Nikos Machlas
Nikos Machlas, son to former player Giorgos Machlas, was born June 16, 1973 in Heraklion, Crete.
In the 1997-1998 football season he was Europe's top scorer with 34 goals while playing for Vitessse Arnhem.
Following the 1998-99 season Vitesse president Karel Aalbers wanted to sell Machlas to a foreign top club but Machlas really wanted to go to Ajax. "Ajax is for me the perfect team", said Machlas in an interview to soccer magazine Sportweek. The European topscorer signed a new contract with Ajax beginning of July 1999. The transfer sum was about US$ 12 million. He is the first Greek to play for Ajax ever. Machlas had chosen Ajax while other top clubs like Fiorentina and Arsenal, expressed interest in signing him.
Nikos Machlas returned to Greece in 2003 to play for Iraklis Thessaloniki. In 2004 he returned back to his home team OFI Heraklion.