Greek Champions League hopefuls Olympiakos have signed former World Player of the Year Rivaldo, the club said today.
"Rivaldo is coming from Madrid tonight with (senior club official Giorgos) Louvaris," said a spokeswoman for Olympiakos, who finished second in the Greek first division last season.
A club source described the Brazilian's move as a "done deal" while coach Dusan Bajevic said the World Cup winner's impending arrival in Athens was another huge boost for Greek football after their Euro 2004 success.
"Players like him are needed on Greek pitches, needed in Olympiakos as well, I think he will offer us a lot, same as in the previous years he was playing," he told reporters, shortly before the team left for their Austrian training camp.
Greek media have billed the deal as the "biggest-ever transfer in Greek football history", speculating the 32-year-old would earn up to 1.5 million euros ($1.86 million) per year.
Olympiakos are expected to make an official announcement later today. The career of the 2002 World Cup winner has been in limbo since he was released by AC Milan in December.
He joined Brazil's Cruzeiro soon after but walked out after less than two months. He has since been linked with moves to England's Bolton Wanderers, Scottish champions Celtic, German side Werder Bremen and clubs in the Middle East.
Filed by Barry J Whyte
