A man who crushed Barcelona’s Champions League aspirations six years ago has found the golden touch for his unexpected new club.
Kostas Manolas, who spent five years playing for AS Roma, netted an incredible five goals in 34 minutes after joining hometown club Pannaxiakos.
Kostas Manolas made an emphatic start to life with his new clubGetty
Despite once playing in Europe’s most elite competition, the 33-year-old joined the fourth-tier Greek side just four days before his remarkable goalfest.
A defender by trade, Manolas was utilised in a surprising new striker role for his new club.
Thankfully, he took to the challenge like a duck to water by starting the game and scoring five goals in the first-half, before being hooked off ten minutes before the break.
Considering that the Greek defender scored just eight times in five years for Roma, his five-goal glut on his debut proves that he perhaps has a lethal streak that not many knew about.
Manolas played a key role in Pannaxiakos’ stunning 12-1 win over Marpissaikos, the latest memorable moment in an eye-catching career.
The defender was the star of the show in the Champions League quarter-final clash between Roma and Barcelona in 2017/18 when he headed home a decisive goal in a 3-0 win to send the Italian giants through to the final four.
In the semi-finals they went on to be eliminated by Liverpool, losing 7-6 on aggregate.
Manolas went on to make 206 appearances for Roma, before joining their rivals Napoli and helping them to win the Coppa Italia in 2020.
A Greek international, Manolas came to blows with Roma teammate and former Man City star Edin Dzeko during Greece’s match with Bosnia & Herzogovina in 2017, leading to an almighty brawl between the two nations’ teams.
After the second of two spells with Olympiacos, Manolas went on to join UAE-based side Sharjah FC.
Manolas scored the decisive goal to knock Barcelona out of the Champions League in 2017/18Getty – Contributor
Upon his arrival he certainly got more than he bargained for after being asked to pose with a lion in his presentation as a new player – something he wasn’t happy about.
After kneeling near the lion, the defender got a big shock when the animal let out a small roar, leading him to stumble as he instinctively tried to get away from the king of the jungle.
After a brief spell back in Serie A with Salernitana, Manolas is now back in his homeland and hometown, and his royal return might pave the way to legendary status.
