Source: TheAustralian
MELBOURNE Victory is hoping to pull off a stunning coup by signing one of Greece’s greatest players, Giorgos Karagounis.
The Australian understands coach Ange Postecoglou was in Athens last week speaking with the most capped player in Greek football with a view to him joining the club for next season’s A-League.
Karagounis, 36, is understood to be ready to make a decision in the next week. The quality midfielder is set to leave English Premier League club Fulham, where he played 21 games last season and was a teammate of Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, and is also considering offers from Greek giants Panathinaikos and other European clubs.
While he does not have the profile of an Alessandro Del Piero, who took the A-League by storm with his brilliant efforts for Sydney FC last season, Karagounis would nonetheless be a coup for the A-League.
Karagounis, who is the captain of the Greek national team and is remembered for leading it to a stunning upset win at Euro 2004, would prove a massive hit in Melbourne, where the city’s huge Greek population would be well aware of his stature.
And, his signing would no doubt provide a huge boost for Victory’s membership and gate figures.
Karagounis has had a wonderful 15-year professional career, playing for the likes of Panathinaikos (118 games), Inter Milan (21 games) in the Italian Serie A and Portugal’s Benfica.
Despite his age, he is still a regular with the Greek national team and has played over 125 games for his country. He played in the 1-0 win over Lithuania in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday.
GREEK WORLD MEDIA 