Kostas Manolas gets spooked as new club Sharjah unveils player alongside a lion: WATCH

Greek footballer Kostas Manolas was roped in by UAE Pro League team Sharjah FC last week and was recently unveiled by the club. The former AS Roma and Napoli player is now making headlines for an incident that occurred during his unveiling ceremony by the club. In a video currently going viral on social media, Manolas can be seen posing in the new club jersey, with a lion sitting beside him during the photoshoot with his new club.

The 31-year-old defender spent the last eight months in Greece with Olympiacos and completed a move to the UAE Pro League last week. To mark his arrival, the club made him pose next to a roaring lion before announcing his arrival. However, the defendant was visibly spooked by the lion and flinched in fear after the lion roared. 

In behind the scenes clip from the photoshoot, Manolas can be witnessed getting up quickly on his feet and moving away from the animal. He then stepped over the “caution” tape in an attempt to get away from the predator, which remained seated on the ground. Interestingly, the club had referred to Manolas as a “Greek warrior” in their statement announcing the player’s signing. 

Greek footballer Kostas Manolas runs away from Lion during photoshoot; Watch

Sharjah FC's statement about Kostas Manolas

"Manolas... Welcome to the castle of pain for you. The Greek warrior who glowed in the Italian courts and the hero of the historical remontada in front of the Catalans,” the statement read. There were many reactions on Twitter on the viral video. “The Greek god has risen from the ruins,” a fan jokingly said. At the same time, another fan added, “The unthinkable has happened”.

More about Kostas Manolas' career-

Konstantinos Manolas previously played for top Italian clubs like Napoli and Roma. He played a total of 206 matches for Roma from 2014 to 2019 and also contributed with eight goals and seven assists. He played 96 games for Olympiacos and struck six goals and two assists. He also represented Athens in 84 games, Napoli in 75 games, and Fylis in five games.