Maresca makes Olympiacos switch

Italian midfielder Enzo Maresca will sign a three-year contract with Olympiacos CFP after the 29-year-old confirmed he will leave Sevilla FC "to win trophies" with the Greek champions.

Rome signing
The deal was first revealed on Sevilla's website on Saturday, although no details of the transfer fee were stated, but Maresca confirmed at a press conference in the city that he will meet representatives of Olympiacos in Rome to put pen to paper with the Piraeus club. "My goal at Olympiacos is to win trophies and to help my new team progress further in European competition than they usually do," said Maresca, whose new side enter the UEFA Champions League in the third qualifying round. "Olympiacos were looking for a midfielder of my exact characteristics and that prompted me to accept their offer."

Cup successes
Maresca started his career in the youth teams of AC Milan and Cagliari Calcio but made his professional debut in England for West Bromwich Albion FC. In 2000 he was transferred to Juventus but never held down a regular place in the first team, resulting in a series of loans at Bologna FC, Piacenza FC and ACF Fiorentina. He was, however, a member of the Juventus side that beat Olympiacos 7-0 in the 2003/04 UEFA Champions League group stage, scoring in what remains the Greeks' worst-ever defeat in European football. In the summer of 2005, he signed for Sevilla and scored two goals in the 4-0 UEFA Cup final victory against Middlesbrough FC, before the club retained the trophy the following year.