Mathaus has completed a free transfer to Icelandic side UMF Njardvík from his previous status as a free agent, signing a deal that begins on 2026-02-05 and runs until 2027-12-31. The 35-year-old centre-back joins the Lengjudeild club with a current market value of €50k, adding extensive European experience to Njardvík’s defensive options.
The move brings an end to a period without a club following his departure from Greek side Niki Volou, which had left the Cape Verdean-Portuguese defender unattached since mid-2025. Njardvík secure him without paying a transfer fee, a significant piece of business given his long track record in Portugal, Romania and Greece.
Born on 28 Nov 1990 in Ilha da Boavista and standing at 1.87 m, Mathaus arrives as a specialist centre-back, listed primarily as a defender – centre-back and preferring his right foot. He represents a veteran addition for Njardvík as they prepare to compete in Iceland’s Lengjudeild, with the club betting on his know-how from higher-profile European environments.
Over the past decade, Mathaus has built a substantial CV across multiple leagues. After stepping up from GD Tourizense U19 to GD Tourizense’s senior side, he secured a move in 2015 to Académico Viseu FC in Portugal, where his market value climbed as high as €425k during his peak years at UD Oliveirense. Subsequent spells at GD Chaves and SC Freamunde (including a short loan and recall in 2017) cemented his reputation in the Portuguese system before he moved east.
In 2021 he left Académico Viseu FC for Gaz Metan Mediaș in Romania, entering Liga I and maintaining a six-figure valuation even as he moved into his thirties. From there he joined Petrolul Ploiești in 2022, remaining in Romania before switching to Greece in 2023 with PAE Chania. A later move within Greece to Niki Volou in 2024 preceded his release and the subsequent spell without a club.
His market value has steadily decreased with age, from €350k at Petrolul Ploiești down through €300k and €200k during his time at PAE Chania, and then €150k, €125k and €100k at Niki Volou as he approached his mid-thirties. By the time he was without a club in late 2025, that figure had fallen to €50k, the valuation that now follows him to Njardvík.
For Njardvík, the signing brings in a defender used to the demands of professional football across Portugal, Romania and Greece, and it places a dual-nationality Cape Verde–Portugal player into Icelandic football. While detailed appearance and match statistics from his most recent seasons are not contained in the available data, his long presence at clubs such as Oliveirense, Académico Viseu, Gaz Metan Mediaș, Petrolul Ploiești, PAE Chania and Niki Volou underlines a profile of consistency and durability.
The move also continues the outward flow of Cape Verdean and Portuguese talent to less traditional European destinations, with Mathaus now adding the Icelandic Lengjudeild to a résumé that already spans southern and eastern Europe. His new contract gives him the platform to extend his career in a fresh environment, and Njardvík gain an experienced organiser at the back as they look to strengthen their position in Iceland’s second tier. How effectively he adapts to the different conditions and style of play in Iceland will shape the final chapter of a career that has already taken him across multiple countries and competitions.
