Friday, September 23, 2022 at 4:34 PM• Wessel Antes

Kostas Manolas will play for Sharjah FC in the United Arab Emirates for the next two seasons, transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano reported via Twitter. The 31-year-old Greek has passed his medical examination and is leaving the European fields for good. The lightning-fast central defender still had a contract with Olympiacos until mid-2025, but he will not serve it.

Manolas made a furore in Europe in particular in the Serie A. At AS Roma and Napoli, the Greek mandekker was a rock in the branding for years. With his speed, Manolas was a standout central defender, who went on to play 216 games at the highest level in Italy. In 2019, his domestic transfer from Roma to Napoli brought the Romans no less than 36 million euros. With that transfer fee, Manolas is currently still in fourth place in terms of the highest outgoing transfers from Roma.

Manolas formed a strong central duo with Sokratis in the national team of Greece for years. In 2019, his time with the national team ended abruptly. Former national coach John van ‘t Schip caused a shock wave in Greece by no longer selecting Manolas. Subsequently, the right leg decided never to accept new invitations to the Greek national team. In total, Manolas played 42 international matches for the Greeks.

At Sharjah, Manolas will be teammate of Paco Alcácer and Miralem Pjanic. After three games, the club is still clear in the Arab Pro League. Leader Sharjah already managed to snare three European stars this summer. Former Portuguese international Pizzi also opted for a lucrative adventure in the UAE in June. The technically gifted midfielder plays for Al-Wahda FC, where Maurice and Sem Steijn were also under contract a few years ago.