Falcao pens five-year deal with ambitious Monaco
Friday, May 31, 2013
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AS Monaco FC have completed the reported €45m signing of striker Falcao, who has thanked Club Atlético de Madrid for "two unforgettable years I will keep guarded in my heart".
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Falcao, the second top scorer in UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League history, has completed his move from Club Atlético de Madrid to AS Monaco FC for a reported €45m.
The 27-year-old striker has penned a five-year contract with the Ligue 1 returnees, who last week served notice of their intent for the coming season by signing the Colombian international's former FC Porto team-mates João Moutinho and James Rodríguez for a combined fee of €70m.
Writing on Twitter, Falcao, who scored a hat-trick for Atlético at Monaco's Stade Louis II in the 2012 UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea FC, told his near 2.6m followers: "I would like to share with you that I will be an AS Monaco player next season. I'm eager to start this challenge and I count on your support. To Atlético and the entire Los Colchoneros family, I say a big thank you. They gave me two unforgettable years I will keep guarded in my heart."
In a statement on the principality club's website, president Dmitry Rybolovlev said: "We are absolutely delighted that Radamel Falcao has accepted the challenge of coming to play for AS Monaco FC. We are proud to have secured one of the best players in the world and are confident that he will help ASMFC regain its rightful status."
Falcao arrived at Porto in summer 2009 from CA River Plate, registering 41 goals in 51 Liga appearances for the Dragons prior to becoming Atlético's record €40m acquisition two years later. It was in European competition where he really left his mark, though.
In 2010/11 he broke Jürgen Klinsmann's record of 15 goals in a UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League campaign, scoring 17 times, including the only goal in the Dublin final as Porto overcame SC Braga.
His love affair with the tournament continued following his transfer to Spain as he became the first player in the competition to take back-to-back top-scorer honours, plundering 12 goals, culminating in two in the Rojiblancos' 3-0 defeat of Athletic Club in the Bucharest showpiece.
This season Falcao has struck a career-best 28 league goals, adding to his tally of 24 from last term, and will leave the Estadio Vicente Calderón with a Copa del Rey winners' medal to his name having helped Atlético defeat Real Madrid CF in the final earlier this month.
