Just as Theseus had killed the Minotaur and driven the Athenians out of the labyrinth, Manolas finished his Roma career out of its own burrowing labyrinth. Killing the frailties of years.
After five solid years with the Romans, 2018 turned out to be somewhat of a champion year for Manolas. He was responsible for being the impetus of Eusebio Di Francesco’s defense – the Greek god who axed Barcelona Champions League dream and send AS Roma to the semi-finals of Europe’s elite competition for the first since 1984, the solid defender with the speed of an Olympic runner, the commanding Greek god of the Roman backline.
The Greek international now ply his trade with Napoli in the Seria A, but before Napoli, there were other clubs he donned their jersey, as such Manolas started his youth career back in Greece with Thrasyvoulos in 2007, and started playing professionally with AEK Athens when he was scouted by then manager Dusan Bajevic and the technical director of the team who ironically happened to be his uncle.
In the 2010-11 season, Manolas became a key figure of the AEK team, and also played an important role in the Superleague, Europa league which exposed him more to top European teams, following his impressive display in the Europa League, in subsequent matches he also performed well which went on to convinced then AEK manager Manolo Jimenez who dimmed him fit for a starting line up.
During his stint with AEK, he developed massively playing alongside the club legend Traianos Dallas, who Manolas eulogized that
“it was an honor to play alongside him, that his experience helped him to become confident on the ball and the decisions he made in the game”.
Manolas didn’t just don the “Yellow & Black‘ of AEK, he also won the Greek Cup with them, playing 36 matches and scored three goals in that season.
In 2011-12 he signed a three-year contract extension with AEK, which kept him at the club until 2014, which at that time top European clubs were already trying to secure his service, he later left for Olympiacos one of the biggest team in the Greek super league for free in 2016, having served AEK painstakingly with over 86 appearances and six goals in all competitions.
He made his debut against PAS Giannina in a 1-2 away win, thereafter he scored his first goal for Olympiacos against Skoda Xanthi in a 4-0 home triumph, and in his first season with the Greek giant he made 24 appearances and also won the league, he won the Greek Cup against Asteras Tripoli to clinched a double for that season.
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His stint with the Greek giant was quite successful, despite extending his contract with the Erythrolefki for another year to keep him at the club till the summer of 2017, he eventually left for Roma with his head high in 2014 having made 73 appearances, scored six goals and two assists in all competitions for Olympiacos.
Manolas Roma’s Stint
Manolas made his debut for the Giallorossi against Fiorentina in a 2-1 win in the opening game of 2014-15 Seria A season, and ever since he made his debut for Roma he was a mainstay defender for them up until he left the Giallorossi for Napoli, but the performance that is still very fresh in the memories of the Giallorossi fans was his goal against Barcelona in the champions league.
Manolas and the entire Roma team achieved something extraordinary, defying the odds on a wild night at the Stadio Olimpico by overhauling a 4-1 deficit to Barcelona, it was his one glance header in 82nd minute that got the local fans celebrating as if they just won the champions league for peeping Barcelona into the semi-final of champions league for the first time since 1984.
Barcelona would have thought they will have it sweet just as they did against PSG when they stunned the French giant in the round of 16, despite losing 4-0 in the first leg, crazy you would say right?
Unfortunately for them, they couldn’t awaken that spirit, and the truth is that the Calatan deserved to exit the competition, thanks to Manolas and also Daniele De Rossi, even though the goals scored in the first leg left Roma with a huge mountain to climb, but then they responded well in the second leg with the goal from a god from Greece.
The dramatic and incredible champions league comeback requires a poetic commentator to bring it to life for viewers at home, fortunately, Peter Drury was lucky on the night.
‘Roma have risen from their ruins!
‘Manolas, the Greek God in Rome.
‘The unthinkable unfolds before our eyes.
‘This was not meant to happen, this could not happen, this is happening!
‘Barcelona, extraordinarily, (are) eight minutes from elimination.
‘(Roma boss Eusebio) Di Francesco does not know where to go, (Andres) Iniesta does not know where to look.
‘It’s a Greek from Mount Olympus, who has come to the Seven Hills of Rome and pulled off a miracle!
The poetic commentary after Manolas scored Roma’s third goal has gone down in football history with many football aficionados claiming it as one of the best art of commentary ever broadcast.
In an interview with a Greek media outlet, Manolas revealed that during the game he had a premonition that he might be the one to score the winner, and the goal itself came about thanks to an astute observation from Manolas.
He went further to say, “before the game in the locker room there were some who believed in the comeback, but he himself didn’t believe it after they scored the second goal in the 79th minutes they stood in the middle of the pitch and he turned to his defensive partner Federico Fazio, and said to him we’re going to score and you or I will be the one to do it”.
Manolas found his way into the heart of the Giallorossi with that glancing header from a Cengiz Under corner on that faithful night at the Stadio Olimpico which will go down in the history of Roma, more so with the way and manner, he scored that goal on that faithful night.
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Though it may look logical to you, then it’s only a god can think of what he remembered before Cengiz Under took the corner “When Under went to take the corner, I remembered that the first one he took did not make it beyond the near post”.
“I knew it would come in a bit low. So that’s why I made that run. I knew his ball would be a bit short into the near post. I usually never make my run to the near post. But that time I did, I got my head on it and the ball sailed in.”
After the match he was praised by the Italian fans, most especially the Roma fans as incomparable, and for Manolas that night triumph against the Calatan will remain his best moment in the Giallorossi jersey. The Greek defender has established himself as a fans’ favorite since joining Roma and will forever be remained popular with the club’s supporters.
The Roma fans were ecstatic, and launched into a rendition of ‘Grazie Roma’. Manolas, upon hearing the chant, found it difficult to hide his emotions and was seen crying.
