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It is reported that former longtime Brazil national team and current Real Madrid left-back Roberto Carlos has signed a new one-year contract and will remain with the team until 2009, when he will be 36 years old.
Although the 33-year-old player signed a contract until the end of the 2007-2008 season with the possibility of extending it for another year, depending on how many matches the left-back plays in the next season.
The previous contract of the Brazilian was supposed to end at the end of this season, and the contract would have been automatically extended for another year if the player represented the team in 35 games.
"There was a lot of talk, but it was all lies. I want to stay. We are close to an agreement, and the signed contract would be my last," the player admitted to a Spanish radio station a few days ago. - "I never thought about leaving the team. I spoke with representatives of other clubs who had good offers, but my future is in Spain with Real Madrid. I want to give back to the club everything it gave me."
Real Madrid's sports director Predrag Mijatović had previously said that he had talks with R. Carlos about a new contract in December, but it seems he changed his mind and without waiting, extended the contract with the experienced defender.
After spending 10 years in the Real Madrid team, the former Brazil national team defender was highly sought after by the English champions Chelsea this summer, but the player decided to remain loyal to Real Madrid.
Upon the arrival of the new coach Fabio Capello to Real Madrid, R. Carlos continued to be a key player in the lineup. It is speculated that it was precisely the Italian specialist who told P. Mijatović to extend the contract with the defender as soon as possible.
The impressive Brazilian, who played 125 matches and scored 11 goals in the Brazil national team over 14 years, transferred from Inter Milan to Real Madrid in 1996 and wore the royal team's jersey 500 times, defeating opponents' goalkeepers 69 times.
However, along with the news about R. Carlos's contract extension, the Spanish media also reported rumors about a new acquisition by Real Madrid from Brazil - it is said that Real Madrid has acquired 18-year-old defender Marcelo from Fluminense for 7 million euros, who is dubbed "the new Roberto Carlos." The transfer is expected to take place in January, and the young player is likely to be loaned out to another European club for the remaining part of the season.
