Ivan Kolev

In three days Olympiakos will bring to its team Brazil’s volleyball national team player Dante Amaral. The information that the red-white team is about to sign a contract came from the Protatlitis newspaper. “Yes, it is true that Olympiakos is showing interest to take me. I have an offer from the team and the possibility to return to Greece is realistic. Until the end of the week or by the beginning of next one, I will know what to do. My manager knows all the details and I know nothing more,” was the laconic answer of the 29 year old Latin-American.

Attracting a second star in Olympiakos after Ivan Milkovic, whose names strike respect, stresses the intention of the team to attack the Champions League. A reason for Dante to leave Dinamo (Moscow) and to return to Greece is the bad weather in Russia, which affected the health of his two children, who are born in Greece. During the past month, his son had pneumonia and doctors have advised Dante to move to a country with a warmer climate.

Dante Amaral Gimaraesh was born on September 30^th, 1980 in Itumbiara (Brazil). He is 201 centimeters high and weights 86 kilos. Until 2002 he was playing in the Brazilian teams Tres Korakoesh, Suzano, and Minash, after which he moves to the Italian team Modena, where he plays for three seasons. With Modena’s team, he wins the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) cup in 2004. During the fall of 2005 he signed a contract with Panathinaikos.

For his three years in Greece, Dante became champion once in 2006 and he won the Cup of the country twice in 2007 and 2008. During the last season, Dante Amaral played in the former club of Mathei Kazijski – Dinamo (Moscow), where he was receiving many offers, mainly from Italian clubs. His debut was in Brazil’s men national team in 1999 in a game against Chile during the Pan-American games.