JEDDAH, 28 December 2006 — Inter Milan midfielder Luis Figo is set to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad, according to reports in Portugal.
The 34-year-old is reportedly close to signing a one-year deal, worth around £3million and starting in January, said a BBC Sport report.
Figo retired from internationals after the World Cup third-place play-off with Germany in July — in which he earned a record 127th cap for Portugal. The 34-year old has recently voiced his disappointment at being left out of Roberto Mancini’s first team plans. He has had a mainly peripheral role as Inter have racked up a record 11 straight league wins.
Figo has started just eight Serie A games this term, coming off the bench in seven others. Ittihad took part in the 2005 FIFA World Club Cup, and currently boast international stars Jared Borgetti and Milenko Acimovic on their books. Former players include Roberto Donadoni and Bebeto. Before signing for Inter in 2005, Figo played for Sporting Lisbon, Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Michel Appointed as New Zamalek Coach
In Cairo, French coach Henri Michel has taken a short-term contract with Egypt’s Zamalek after the club had a last-minute change of heart over a new trainer.
Michel, recently fired after a brief coaching spell in Qatar, will remain with the club until the end of the season in June. He was named as coach on Wednesday days after Zamalek officials said Serbian Zoran Filipovic would succeed Portuguese Manuel Cajuda, who was fired this month after a run of poor form.
Filipovic attended a training session with the club but was then told Zamalek’s board of directors had changed had its mind and would appoint Michel instead.
The former French captain and coach was in charge of the Ivory Coast at this year’s World Cup finals. He took his native France to the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico and Cameroon to the 1994 finals in the United States.
Ganea Breaks Deal With Dinamo to Move to Rapid
Ionel Ganea, the leading Romanian scorer this season, has broken his contract with Dinamo Bucharest to sign a record deal with arch-rivals Rapid Bucharest.
A Rapid Bucharest spokesman said on Wednesday the club’s owner George Copos had agreed to pay Ganea a record 350,000 euros ($462,300) salary a year.
— Additional input from agencies
