Celta regrets Giráldez's big mistake

Tasos Douvikas, Greek forward aged 27, leads the scoring table of the Champions League 2026-27 with 6 goals in 4 matches after signing a hat-trick in the rout of Como 9-1 against Lens on November 4. His performance reignites the debate about his departure from the Celta de Vigo in the winter transfer market of 2025, when the Galician club accepted a transfer of 14 million euros after paying 12 million for him.

The departure occurred during the tenure of Claudio Giráldez, during which Douvikas struggled to establish himself as a starter. In Italy, however, he has found continuity and an offensive role that has allowed him to increase his production: last season he scored 14 goals in Serie A, and in the current season, he has already netted 5 league goals, in addition to his six European strikes.

Tasos Douvikas makes Como a Champions League protagonist

The forward has scored in the first four matchdays of the continental competition. His hat-trick against Lens brought him to 6 goals, one more than Erling Haaland and Nicolò Tresoldi, his immediate pursuers with five. Additionally, Como won 1-9 in France, marking one of the largest wins in the tournament's history.

Douvikas's performance is not limited to just one night. In the 2025-26 season, his first full year in Italy, he finished with 14 goals in Serie A. In the current Italian league, he has already scored 5, a tally that confirms his importance in the attack of the team managed by Cesc Fàbregas.

His growth is also reflected in his market value. His estimated worth is now around 25 million euros, according to Transfermarkt, compared to the 14 million that Celta received for his transfer. This difference does not equate to a real offer, but it does show how his valuation has increased since leaving Vigo.

1st: Tasos Douvikas 2nd: Kasper Jørgensen 3rd: Aleksei Batrakov 4th: Fabián Ruiz 🎩 Hat-trick hero Douvikas is Player of the Week! @PlayStationEU | #UCLPOTW https://t.co/2OIbYcYfBj

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 5, 2026

The decision by Claudio Giráldez that Celta may regret

Douvikas joined Celta in August 2023 from Utrecht, appearing in 58 competitive matches with a record of 18 goals and 4 assists. During his time in Vigo, he had inconsistent participation and failed to establish himself ahead of other offensive options, a situation that enabled his departure in the winter market of 2025.

The transfer allowed the club to recover their investment and gain an additional two million, but the sporting outcome is different from what was anticipated. Douvikas went from having a secondary role at Celta to becoming a key player for Como, with 14 goals in Serie A 2025-26 and the scoring lead in the Champions League in November 2026.

The comparison comes at a delicate moment for the Galician team: difficulties in converting chances and physical problems for Borja Iglesias have increased attention on forwards who left the squad. This does not prove that Douvikas's continuity would have changed the team's results, but it does put the decision made under Giráldez into perspective.

Tasos Douvikas's next challenge will be to maintain his scoring momentum when Como resumes the Champions on November 24 against AEK Athens. If he retains his position at the top of the European ranking, the forward will continue to elevate his value and fuel the debate about a departure from Celta de Vigo that is now viewed from a very different perspective.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El Celta lamenta el gran error de Giráldez