Luis Palma

Pity it didn't work out obviously given his previous experience in the Greek league it seemed a good move. I imagine even with Jota's injury that we will still be looking to sell or at least loan Palma out again in the summer.

 

How long is on his contract? If it’s more than 2 years still, loan him to English championship. If he does some of the spectacular he can do, we will earn a packet. If he doesn’t then we can get the same for him as we will this season.

 

https://www.sportime.gr/podosfairo/...-isos-girisi-gia-alli-omada-tis-super-league/


Luis Palma is returning to Celtic , but it is unlikely that he will play in the Super League next season.

It is a fact that Luis Palma did not particularly convince Mendilibar . He came on loan from Celtic with a lot of appetite, started relatively well, but never seemed to adapt to the coach's "wants". Olympiacos has risen to a higher level and the striker from Honduras has not shown that he can follow it.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will return to Celtic, who, however, clearly do not count on him. Therefore, he will look for a team to sell him or loan him out again with a good option to buy. The fact that the 25-year-old striker did not make a difference in the six months he spent at Olympiacos does not mean that he is any less important in the eyes of some other big Greek teams. Keep this

It is very possible that another big club will make a move during the summer. Panathinaikos had him on their list even last December. AEK had gone even further, having entered into discussions with Celtic while Toumba is also in the running, with PAOK definitely looking for wingers this summer

So Palma is leaving Greece for the second time, but a... third return should not be ruled out.

 

https://www.laprensa.hn/deportes/lu...ro-seleccion-honduras-mundial-2026-GM26086220Luis Palma's interview with FIFA


Luis Palma reveals to FIFA: how he arrived in Europe and the time he cried
The footballer opened up in an interview with FIFA, discussing his arrival in Europe, recalling his Champions League goal, and the current situation in Honduras




The CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers for 2026are a dream come true for Luis Palma , the Honduran legionnaire for whom fans have high expectations.



In an interview with FIFA, El Bicho opens up about many details of his life. He recalled qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa when he was 9 years old.

Plus, Carlo Costly's goal against Ecuador at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, his arrival in Europe, and everything that being a legionnaire represents for Honduras.



Luis Palma has high expectations of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with the Honduras national team , which plays this Saturday against the Cayman Islands and on Tuesday against Antigua in the qualifiers.



These are long qualifiers. We have 18 matches between now and the end of the year. The qualifiers are in June, and no team is easy. A name alone isn't enough to qualify. They've all improved in every aspect over the last few years. We're up against the Cayman Islands and Antigua and Barbuda, opponents who are going to be very tough, and we have to have the mentality to get positive results. Our expectation is to win and win. There's no margin for error for us: our responsibility is to be in the World Cup. And that's what we'll be striving for from now on.



What virtues does this national team have that allow it to dream of qualifying for the World Cup?

There are teammates who have been through several qualifying rounds and haven't been given the opportunity to qualify. As the newest players on the national team, we're doing our part. The national team is united in that sense, knowing that we have a clear goal. The points we have, as well as the players in the physical aspect, we have very physical, quite technical players. And if you put all that together, you have a complete team. But as I said, this is work. Every cycle we complete, every time we look at each qualifier or every time there's a break for the national team during the FIFA season, we try to be there and always have the mentality of being together for the goals we have set.


The truth is, a lot. We try to implement what we've been doing over there in Europe, and to be able to transmit it to our teammates here, how to play. There are several teammates who have also been to Europe and know what it's like there. We also try to teach the kids here how to play at a high-level, elite pace. We try to always be there for them, as they say, and the players have experience as well. This national team thing has to be different, knowing the pride of being here and feeling like a kid fulfilling a childhood dream.



What is the main difference between Honduran and European football?

Well, I noticed it in Greece, because that's when I left Honduras directly for Greece. I went to Aris Thessaloniki and saw the kind of pace they played there. And then when I went to Scotland, to Celtic , playing in the Champions League was incredible, and you realize the pace there is in both Central America and Europe. The truth is, we're very far from that elite, but as I said, I hope that in the future we won't be so far away.



What was your transition from Honduras to Europe, to Aris before moving to Celtic and Olympiakos? How do you remember that moment when they came to recruit you?

At the beginning of December, we had finished in the semifinals against my former team, Club Deportivo y Social Vida. The person who brought me, my agent, told me there was a possibility of moving abroad, to Aris Thessaloniki. It wasn't concrete, but there was a strong possibility and to keep an eye out in case it came up, that I had to travel in 10 days, that I had to be prepared. Then December came, I spent December with my family, and then at the beginning of January, he confirmed to me that it was a reality, that there was a four-year contract for me to go to Aris. As I said, my life completely changed. I told my dad and my whole family. They were very happy about this opportunity and knowing that I could take that leap to pursue my dreams, which was always what I wanted.


Did you ever imagine, when you started playing soccer, that this possibility existed? And you were just talking to me about dreams coming true and living it as if you were a kid playing for the national team. When you started, with all your history, did you ever imagine you'd achieve these two goals?

I'm not going to lie to you, as a kid, you always want to play to be happy, for fun. There was a time when I could see football as a job, but if you ask me if I ever saw myself playing in the Champions League, I can tell you yes. Because one day I was watching a Celtic game, where Emilio Izaguirre was playing at the time. I was at home with my parents and I told my mom, one day I'm going to be there. Just like life, ten years later, eight years later, I was already playing for Celtic, making my Champions League debut and scoring a goal. I was able to fulfill the childhood dream I always had.




Taking you to another dream, which I imagine you have, is that of playing in a World Cup. What memories do you have of Honduras's last World Cup appearances?

Yes, it's the dream that still remains, to play in a World Cup, to do well with the national team. We know what it means for the country for the national team to be in a World Cup. That's a dream that not only I have, but thousands and millions of Hondurans also want to see us there. It's a dream that's always been there, and I hope it comes true. In 2010, we fought for qualification with El Salvador, and the other year, Costa Rica-United States was there, and my whole family was watching the game. I was 10 years old in 2009, I think I was 9 years old. I was 9 years old and I was with my family. When Carlos Pavón scored the goal, and then Costa Rica scored the goal and we qualified, it was an immense joy. And I cried when Carlo Costly scored the goal in the 2014 World Cup, which was significant for the national team, for the country. And well, now that my teammates and I are part of that team that could be in the World Cup, why not give the country another chance to win, which is what it so richly deserves?


And what would it mean for Honduras to return to a World Cup?

Putting ourselves in the rankings means knowing that Honduras has good prospects, good players who can reach Europe, who can excel on big European teams, that there's a lot of talent. And that's a springboard for all of us, from being a country that produces players, because if you go back years, many footballers played in England, in Europe, and right now, they haven't been able to make the leap. But as I say, both personally, the dream is to bring joy to an entire country, and for the teammates who have the opportunity or the dream of making the leap, that the World Cup will be a springboard for them.



What does your journey through Europe represent for your country's footballers?
Well, as I said, motivate them, motivate them, make it known that there are good talents in Honduras, there are good players, and just like me, let's do it with great humility, putting Honduras' name in Europe, not just me, but everyone who plays in Europe, you know? So that they can make it, so that more Honduran players can make it to Europe, because that's what we need right now, to open the doors for all of them, all those who can make the jump. And well, as I said, with more Honduran players in Europe, the national team would be a more complete team, a team that could give other teams a run for their money.



I'd like you to tell me a little about the fact that you've had the opportunity to beat Mexico; you've also been competitive against the United States. What do those victories and those strong performances demonstrate about Honduran soccer?

The same thing, the grit, the grit that characterizes us, the Honduran grit of being strong, of knowing we're not afraid of any team. Here in Honduras, we were able to beat Mexico; it was a pretty resounding victory for us, as we realized that on the field, we're only 11 against 11. Unfortunately, we lost in the second game, but we tried to play, even with the entire stadium and the altitude, that's different, but we realize we're not that far from the reality of a high level. So, let's hope the national team and we can continue to grow so we can become a stronger team and compete more against the Central American national teams, as well as other teams we may face in the future.



What did Reinaldo Rueda's technical leadership bring to you?

A lot of experience. The coach has been on many teams, many national teams, and he lets us know that the most important thing is to be in the World Cup, but we have to get to the World Cup playing well, playing the way we've been known for before. So, we feel that love for the jersey, that pride in being on the national team, which many want, but few are, and that we are privileged. So, the coach tries to instill in us a lot of respect for the country, for the national team, and he noticed our experience both in training and in adverse matches.

 

Helluva strike in the Gold Cup tonight.

 

Hopefully enough that an MLS side buys him outright..

 

Lovely wee touch to control it too.

 

He's always had that ability in him for a goal.

Rodgers maybe sees an issues with attitude and aptitude but I wonder, if Palma was willing to get his head straight and focus. If he could have a role here in a CAM-esq role