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-bum donned the Olympiakos jersey last summer 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 vowed to take a hard line, calling the move 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 service. ‘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.” 안전놀이터
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 Olympiacos last year. He was suspended for the Russia-Ukraine match.