Evergrande denies Kaka move
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E-mail Xinhua, July 5, 2012
Chinese super league club Guangzhou Evergrande denied the link with Brazilian and Real Madrid star Kaka on Wednesday, saying the club has no plan to make changes among their foreign players.
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Real Madrid's Kaka reacts after failing to score in the penalty shootout with Bayern Munich during their Champions League semi-final second leg soccer match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, April 25, 2012. [Photo/Agencies] |
"I don't know how these reports came out, actually we have already registered all 7 foreign players this season and we have no plan to change any of them," the club president Liu Yongzhuo told Xinhua.
Earlier this week, Italian paper El Corriere dello Sport and Spain's Diario AS both reported that Guangzhou were prepared to offer Kaka around 18 million Euros a season on top of paying 25 million Euros to Kaka's current club, Real Madrid, for his transfer.
"According to the regulations of China Football Association (CFA), after the summer transfer window closed, we could not make any change among our foreign players until the end of 2012," Liu added.
According to Liu, there will be no more room for Kaka at Evergrande, at least before the end of 2012 season. As 22-year old South Korean defender Kim Young-kwon joins the club two days ago, they have already filled all the 7 slots for foreign players.
The Chinese Super League (CSL) defending champions are now enjoying a special clause in foreign players registration as they are the only team for China in the final 8 of AFC Champions league. Guangzhou could register 7 foreign players, two more than other clubs in CSL.
Liu believed the big transfer news related to Evergrande, though sometimes false, was a reflection of the club's ever stronger international influence.
"We have been more and more involved in the big transfer news. Such news, although sometimes turned out to be sheer rumor, suggested our strong international influence," Liu said.
"You could hardly imagine that big stars like Kaka could link with a Chinese club, even not a year ago," he added.
Guangzhou are currently trained by Italian coach Marcelo Lippi and the club's owner Xu Jiawin has shown his ambition, both by employing Lippi and signing former Dortmund striker Lucas Barrios for a Chinese record fee of 8.5 million Euros.
The 26-year old Brazilian forward Muriqui has also signed a four-year new contract with the club on Wednesday. Muriqui joined the deep-pocketed Chinese club in 2010 with a transfer fee of $3.5 million and soon became the kingpin. He scored 41 goals in 62 matches in Chinese league and AFC Champions League and was the top scorer and MVP of Chinese Super League last season.
With Muriqui, Barrios, Conca and Cleo, Guangzhou have formed a sharp and steady "big four" in attack that Lippi are able to count on over a long period of time.
"All of our imports are very happy, they have been enjoying their career and life here and they contribute a lot to the club," Liu said.
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