Grosso swaps Inter for Lyon

FIFA World Cup winner Fabio Grosso has left Italian champions FC Internazionale Milano to sign a four-year contract with French counterparts Olympique Lyonnais.

Abidal departure
The six-time Ligue 1 winners have paid a reported €7m for the Italy left-back's services, having parted company with first-choice Eric Abidal and understudy Jérémy Berthod this summer to FC Barcelona and AS Monaco FC respectively. Lyon could also lose left-winger Florent Malouda, but the Stade de Gerland faithful will hope Grosso, who will wear the No11 shirt, can forge an effective partnership with new midfield recruit Nadir Belhadj from CS Sedan Ardennes

International class
Grosso, 29, spent just one season at Inter, playing 23 matches in Serie A and six in the UEFA Champions League after joining from US Città di Palermo. Grosso first moved to Sicily from AC Perugia midway through the 2003/04 campaign and it was there where his form earned him a first call-up by the Azzurri. He has been capped 25 times, with two goals, and featured in the World Cup final defeat of France on 9 July 2006, where he scored the decisive penalty kick in the 5-3 shoot-out win after a 1-1 draw.