Marseille agree deal for Brandão
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
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Olympique de Marseille have reached an agreement to sign Brazilian striker Brandão from fellow UEFA Cup challengers FC Shakhtar Donetsk for €6m. "He's a player who will give the team a lift," said coach Erik Gerets.
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Olympique de Marseille have reached an agreement to sign Brazilian striker Brandão from fellow UEFA Cup challengers FC Shakhtar Donetsk for a reported €6m fee.
Honours
"Brandão will be in Marseille this afternoon for a medical before signing his contract," said an OM statement. Now 28, Brandão moved to Ukraine in summer 2002 and went on to score 65 league goals in 139 games for Shakhtar, winning league titles in 2004/05 and 2005/06 and a domestic double last season. "He's a player who will give the team a lift," said Marseille coach Erik Gerets, who was keen to strengthen his forward line with Mamadou Niang still sidelined after breaking a bone in his right foot last month.
Cesar released
Both OM and Shakhtar will enter the UEFA Cup in the Round of 32 next month – against FC Twente and Tottenham Hotspur FC respectively – after finishing third in their UEFA Champions League groups. Slovenian international centre-back Bostjan Cesar will not feature in the competition, however, after the French club allowed him to join Grenoble Foot 38 on a two-and-a-half year contract.