Elite Sport SA Organizes International Friendly Series

Elite Sport SA is proud to announce the organization of an international friendly match series between FC Olympian (Katerini) and two of Pernik's established football clubs - FC Pernik and FC Minyor Pernik. The fixtures will take place between June 20 and 21, 2026, with FC Olympian Katerini traveling to Pernik, Bulgaria as the visiting side.

This initiative marks a significant step in Elite Sport SA's mission to build a structured and sustainable football corridor between Greece and Bulgaria - connecting young talents from both countries to meaningful competitive opportunities and broader European exposure.

More than a friendly match

International friendlies are often seen as routine calendar fillers. For Elite Sport SA, they are something entirely different: a controlled competitive environment where young players can be assessed, tested, and developed under real match conditions.

For the players involved, this trip to Pernik represents an opportunity to step outside familiar surroundings, face a different style of play, and demonstrate their capabilities in front of coaches and observers from a cross-border network. For Elite Sport SA, it is an opportunity to deepen existing relationships with Bulgarian clubs and lay the groundwork for longer-term collaboration.

The Greece–Bulgaria corridor

The Balkans produce exceptional football talent. Yet the infrastructure connecting Greek and Bulgarian clubs — at youth and semi-professional level — remains underdeveloped. Talented players on both sides of the border often lack the visibility, the right contacts, and the structured pathway to reach their potential.

Elite Sport SA was built specifically to address this gap. Our focus on the Greece–Bulgaria player corridor is not a geographical coincidence — it is a deliberate strategic choice grounded in the belief that proximity, shared football culture, and existing relationships can be turned into a genuine competitive advantage for the players we represent.

The Pernik series is a practical expression of this philosophy. Two Bulgarian clubs. One Greek club. Six days. Real football.

About the clubs

FC Olympian Katerini is based in Katerini, in the Pieria regional unit of northern Greece — a city well-positioned as a gateway between Greek and Balkan football networks.

FC Pernik and FC Minyor Pernik are both established clubs from Pernik, a city with a deep-rooted football tradition in western Bulgaria. Facing both clubs within the same trip offers FC Olympian Katerini's squad varied tactical challenges and maximizes the competitive value of the journey.

What comes next

Elite Sport SA will be present throughout the Pernik series — observing, evaluating, and continuing to build the bilateral relationships that make this kind of initiative possible. Updates from the trip will be shared across our channels.

If you are a player, coach, or club interested in being part of future cross-border fixtures or in learning more about what Elite Sport SA can offer, we invite you to reach out.

The corridor is open. The work continues.