Leverkusen take Roque Junior

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed Brazilian defender Roque Junior after he was released from the final year of his contract by AC Milan.

World Cup winner
The 27-year-old, who was a member of the Brazil squad that won the 2002 FIFA World Cup under the stewardship of current Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, has signed a three-year contract at his new club. Leverkusen will start their UEFA Champions League campaign in the third qualifying round.

Augenthaler delighted

Limited opportunities
The former SE Palmeiras player joined Milan in the 2000/01 season, but after making 22 appearances in his first campaign, he struggled to get first-team football at the San Siro stadium. Last season he spent spells on loan with AC Siena and Leeds United AFC.

Simak abandoned
Meanwhile, Leverkusen have released Czech midfield player Jan Simak from his contract. The player had joined Hannover 96 on loan last season but disappeared back to his native country after just six appearances with a doctor's note claiming that he was suffering from burn-out syndrome.

'His time is up'
The 25-year-old has not returned to Leverkusen since, and club manager Holzhäuser has now terminated his deal, which was due to run until the summer of 2005. "We cannot and do not want to force a player to play for us and see out his contract," he said. "His time is up."