, guiding the club to domestic league and cup titles during his tenure.
On the transfer front, PAOK have targeted French forward Gaëtan Laborde to reinforce their attacking unit ahead of upcoming domestic fixtures.
In Piraeus, rival club Olympiacos prepared for the arrival of Jamaican winger Leon Bailey, who landed at Athens airport early on Friday morning to finalize his transfer. Speaking upon his arrival in Greece, Bailey said he aimed to win the Europa League again during his spell with Olympiacos. Leon Bailey previously featured in the English Premier League for Aston Villa and in the German Bundesliga for Bayer Leverkusen. Olympiacos, based in Piraeus, are Greece's most decorated domestic club and won the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2024.
Meanwhile, former Spanish midfielder Rubén Pérez announced his official retirement from professional football, hanging up his boots after a long career across European leagues.
International Transfers, Governance and Tributes
In international transfer developments, American defender Noah Allen completed a move within Major League Soccer, transferring from Inter Miami to Chicago Fire. Inter Miami CF, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, joined Major League Soccer in 2020, while Chicago Fire FC plays its home matches at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Governing bodies FIFA and UEFA remain involved in legal proceedings regarding undisclosed commercial investment plans linked to FIFA President Gianni Infantino and private investment groups.
In South America, Argentine football authorities announced that domestic matches across the country will feature a tribute to national team captain Lionel Messi, with play temporarily paused at the 10th minute of every match.
Messi led Argentina to World Cup victory in Qatar in 2022 and holds the record as his country's top goalscorer of all time, wearing the iconic number 10 jersey.
Basketball, Athletics and Tennis Round-up
In basketball news, Olympiacos head coach Georgios Bartzokas addressed squad scheduling, stating that preseason preparation periods are becoming shorter while competitive obligations continue to increase.
Panathinaikos basketball club announced the participating teams for this year's Pavlos Giannakopoulos tournament, confirming that Serbian club Partizan, domestic side PAOK, and French team Bourg will take part in the event. The annual tournament is hosted by Panathinaikos BC in memory of the club's former president, drawing top European basketball teams to Athens every autumn.
In athletics, Greek pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis, known as Manolo, competed against world record holder Armand Duplantis at a meeting in Brussels. Following the competition, Karalis said he believed he might break a world record himself one day. The Brussels meeting forms part of the elite Diamond League circuit, where Karalis won an Olympic bronze medal for Greece in 2024.
At the US Open tennis tournament in New York, Greek player Maria Sakkari was eliminated from the competition after suffering a two-sets-to-one defeat against Starodubtseva. The US Open is the final Grand Slam tournament of the tennis calendar year, held annually at Flushing Meadows.
