Dodô turned down Olympiacos and now prioritizes staying at Fiorentina

Domilson Cordeiro dos Santos known as Dodo of ACF Fiorentina in action during the Serie A match between ACF Fiorentina and Atalanta BC at Artemio Franchi on May 22, 2026 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

For two days, the Olympiacos right-back story looked chaotic. Marcus Pedersen arrived. The deal paused.

Dodô suddenly appeared. Olympiacos explored one of Serie A’s more technically accomplished attacking full-backs. Then Pedersen’s transfer restarted.

Now we have a clearer explanation. Dodô did not want the move. According to Matteo Moretto, the Brazilian rejected Olympiacos and prefers to stay at Fiorentina. That changes how the entire sequence should be interpreted.

Olympiacos did not simply choose Pedersen over Dodô

There has been a natural tendency to frame the situation as a late sporting decision:

Pedersen or Dodô?

Athleticism or technique?

Norwegian or Brazilian?

But the latest reporting suggests that wasn't really the final choice. Olympiacos explored an opportunity.

Fiorentina were open to discussions. The player was not convinced. Once that became apparent, Olympiacos finalized the transfer that was already much further advanced. That is a much more logical sequence than the apparent back-and-forth suggested.

And the distinction matters for evaluating Pedersen

Pedersen should not now carry the burden of being treated as the player Olympiacos selected because they decided he was better than Dodô. There is no evidence that was the final football judgment. If anything, Olympiacos’ willingness to interrupt the Pedersen process when Dodô became available suggests the club recognized Dodô as an unusually attractive market opportunity.

The transfer failed because the player preferred a different outcome. That is a recruitment reality rather than necessarily a sporting mistake.

Pedullà’s actual wording is important

There was significant confusion in Greek reporting Sunday evening. A SPORT24 headline said Dodô was “very close to Olympiacos according to the Italians.” But the Alfredo Pedullà post embedded directly beneath the story says: Dodô was never really close to Olympiacos, there had been distance, and Nottingham Forest were considering a fresh offer.

Transfer reporting is already noisy enough without translating a source into the opposite conclusion. Moretto’s report then provides the missing player-side explanation:

Dodô rejected Olympiacos.

Taken together, the Italian reporting is actually quite consistent.

Fiorentina were willing to discuss a transfer.

Olympiacos showed serious interest.

But the deal never reached the point where Dodô was committed to joining.

That leaves Olympiacos with a much cleaner right-back structure

Assuming Rodinei’s proposed return to Brazil is eventually approved, Mendilibar would have: Marcus Pedersen and Manolis Saliakas as the primary senior options.

Pedersen offers recovery speed and high-intensity running. Saliakas offers a different technical and crossing profile. There is no need to force a third expensive right-back into that picture.

The bigger lesson concerns recruitment feasibility

Olympiacos have encountered versions of the same problem twice in a very short period. Gustavo Puerta preferred Benfica. Dodô preferred to remain at Fiorentina. In both cases, the club had the financial ability to compete. The obstacle was the player's preferred destination. That should become an important consideration for the revamped scouting structure. Recruitment is not merely about identifying good players.

It is about identifying good players who can realistically be convinced to come. There is a substantial difference.

Olympiacos can scout a €15m-level player perfectly and still waste crucial days if the player fundamentally views Greece as a secondary option.

The best recruitment departments factor that probability into the process early.

Pedersen therefore becomes the football story now

The Dodô discussion can effectively end. Olympiacos have already signed the Norwegian. He is younger. He is physically ready and he has been acquired for a significant fee because the club believes he fits what Mendilibar needs.

Whether he ultimately proves better or worse than the alternative Olympiacos briefly explored is unknowable.

But the important distinction is now clear: Dodô was an opportunity Olympiacos tried to exploit. Pedersen is the player who actually chose Olympiacos.

At some point, that matters too.