The Greek champion PAOK (Thessaloniki) officially parted ways with two of its main players in forward positions, who were direct competition for the Bulgarian national Kiril Despodov. It's about the Russian midfielder Magomed Ozdoev and the Croatian wing Luka Ivanushec. The contracts of both players expired and the club's management decided not to renew them, making them free agents.
The Croatian Ivanushec was brought to the Thessaloniki giants precisely with the aim of being an alternative on the wing. Despite the high expectations and constant rotation, he was accompanied by frequent injuries and never managed to permanently displace the captain of the Bulgarian national team from the starting lineup.
Changes during summer training
The parting with the two offensive players coincides with the start of PAOK's summer training under the leadership of the new head coach Alessio Lishi, who recently replaced Razvan Lucescu in the position. The Italian specialist will not be able to rely on Kiril Despodov for the first summer test against the Belgian Beveren. The Bulgarian continues his recovery at the club's base after undergoing surgery on his right toe and is still not training at full speed with the main group.
The Italian coach is expected to use the departure of Ozdoev and Ivanushets to give a chance to young talents from PAOK's second team and players with fewer minutes last season.
Source: BNT and Topsport