Veterans that excelled in Greek football
Traditionally, Greece is often viewed as a last resort for older, more experienced players. The warm weather attracts veterans beyond their best for one last pay cheque in a decent European league, relatively close to home but a notch under the top-five leagues.
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Many have come and not left a good impression, however, there have been others such as Mathieu Valbuena at Olympiacos this season that have genuinely excelled and came to Greece with the best intentions. The veteran has already penned a new deal for a further season and remains an integral first-team player. Signed by Pedro Martins due to a long-term injury sustained by Kostas Fortounis, the diminutive 35-year-old attacking midfielder has minimised the impact of that loss.
In light of the Frenchman's stunning form to date, AGONAsport looks at other veterans that came to Greece and performed admirably well. It is worth noting that the likes of Gilberto Silva, Rivaldo, and Alvaro Recoba are not included in this list as their respective playing careers continued for some time after leaving Greece.
Aljosa Asanovic - Panathinaikos
At the age of 33, the left-footed Croatian midfielder was looking for a new home, having previously featured for the likes of Hajduk Split, Metz, Cannes, Montpellier, Valladolid, Derby County, and Napoli. He arrived in Athens with the intention of elevating Panathinaikos into the UEFA Champions League group stages. Despite being a back up under Giannis Kyrastas, he proved much more useful during his second season at the club and never created a problem off the pitch before leaving in 2000. He played 61 times for Panathinaikos, scoring on 13 occasions. After leaving, he only played a mere four more games in his career - all for Croatian-backed Sydney United in Australia.
Pablo Garcia - PAOK, Xanthi
The Uruguayan defensive midfielder joined PAOK in the summer of 2008 at the age of 31. Having previously played in his native Uruguay, Spain, and Italy, the veteran left a lasting impression in Thessaloniki. Greece was a perfect location for him to continue his career as it was a notch under the top-five European leagues, and his cultured playing style with passion in an abundance led to him fitting in easily at PAOK. He spent over five years at PAOK, before ending his playing career at Xanthi in 2014. He is currently involved in the youth setup at PAOK.
Emerson - Xanthi, AEK
The veteran Brazilian defensive midfielder arrived in Greece at the age of 33. He had featured for the likes of Porto, Rangers, Middlesborough, Deportivo La Coruna, and Atletico Madrid before joining Xanthi in 2005. He then joined AEK for one season (2006-07) and played in the UEFA Champions League. At 34, his best days were past him, and he only played 13 more times in his career for APOEL.
Ariel Ibagaza - Olympiacos, Panionios
The diminutive 166cm Argentine is the epitome of professionalism. He signed with Olympiacos just before his 34th birthday, and at an age where many slacked off, he kept pushing himself and endeared himself to the Olympiacos fans. A long career in Spain with Mallorca, Atletico Madrid, and Villareal ended in style in Greece as he won the Greek Super League four times and the Greek Cup twice. After a strong four-year stint at the Reds, which included 97 appearances, 32 assists, and three goals, he signed with Panionios for one season and played until the age of 39.
Henri Camara - Atromitos, Panetolikos, Kalloni, Lamia, Apollon Smyrni, Ionikos , Fostiras
A hero of Senegal’s remarkable run in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the striker first moved to Greece at the age of 33 in the summer of 2010. He played for numerous clubs in England and throughout Europe, but he took a liking to Greece - playing for a whopping seven clubs in Greece says it all. He enjoyed an indifferent season first up at Atromitos but excelled at Panetolikos, where he scored 29 goals and made over 100 appearances (one of their best foreigners ever). He played for Fostiras just before his 40th birthday.
Esteban Cambiasso - Olympiacos
The Argentine defensive midfielder had a distinguished career for both club and country before joining Olympiacos in 2015. He played for Independiente, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, River Plate, and Leicester City and brought all that experience to Greece with him, where he proved to be a hit. He retired at the Reds at 37, where he made 49 appearances across two seasons, scoring seven times and notching three assists. He was also influential in the big games, particularly in the UEFA Europa League.
Darko Kovacevic - Olympiacos
The veteran Serbian goal-scoring machine arrived in Greece with a good pedigree after good spells at the likes of Red Star Belgrade, Juventus, and especially Real Sociedad. He scored 31 goals for the Reds in 61 appearances in a consistent two-year stint. He was forced into retirement in 2009 as he was diagnosed with a blocked artery, which required surgery. In early 2020, he was shot in Athens and was taken to hospital for knee and wrist injuries after being attacked by two men. Conspiracy theories are still running rife about the perpetrator.
Tumer Metin - Larissa, Kerkyra
The Turkish veteran signed with Larissa at the age of 34 and the hunger to succeed was still there, as evidenced by his performances and desire to play regular first-team football (the reason behind his move away from Fenerbahce). The attack-minded winger made 80 appearances in the crimson of Larissa, scoring 25 times and notching 11 assists. He ended his career with Kerkyra after one season (2011-12), where he managed to score one goal for the island-based club.
Marcus Munch - Panathinaikos
The veteran German left-back signed with Panathinaikos in the summer of 2003 at the age of 31. He had two separate spells at German giants Bayern Munich but struggled to become a first-team regular. After respectable stints at Besiktas and Borussia Monchengladbach, he was without a contract, and the Greens offered him a lifeline which he took with open arms. He was a key player in the 2003-04 League-Cup double-winning squad and was named as the best foreigner in Greece for that season. He retired from football in 2005 after making 61 appearances for Panathinaikos and scoring five goals. The Greens still miss his reliable left foot.
Marko Pantelic - Olympiacos
Ironically, the reliable Serbian striker made his senior debut in Greece with Iraklis in 1995. However, he also ended his career in Greece at Olympiacos. He signed with the Reds on a free transfer, after relatively good showings at the 2010 FIFA World Cup for Serbia, where he scored against Australia. A game-changing option at Olympiacos, mostly coming off the bench as a substitute, he scored 25 goals in 51 appearances across three seasons. Even though he retired seven years ago, he is still crazy about Olympiacos.
Mladen Petric - Panathinaikos
The tall Croatian forward signed with Panathinaikos after failed spells in England with Fulham and West Ham United, respectively. Before that, he was consistent for Grasshopper, FC Basel, Borussia Dortmund, and Hamburg. However, he found a home at Panathinaikos and endeared himself to the fans with his performances. He settled in straight away (it may have helped that his wife is Greek), and in two and a half seasons with the Greens, he made 79 appearances, scoring 14 goals and notching 10 assists. His best moment came in March 2015, where he scored the match-winning goal at a packed and rain-soaked Leoforos against arch-rivals Olympiacos. He retired in 2016, five months after his 35th birthday. His charisma is still missed today.
