Moroccan midfielder Azzedine Ounahi has rejoined Panathinaikos and said he is ready to help the Greek club fight for the championship, describing his return as the most expensive transfer in the team's history.
Ounahi said he chose the number 21 for his shirt specifically because he hopes Panathinaikos will win its 21st league title. He also thanked the club for doing everything possible to bring him back from Girona.
Warm welcome in Athens
Ounahi said he received a huge number of messages before arriving in Athens and knew a large crowd and a warm reception awaited him at the airport. He said he was happy to be back and thanked fans for the love they had shown him, both now and during his earlier spell at the club.
He said he felt that support even more strongly now, and had sensed it even before he landed in Athens. He added that he hoped to see fans at the stadium soon.
Praise for the president
Ounahi said he understood his transfer to be the most expensive in the club's history, and that Panathinaikos had shown from the first days of the transfer window that it was determined to exhaust every possibility to bring him back to Athens.
He thanked the club president for his efforts, saying that until the very last moment it was unclear whether the deal would go through. He said he felt happy for himself, for the club and for the president, whom he credited with doing an excellent job.
Ounahi, who spent nine to ten months in Athens during an earlier stint with Panathinaikos, described the city as beautiful, with a good quality of life and welcoming people. He said he and his family and friends were glad to be back, adding that he knows the city well and feels he can be happy there.
Chasing a 21st championship
Panathinaikos is one of Greece's most successful football clubs and has won 20 Greek championships, but the source article notes the club has not claimed a league title in 16 years.
Ounahi said the club is doing everything it can to put things right, and pledged to do everything in his power to help bring the trophy back to Panathinaikos.
