10 players you did NOT know played in the Greek Super League

Although the dominance of Olympiakos has been seen over the past few years, what remains hidden are the players that have played in the league. From European powerhouses, to South American giants, this list will certainly shock you.

10- Joel Campbell

Joel Campbell arrived in Greece as one of his many loan spells during his time at Arsenal. Known for scoring against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League, Campbell’s stay in the Greek capital was short lived, but well received. Although he only made 32 appearances and scored 8 goals, he put on a show during his time in Greece. Most notably was his performance against OFI Crete picking up 4 assists in the 5-1 win on the 27th of October 2013. He repeated this good form on the 10th of November, scoring once and grabbing two assists in a 4-0 win over PAOK. During his one season in Greece, he also earned a winners medal winning a Super League title.

9- Javier Saviola

Javier Saviola was known for his time playing for both Barcelona and Real Madrid, however, he also played in Greece for a season. Trophy less in his 6 years at Barcelona, he won a La Liga with Real Madrid, the former UEFA Europa League, UEFA Cup with Sevilla in 2005 and a Portuguese League title before his arrival to Greece. Greece would come back calling to him, as he won a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. His time in Greece was short, but he accumulated 12 goals in 26 games, and also added another trophy to his accolades. Saviola won the Super League in the 2013-14 season, his only season at the club.

8- Djibril Cisse

Before his time in Athens, Djibril Cisse was known for his time at Liverpool. At Anfield, Cisse won both the Champions League and the FA Cup. He also won the Confederations Cup in 2003 with France. After Liverpool, he went on to Marseille, and then finally signed for Panathinaikos in 2009. His first season led to success, becoming top goalscorer and winning the double, the league and the Greek Cup. Cisse became a cult hero at the club, stating he is not only a player but a fan of the club. Overall, he made 61 appearances and scored 47 goals, with a promise of a return to the club.

7- Kevin Mirallas

Before Mirallas hit the shores of England in Merseyside, the Belgian was applying his trade at Olympiakos. After joining on loan, he impressed, becoming the clubs top goal scorer in the 2010 season. He scored a hat-trick and four goals in two games the season after. He was the league’s top goalscorer in the 2011-12 season. On top of this, he also won the Super League title in his two years in Greece, as well as a Greek Cup. He returned on loan from Everton in 2018, where he made 13 appearances and scored 2 goals.

6- Esteban Cambiasso

The former Argentinian defensive midfielder powerhouse played his trade in the Greek Super League for 2 years from 2015-2017. Prior to his time in Piraeus, Cambiasso was known for his time at both Real Madrid and Inter Milan. Success has always been a key to his game. At Inter he won 5 Serie A titles, as well as a Champions League. At Real Madrid, he won a La Liga and a UEFA Super Cup. During his two years in Greece, he made 28 appearances and score 2 goals. Still delivering the goods at the ripe age in football of 35. In two years, he won two Super League titles with Olympiakos, ending his career with two more trophies to his cabinet.

5- Yaya Toure

Before Barcelona and Manchester City stardom, Yaya Toure was playing in the Greek Super League. He spent one season there in 2005-2006, playing 20 games and scoring 3 goals. Although the stats may seem un amusing, clubs from all over Europe were looking at the ‘new Patrick Viera’. Olympiakos won the double that year, in which he was a key player for. Olympiakos shaped the player he is today, earning a move to Monaco after Greece. At Barcelona, he won a Champions League, 2 La Liga’s a Super Cup and a Club World Cup. He is also known for winning the Premier League three times at Manchester City. He returned to Olympiakos in 2018, but left the same year with only 2 appearances. The Ivorian has been named African Player of the Year 4 times, and won the African Cup of Nations in 2015.

4- Dimitar Berbatov

The Bulgarian that took the English game by storm during his time at Tottenham, Fulham and Manchester United, also had a short spell for PAOK. Before his time in Greece, he earned himself a Premier League, a Club World Cup and 2 League Cup titles. His time at Greece has been forgotten as he only made 17 appearances, scoring 4 goals. Berbatov will always be regarded as a prolific striker, and will be forgotten that he played in Greece for a season.

3- Michael Essien

The man known for his time at Chelsea, played one season at Panathinaikos. At Chelsea he won 3 Premier League’s and a Champions League trophy most notably. His time in Greece was sloppy, leaving the club on bad terms after they owed him money. He only made 13 appearances, scoring 1 goal. This was the least amount of appearances he ever made at a club. However, he was the highest paid player at his time at the club, in his first season he was earning 800,000 Euros a year.

2- Luka Milivojevic

Although he is not as famous as Essien or Berbatov, he was much more successful during his time in the Super League. Currently at Crystal Palace, he was acquired by the club from Olympiakos in 2017. During his time in Greece, he won 2 Super League titles and a Greek Cup. In three years he made 62 appearances and scored 11 goals. He was always a key part of the Greek sides European and domestic campaigns, becoming a key midfielder to the squad.

1- Rivaldo

Yes, you read that right, Rivaldo played in the Greek Super League. The World Cup champion, Champions League winner and Ballon d’Or winner switched from the fame to become a journeyman, joining Olympiakos in 2004. Rivaldo scored at Anfield, before being knocked out. It was his deciding goal that secured his first league title in Greece. Rivaldo would finish with an impeccable 43 goals in 81 appearances for Olympiakos. Olympiakos thought he was too old, and he returned to Athens, playing for AEK Athens. That ended ugly for his relationship with Olympiakos. He ended up with 3 Super League titles and 2 Greek Cups. At AEK he had 45 appearances scoring 15 goals. Overall, he spent a total of 4 years in the Greek Super League.