Saudi champions say Rivaldo set to sign up

Dec 31, 2003 - Saudi champions Al-Ittihad said they were close to beating a handful of Brazilian and Portuguese clubs to the signature of former World Player of the Year Rivaldo.

The Brazilian playmaker has had offers from Brazilian clubs Sao Paulo and Botafogo while Portuguese sides FC Porto and Benfica are interested, but Al-Ittihad president Mansur Al-Balawi said negotiations were at an advanced stage.

"We have contacted Rivaldo and negotiations with him are progressing," Al-Balawi told AFP. "We have almost secured his agreement and we expect him to sign in the next few days or hours."

The president gave no further details of the club's offer.

Rivaldo was released by AC Milan after an unsuccessful 17-month spell.

The 31-year-old joined Milan on a free contract, a month after winning the 2002 World Cup with Brazil.

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti limited him to just 16 Serie A matches, and eight Champions League games last season, when he was only a substitute for the Champions League final against Juventus.

This season Rivaldo made only one substitute appearance in the Champions League and did not play in Serie A.

If Rivaldo moved to the Gulf he would be following a path trodden by ageing big name stars such as Stefan Effenberg and Gabriel Batistuta who were lured to Qatar by lucrative contracts.

Rivaldo's lawyer Jose Carlos Lajes said Wednesday that UEFA Cup holders FC Porto had yet to make a formal offer, while negotiations with Benfica have reportedly stumbled over the player's wage demands.

Botafogo's offer would see Rivaldo playing for the team on a reported monthly salary of 100,000 dollars while also acting as an ambassador for Rio de Janeiro to promote the 2007 PanAmerican Games which are taking place in the city.

The club's president Bebeto de Freitas said: "We have made an offer and are prepared to welcome him into the club. It's a serious plan and we have been in talks with the player's representatives for the past three weeks."

Rivaldo was voted the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1999 while playing for Barcelona.

Source: Worldsoccernews.com

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