For a brief moment earlier this week, it seemed that A-League frontrunner Sydney FC may have found the player it was looking for, an experienced central defender to solve its defensive crisis in the wake of the transfer of defensive pillar Matt Jurman to Korean club Samsung Bluewings and the injury to his immediate replacement Seb Ryall.

Into the frame stepped former Greek international and a former skipper of Greek superpower Olympiakos, Avraam Papadopoulos. The 32-year-old Melbourne-born defender had an impressive playing resume, including five Greek Super League titles with Olympiakos, numerous UEFA Champions League matches, the 2010 World Cup with Greece, and the individual honour of best Greek player of the year in season 2010-11.

Sure, at 32 his best years may have been behind him, but he was a free agent after playing in Turkey for Trabsonzpor, China’s Shanghai Shenhua and J-League club Jubilo Iwata, since leaving Olympiakos two years ago. The timing seemed right for a return to the country of his birth, which he left as a three-year-old, when his parents relocated back to Greece.

However, it’s believed that Sydney’s interest in Papadopoulos cooled once it emerged that the dark cloud of match fixing allegations hung over the player’s head. Papadopoulos’ name was first mentioned when the so-called Koriopolis scandal first broke in Greece in June 2011. At the time, his name was mentioned alongside Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis in relation to a number of matches allegedly fixed in 2009-10.

Others to come under investigation included numerous club and league officials and referees. After protracted investigations, Papadopoulos and Kostas Mandrinos were two players named in 2015 by prosecutors as having evidence against them relating to match fixing investigations.

So Graham Arnold’s search for an experienced defender continues, with reports that he now hopes that former Socceroo Michael Thwaite, who is currently playing in China with Liaoning Whaowin, will become available in the January transfer window.

Other possible targets for the Sky Blues include Perth Glory’s Rhys Williams, reports The Daily Telegraph.

In the interim, Sydney FC youth team centre back George Timotheou may be called upon by coach Arnold to play in the centre of his defence.