Nelson Valdez says he never got the chance to prove his worth at Al Jazira – but is hoping he won’t have to return to the Abu Dhabi club.
The Paraguay striker arrived in the capital last summer with a big reputation and high expectations after starring in Europe with clubs such as Werder Bremen, Borussia Dortmund, Rubin Kazan and La Liga side Valencia.
But a frustrating six-month spell, where he scored four times in 14 games, ended in January when Olympiakos took him on loan to replace the Fulham-bound Kostas Mitroglou while Jazira boss Walter Zenga moved for Felipe Caicedo.
It has been a roller-coaster two months for Valdez as he helped the Greek side win the league title for a 41st time and then miss out on the Champions League quarter-finals after Manchester United wiped out their 2-0 first-leg lead with a stunning 3-0 success in the return of their last-16 tie.
While disappointed about the defeat to David Moyes’ side, it is passion-filled European nights like that trip to Old Trafford, which are a major factor in Valdez’s desire to persuade Olympiakos to take up the option to buy him permanently once his loan ends at the end of the campaign.
“For sure I want to play in the Champions League again, and have big games like this against Manchester United,” Valdez told Sport360° exclusively. “Unfortunately we lost the game because we had a lot of ambition to go to the last eight – and a big chance.
“We did not achieve this, but hopefully we will come back. I want to play in the big leagues of Europe, and in big games, and I just hope that I don’t have more injuries and I can show what I can do.
“I liked Abu Dhabi and I was happy with my family there. But I was injured for a long time and could not play all the time and that didn’t make me happy.
“I never got the chance to show what I can do. If a player is injured a lot then they are not happy, it is difficult to show their best and to show why the team has bought them.
“I know what I did before and I wanted to do the same with Al Jazira.
“I have a contract there for one more year, but now we have to see what happens at the end of theseason. I am happy at Olympiakos, I want to stay here and we only have to speak to the people in Abu Dhabi.
“Olympiakos are a big team and I am happy here, but it’s not my decision, it’s a decision for Al Jazira because I have a contract there.
“I think the players they have there are good players and they can do well, but I would like to stay in Europe.
“It’s my ambition to play for Paraguay and it’s one of the reasons why I came back to play in Europe.
“If not in Olympiakos, maybe in England. Why not? I am 30, but I just want to play. We will have to wait and see what happens.”
Valdez has scored five times in nine appearances for the Greek champions, including a hat-trick in a 4-1 win at Ergotelis last week.
