The Newcastle Jets can confirm the departure of striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos to a European Club for an undisclosed fee.
Although Stamatelopoulos was contracted to the Club for another season, the Club have allowed him to pursue this opportunity to further increase his chances of selection for the Socceroos ahead of their upcoming World Cup Qualifying matches.
The Jets remain active in the transfer market and will further bolster the playing squad in the coming weeks.
Newcastle Jets CEO Shane Mattiske thanked Stamatelopoulos for his time at the Club.
“Apostolos heads to Europe with our best wishes. We understand that in order for Apostolos to push for selection in the Socceroos squad for the 2026 World Cup, he needs to be playing consistently in the coming months and that aligns with the European schedule.”
“We’re really proud of his development at the Jets over the past season and would love to see him and his family return to Newcastle in the future.”
“Under Rob and the broader Jets team, we are an ideal destination for young players to develop into elite footballers.”
Stamatelopoulos first joined the Jets in 2021 from Western United and scored three goals in 12 league appearances. Following the end of the 2020/21 season, the striker headed overseas to play for Greek Clubs A. E. Rodos and PAS Giannina F.C.
Stamatelopoulos returned to the Jets in 2023 and scored 17 goals in 25 league matches, breaking the Club’s record for most goals in an A-League Men’s season.
Stamatelopoulos capped off a stellar season by earning selection in the A-League All Stars match against English Premier League side Newcastle United, scoring two goals in an 8-0 win. He was the rewarded with selection in Graham Arnold’s Socceroos squad for their World Cup Qualifying matches against Bangladesh and Palestine. Stamatelopoulos made his Socceroos debut against Palestine in Perth, coming on as a substitute in the 65th minute.
