Ex-BVB defender Papadopoulos set to leave Lugano, new club already lined up | OneFootball

Antonios Papadopoulos (25) wants to leave. The former BVB pro wants to leave FC Lugano this summer. Another former Dortmund player plays a crucial role in this.

At the beginning of the 2024/25 season, Papadopoulos and the Black and Yellows parted ways after three seasons. The breakthrough did not work out for the Greek player. Mostly, the center-back played for the club's U23 team. When he left Borussia, he had eight appearances for the pros and 70 for the second team to his name.

Photo: Getty Images

In Lugano, the native of Stuttgart signed a contract until 2027. At the club from the Swiss Super League, the 1.86-meter-tall player immediately secured a starting position. Across all competitions, Papadopoulos played 47 games (four goal involvements) in his first year. With the Ticino team, he reached the round of 16 in the Conference League.

Also in the just started season, the ex-Borussia player is a regular in the defense. He has already played six times for Lugano and has already scored twice. However, the start to the new season was disappointing. The previous year's fourth-placed team failed in both the Europa League and Conference League qualification. After four rounds in the Super League, the team is in ninth place - but with one game less played.

First transfer offer rejected

The elimination from European competition may have strengthened Papadopoulos' decision to leave Lugano. According to Blick, he had already announced in June that he wanted to leave the club after just one year. Apparently, he wants to "take the next step in his career".

The 25-year-old's goal is the Polish Ekstraklasa. Legia Warsaw has expressed interest. The capital club is in the Conference League play-offs, winning the first leg at Hibernian Edinburgh 2-1. The second leg takes place on Thursday (August 28th).

According to Sky, there is already an agreement between the player and the club. Apparently, Papadopoulos is to sign for four years. However, the Swiss club rejected an initial offer of 1.5 million euros.

Since April 2025, Fredi Bobic (53) has been working as "Head of Football Operations" for the 15-time national champion. The former BVB pro (80 games, 23 goals) is responsible for "using international contacts in the transfer sector" at Legia, among other things, as Kicker reports.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.