Champions League - Cisse joins Panathinaikos

Eurosport - Fri, 26 Jun 23:27:00 2009

Panathinaikos made a double swoop for Olympique Marseille striker Djibril Cisse and Benfica midfielder Kostas Katsouranis.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Sunderland - Cisse - 0

"Panathinaikos has reached agreement with Djibril Cisse on a four-year contract," the Greek club said.

No financial details were released but media reports said Marseille would receive around eight million euros for the player, who will earn about 2.5 million euros a year.

Midfielder Katsouranis, a Euro 2004 winner with Greece, has also signed a four-year deal with coach Henk ten Cate's side.

"It's good that quality players are coming to Greece and the standard of the championship is improving," the former AEK Athens player said.

"That's what we all want to see. Better entertainment."

Cisse, 27, was given a rapturous reception by more than 2,000 Panathinaikos fans when he arrived at Eleftherios Venizelos airport.

The former Liverpool striker, of Ivorian descent, made his name at French club Auxerre before moving to Anfield in 2004.

After three years in the Premier League Cisse joined Marseille, who loaned him last season to Sunderland where he scored 10 goals in 35 games.

He has 37 caps and nine goals for France.

Katsouranis, renowned for his work-rate and range of passing, joins a strong midfield featuring Brazil's Gilberto Silva, Greek pair Giorgos Karagounis and Sotiris Ninis and Austria captain Andreas Ivanschitz.

Panathinaikos finished third last season, 10 points behind champions Olympiakos.

Reuters

Comment 1 - 10 of 10

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. They have been declared 20th best team of the world for­ 2008 anyway... so ye they are top 20, i presume­ that's like top 15 in europe. They have made great­ progress along the years, yet they have failed to reach­ a Ch.League/ECC final in 38 years now. Hopefully for­ them it will come again in a few years. Tbh they're­ good but they can play too unorganised and against­ coach sometimes.

    From AJ, on Fri 26 Jun 11:57PM

  2. Panathoinaikos is not one of the best clubs in the­ world unless you mean top 20, I do not think they can­ repeat lasts years results even with Cisse..their main­ goal anyhow is the domestic title..unlikely I m afraid

    From serk0s, on Fri 26 Jun 11:11PM

  3. Panathinaikos can't be called the "best club­ in the world" because they haven't won the­ world's top prize... I'm not saying they­ aren't good, they are, see what they did to Inter­ and Bremen last year. Cisse is a decent striker and­ hopefully he'll do well in Greece. Panathinaikos­ needs to get further in the CL and be consistant to be­ considered a "top club"

    From CJ, on Fri 26 Jun 11:05PM

  4. such a player cannot be wasted in such a great team.we­ all saw last year how they beat inter in milan and­ werder in bremen.gongrats to the greeks...

    From jakovosmesel, on Fri 26 Jun 10:51PM

  5. Panathinaikos is one of the best clubs in the world and­ calling the transfer a waste for the player is a total­ joke.

    From AJ, on Fri 26 Jun 4:28PM

  6. Yes he is French and he is not going to be wasted in­ Greece playing Champions League football...he could­ have never got that over here...mad pikey you re such­ an ignorant idiot..our premiership is superior of­ course to the Greek Superleague but this does not mean­ we should call the a waste..please think before you­ call a whole nation a waste

    From serk0s, on Fri 26 Jun 3:42PM

  7. Terrific player was wasted at sunderland and will be­ wasted out in greece as well.He is a goal machine had­ he been at a larger club we would have all seen what he­ is capable of,Fair enough he was at liverpool but he­ never even got a chance there.

    From Viper, on Fri 26 Jun 3:27PM

  8. he will be treated like a god there and he will do well­ good luck gc

    From tantzo, on Fri 26 Jun 3:08PM

  9. yahoo get a clue , he's french , what do u mean­ cisse who is from ivory coast , french born u idiots­ lmao

    From saif, on Thu 25 Jun 4:22PM

  10. yahoo get a clue , he's french , what do u mean­ cisse who is from ivory coast , french born u idiots­ lmao

    From saif, on Thu 25 Jun 4:22PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account