Papadopoulos signs on at Lecce

Former Panathinaikos striker, Dimitrios Papadopoulos, is the newest member of Serie A side US Lecce. After month-long rumors linking the Greek striker with a move to Olympiacos and AEK, it was announced on Wednesday that Papadopoulos had signed with the Italian club.

Papadopoulos was once a regular in the Panathinaikos roster, but the recent managerial takeovers in recent years saw Papadopoulos’ playing time slowly diminish. His status with the club was made official in the early weeks of October, as Panathinaikos and the 27-year-old parted ways.

A domestic transfer was expected for the EURO 2004 winner, with Olympiacos being front runners to secure Papadopoulos’ service in the winter transfer window. A twist in the plot came early, as Lecce’s announcement on Wednesday came a bit unexpected for fans for Greek soccer.

Despite the shock in the move, Papadopoulos’ transfer to the Italian minnows seems to be the perfect move for both parties; Papadopoulos looks to revive his career with a boost in playing time, while Lecce seeks improvement on their twelfth place ranking in the Serie A.

After eleven matches this season, Lecce has just two wins and sit only five points above the drop zone. A main reason for Lecce’s poor form thus far, has been the inability to score goals. With Papadopoulos’ main strength coming in front of opposing goals, the Kazakh-born Greek will surely boost Lecce’s offensive output.

A successful stint with Lecce, could see the former Greece-international return to his role as a member of the Greek National Team. The wait to see Papadopoulos in a Lecce uniform will be a hefty one, as Papadopoulos won’t be allowed to suit up in the colours of the ‘Gaillorossi’ until January.