Ortega set to leave Fenerbahçe
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
Article summary
Argentinian midfield player Ariel Ortega is to leave Fenerbahçe SK after only nine months.
Article body
Fenerbahçe SK have agreed to part company with Ariel Ortega only nine months after the Argentinian midfield player signed a four-year contract with the Turkish club.
'Parting company'
Nihat Ozdemir, Fenerbahçe's deputy chairman, was unable to give any details on Ortega's departure, but confirmed that the player was leaving. "We are parting company with Ortega without any loss to Fenerbahçe," he said.
Keen to return home
The development comes after comments from the player that he wanted to return home to his former club CA River Plate. Ortega moved to Fenerbahçe in May, with the Turkish team paying around €7m to River Plate and an additional fee to Italian side AC Parma, who also had a stake in the player.
'My own problems'
However, Ortega has struggled to make an impact in Turkey, spending long periods on the substitute's bench. Currently in the Netherlands with the Argentina national squad, Ortega said: "Fenerbahçe [have] not the slightest thing to do with me going. I am leaving Turkey totally because of my own problems. Because of the size of my contract, we are still trying to find a way of handling this. I believe River Plate will agree with Fenerbahçe very soon."
