Roman Yaremchuk, the striker for the Ukraine national team, has found himself in a difficult situation at Greek club Olympiacos. According to Sport RBC.UA, citing the official UEFA website, the Greek club has published its official squad list for the main phase of the 2026/27 Europa League season, which includes 21 players. The Ukrainian forward's name is absent from this list — the coaching staff led by José Luis Mendilibar has decided to rely on other players in the attacking line. In effect, this means that Yaremchuk has completely lost the trust of the coaching staff and has been left out of international competition.
Europa League Squad: 21 Names Without Yaremchuk
The list of 21 players published by Olympiacos for the main phase of the 2026/27 Europa League serves as official confirmation that Roman Yaremchuk is not part of the club's plans for the upcoming tournament. According to the publication, the Ukrainian has been placed on a list of six players the Piraeus-based club no longer counts on. This is, in essence, a verdict for a player who joined the team in the summer of 2024 and signed a contract running until 2028. Now, it seems, Yaremchuk will have to look for a new club to continue his career.
Who Will Take the Spot in Attack
Places in the "red and whites'" attacking line in the Europa League will be contested by Moroccan Ayoub El Kaabi, Mexican Armando González, and Portuguese Jota Silva. It is on these players that the coaching staff led by Mendilibar placed the main emphasis when forming the squad. Thus, the Ukrainian forward, who had previously been one of the club's key strikers, has been pushed out of the group of players considered for international matches.
The Road to the Sidelines: From Loan at Lyon to Losing Trust
In the current season, Yaremchuk has not played a single official match for Olympiacos, missing, among other things, the Champions League qualifying matches. The Ukrainian had also previously been left out of the squad lists for specific playoff matches, which already clearly demonstrated his status within the team. The second half of the previous season, the striker spent on loan at French club Lyon, where he scored five goals in 14 matches. However, the French side ultimately declined to exercise the contract buyout option, and the player returned to Piraeus, where, as it turned out, he was no longer among the priorities.
Summary of Two Seasons in Piraeus
Despite his current exclusion, Yaremchuk's contribution to Olympiacos was significant. Since joining the club in the summer of 2024, the Ukrainian has played 49 matches, scored 14 goals, and won the Greek championship, cup, and supercup with the team. His contract with the club runs until 2028, which makes his current position — the status of a player the club "no longer counts on" — one of the sharpest turns in his club career over the past two seasons.
Context: Sikan's Scoring Streak
Meanwhile, another Ukrainian striker, Danylo Sikan, continues to demonstrate a scoring form in Belgium, extending his goal-scoring streak. The contrast between Sikan's confident performances and Yaremchuk's exclusion from international matches clearly underscores just how different the summer has been for the two forwards competing for a place in the attacking line of the Ukraine national team.
