Veteran De Nooijer leaves NEC
Thursday, January 22, 2004
Article summary
News round-up: NEC Nijmegen striker Dennis de Nooijer has returned to his first club Sparta Rotterdam.
Article body
Striker Dennis de Nooijer has returned to his first club Sparta Rotterdam from NEC Nijmegen.
Sparta return
The 34-year-old feared for his place after the arrival of a work permit for Polish striker Andrzej Niedzielan, and has opted to move to second division Sparta on a two-and-a-half year contract. He had been at NEC since December 2001, when he joined from SC Heerenveen.
Fifth reinforcement
Belgian first division side KSC Lokeren OV have made a fifth signing this winter, picking up Renatinho from EC Juventude. The Brazilian right-sided midfield player has agreed an initial contract until the end of the season with an option for a further three years, and follows Filip De Wilde, Karel Geraerts, Dusko Djurisic and fellow Brazilian Tailson in joining Lokeren.
Roosendaal return
In the Netherlands, meanwhile, RBC Roosendaal have signed Marcel Cas until the end of this season. The 31-year-old right wing-back, who can also play in midfield, agreed last week to end his contract with English second division side Grimsby Town FC, which was due to expire in summer 2005. Cas spent four years at Roosendaal between 1997 and 2001 but then opted to move to England, where he also played for Notts County FC and Sheffield United FC.
Happe leaves Köln
The 1. FC Köln defender Markus Happe has left the Bundesliga club by mutual agreement. The 31-year-old, who joined from FC Schalke 04 in 2002, was told he was surplus to requirements by coach Marcel Koller. Third division Offenbacher Kickers 1901 have made their interest known, but he has also been linked with Russian side FC Dinamo Moskva.
SPL introduce penalty
Scottish Premier League (SPL) has decided that clubs who enter administration after this season will have ten points deducted and be subject to a transfer ban. The SPL board will implement the rule from 31 May, but it will not apply retrospectively to troubled Dundee FC and Motherwell FC. The SPL also announced that from next season clubs will be allowed seven substitutes on the bench instead of five, and the Under-21 competition will become a reserve league.
