Article by Aurelian Botezatu – Published Thursday, February 19, 2026, 10:53 / Updated Thursday, February 19, 2026 10:54
Olympiakos players Panos Retsos and Lorenzo Pirola were seriously injured after a terrible head-to-head collision in the 2-2 draw with Bayer Leverkusen.
The match was interrupted in the 34th minute, after a serious injury. Panos Retsos and Lorenzo Pirola collided head-on as they tried to retrieve a ball and blood started pouring down their faces. Replays showed that both defenders came at such speed that the collision was a terrible one!
Lorenzo Pirola and Panos Retsos received treatment for 6 minutes
The clash between Retsos and Pirola / Photo: capture
The teammates, as well as the opponents, requested the quick intervention of the doctors, who treated the victims for 6 minutes. from the information provided by the staffs of the two teams at the end, Pirola suffered severe head trauma, while Retsos was particularly injured in the jaw.
Both remained on the pitch after doctors confirmed to the referee that they could continue playing. They only had to change their shirts because they were covered in blood.
Lorenzo Pirola had to be substituted at half-time
The match had to be stopped again in the 44th minute when Pirola's wound reopened and blood appeared again on his face. The captain of the Italian Under-21 national team left the field for further medical attention. He was eventually replaced by Biancone at half-time.
Lorenzo Pirola
In the second half, Olympiakos succumbed to the Germans. Patrick Schik decided the game in favor of Bayer Leverkusen, with a successful “double” in just 144 seconds. The guests thus took revenge for the failure suffered in the single group, 29 days ago, score 0-2.
