Panathinaikos this week announced the signing of three new recruits, ahead of the start of the Greek SuperLeague campaign next month.
The Athenian club has brought in two Spanish players, Victor Vitolo and Toche, both on three year contracts, along with Ghanaian international Quincy, on loan from Qatar club Al-Sadd. With their European Champions League third-qualifying-round tie with Denmark’s Odense taking place this coming week, the Greens confirmed the acquisition of two cut-price players meant to cover for the departed Gilberto Silva and Djibril Cisse.
Holding midfielder Vitolo, who has been training with the Greens for the past week, joins from PAOK Thessalonikis, although he is not going to be ready for the Odense games. Having played for both Aris and PAOK, Vitolo is well known to Greek fans, and the Greens are hoping his battling qualities will allow fellow defensive midfielder Costas Katsouranis a greater chance to move forward and help in the creative aspect of coach Jesualdo Ferreira’s game.
Toche, on the other hand, comes to Greece as a completely unknown striker, although he excelled during the last couple of seasons at Spanish second-division club Cartagena. Jose Verdu Nicolas, or Toche as he is known, is meant to make up for the departure of Cisse, who joined Lazio, although his signing has left Panathinaikos fans particularly worried about the new season. Toche is a heavy, strong center forward, but lacks Cisse’s pace and eye for the ball and is only now entering top-flight soccer at the age of 29.
The Athenian club also announced that it had signed Ghanaian winger Quincy Owusu-Abeyie on a loan deal from Qatar’s Al-Sadd. The pacey midfielder is meant to cover the departure of Sidney Govou to Evian and should be of some service to newly signed center forward Toche. Known simply by his first name, Quincy started his career at the Ajax academy and has also played at Arsenal, Spartak Moscow, Birmingham City and Malaga. He also has 15 caps with Ghana.