Michael Essien moves to Panathinaikos after leaving AC Milan 
Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has joined Panathinaikos on a two-year deal. The 32-year-old moves to Greece as a free agent after his 18-month contract with AC Milan expired. "I am very happy to be here and I'm very much looking forward to starting my new career with Panathinaikos," Essien told reporters. "I am a winner and I have come to Greece to win more trophies and to do whatever I can for my new team."
Essien was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of about 800 supporters on his arrival at Athens Eleftherios Venizelos airport earlier on Tuesday before he passed a medical.
"I did not expect such a reception," he said. "When I saw the fans, it was a great pleasure for me to see that they came out to greet me. It was incredible. I want to thank them and I will do everything I can to repay them."
After making his name as a box-to-box midfielder at Bastia and Lyon in France, Essien signed for Chelsea in 2005 and spent nine years at the west London club where he won two league titles and four FA Cups.
He spent the 2012-13 season on loan at Real Madrid before joining Milan in January 2014 where he struggled to make an impact in a below-par team which finished 10th last season.
The capture of Essien is a huge coup for Panathinaikos, who have not won a league title since 2010 when Frenchman Djibril Cisse spearheaded the attack.
But after a strong finish to the season under young Greek coach Giannis Anastasiou, they came second behind Olympiakos Piraeus in the league and went on to clinch Greece's second Champions League spot via the play-offs.
The Greens will enter European football's elite competition at the third qualifying round stage
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11863/9873611/michael-essien-moves-to-panathinaikos-after-leaving-ac-milan [ 此帖被羅力亞在2015-06-03 08:47重新編輯 ]
