Olympiacos urge Ayoub El Kaabi to stay strong after distressing injury

Olympiacos have offered their full support to Morocco striker Ayoub El Kaabi after he suffered a serious-looking leg injury during their Greek league match against Volos on Saturday evening.

El Kaabi was hurt shortly before half-time as he raced towards a loose ball and managed to reach it before Volos goalkeeper Marios Siabanis. The goalkeeper then fell heavily onto the striker’s leg, which twisted violently under the force of the collision.

The forward immediately went to ground, prompting a wave of concern among both sets of players and the crowd. Medical staff quickly came on to treat him before El Kaabi was carried from the pitch on a stretcher to applause from the spectators.

Armando Gonzalez replaced him for the remainder of the match.

The referee awarded Olympiacos a penalty for the challenge. Jota Silva converted from the spot and dedicated his emotional celebration to El Kaabi, reflecting the shock surrounding the incident and the reaction of his team-mates.

El Kaabi was taken directly to hospital after leaving the field, where he was due to undergo medical examinations to establish the precise nature and severity of the injury. No diagnosis or expected recovery period was given in the report.

Olympiacos later posted a message of support for their striker on their official social media accounts.

“Ayoub, in this difficult moment, the entire Olympiacos family stands by your side with all our hearts.Your strength, passion and fighting spirit have inspired us so many times. Now it’s our turn to send all that strength back to you.Stay strong,@AyoubElKaabi. We’ll be with you every step of the way, until we see you return to where you belong. We wish you a speedy recovery.”

El Kaabi has been an important attacking figure for Olympiacos, but the club’s immediate focus is on supporting him while the medical assessments are completed. The full extent of the injury will only become clear once those tests have been reviewed.

The original report also carried references to two separate football stories: one concerning criticism of the referee in Real Madrid’s match against Real Betis, and another quoting Jose Mourinho as saying he thought a Real Betis player had died in front of the bench. Those items were presented as related links rather than as part of the Olympiacos match report.