Deco decision favours Portugal

FC Porto's Brazilian-born playmaker Deco should be eligible to play for Portugal when they welcome Brazil on 29 March, as his application for citizenship is set to be concluded.

Sensational form
Deco has been in sensational form this season, helping Porto open up a 13-point lead at the SuperLiga summit and reach the fourth round of the UEFA Cup, where they will meet Turkish side Denizlispor. The 25-year-old could make his debut against the country of his birth at his home Das Antas stadium as coach Luiz Felipe Scolari recently indicated he would have no hesitation in picking Deco.

Previous example
Speaking ahead of last night's 1-0 defeat by Italy in Genoa, Scolari said of the Deco issue: "I will talk about that if and when the player is eligible. But my predecessors, José Maria Antunes and José Maria Pedroto, did it in 1961 and 1970 with the players Lúcio and Celso, respectively." The addition of Deco, whose prodigious skill and accuracy from set-pieces have made him a Porto favourite, would bolster a midfield already including Luis Figo and Rui Costa.

Former clubs
Deco turned out for two clubs, Nacional São Paulo and Corinthians Alagoano, in his homeland before moving to Portugal in 1997. After initially playing for FC Alverca, he moved to Porto in the 1998/99 season via SC Salgueiros. The Portuguese government accepted Deco's request for citizenship and it will become official when his name is published in the 'Diário da República', the Republic newspaper.

Keen to leave
The same is true of Sporting Clube de Portugal forward Mario Jardel, although he will not be able to represent Portugal after making three appearances for Brazil. The 29-year-old has suffered from depression this season and as a result has played only 12 times, scoring six goals. He is reportedly keen to leave the country and will have extra options now after being freed from non-EU work permit restrictions.