Rivaldo has joined AEK Athens on a free transfer from bitter city rivals Olympiacos. The 35-year-old Brazilian has put pen to paper on a two-year contract with Greek Super League runners-up AEK, who are keen to mount another assault on the Champions League next season and challenge Olympiacos' dominance of the domestic title which they have won for nine of the past 10 seasons. It is a signing which is sure to spark controversy after Rivaldo's fall-out with Olympiacos over his contract extension at the Pireaus club. The player himself said he was looking forward to helping AEK compete for the Greek title. "I decided to accept AEK's proposal because it is a team with ambitions. I have left a big club to join another big club," said Rivaldo, who won the title in each of his three seasons at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium.
"Apart from the fact that AEK is a big club, a key factor for my decision is that my family is very happy here in Athens. "The only thing I want to add is that the fans will see a Rivaldo with an appetite to win and to become a champion again." Rivaldo is AEK's fourth signing of the close season, following the arrivals of Rodolfo Arrubarrena, Tamandani Nsaliwa and Edson and the move sees the former FIFA World Player of the Year reunited with coach Lorenzo Serra Ferrer, who Rivaldo also worked under at Barcelona.
