Olympiacos has added Gelson Martins to its roster, agreeing a reported €3 million deal and signing him under a contract until June 2026.
The Portuguese winger has had a high-profile career that has seen him play for Sporting Lisbon, Atletico Madrid and most recently AS Monaco, wherein he played 129 times and scored 16 goals and providing 14 assists.
The 28-year-old is also a 21-time capped footballer for Portugal, all of them coming under former Greece coach Fernando Santos, which includes his participation in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Martins opened up about the importance of Daniel Podence (a former teammate at Sporting and current Olympiacos player) in signing with the Piraeus outfit.
“My first thought when I heard about Olympiacos was that it was a big club, which has incredible fans that create a fantastic atmosphere,” Martins said in his announcement with the club.
“I spoke to Podence. He told me that he really likes the city, the club and the fans. That was another reason for me to come here. I have known Podence for many years and I trust his opinion completely.”
The winger outlined his strengths as being his speed, dribbling with the ball and taking on defenders in one-on-one duels, saying that he “wants to excite the stadium with his game”.
He acknowledged the size and importance of the club in Greece, reinforcing that he wants to make history with the team and help it fight for all its goals e.g. winning trophies.
