7/28/2007 9:30 AM
Newcastle Considering Coco Option Reports in Italy are claiming that Premiership side Newcastle are considering making a move for unsettled Inter Milan defender Francesco Coco.
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The 30-year-old side-back is up for grabs as he has gone public with his plans to find a club outside of Italy, after having failed once again to force his way into the plans of Nerazzurri boss Roberto Mancini.
Coco had actually been very close to moving to England last season, but a proposed transfer to Manchester City collapsed at the eleventh hour.
Once billed as the next great Italian left-back, the former Barcelona defender has suffered the indignity of training with Inter's youth team since returning from a loan spell with Torino.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Coco receives Saint-Etienne call[/FONT]Tuesday 31 July, 2007[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Francesco Coco is the latest Italian player to seek his fortune overseas, agreeing a move to Saint-Etienne, while Graziano Pelle’ celebrates AZ Alkmaar.
Inter benchwarmer Coco has been struggling with endless injury problems for the last few years and has decided to relaunch his career in France.
The 30-year-old left-back has flown to Saint-Etienne for a medical and this will be his second overseas experience after the 2000-01 campaign spent at Barcelona.
“Coco really wants to get his career kick-started again and return to his level. This is a good opportunity for us, as we have the ambition to create a complete squad,” said President Bernard Caiazzo.
Coco was a first team player in the 2002 World Cup, but has barely stepped on to the field since then and spent last season at Livorno.
This means we could see an all-Italian derby in Ligue 1 next term between Coco and Fabio Grosso at Olympique Lyonnais.
Another Italian who has gone outside the peninsula is Under-21 international Pelle’, who was snapped up by Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar.
“I cannot wait to play for the best Coach in the world, Louis Van Gaal,” said the 22-year-old ex-Cesena striker.
“I hope to learn so much from him in the next few years. If I can do well in Holland, then I aim to join a major Italian club, just like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marco van Basten did. Both built their careers in Holland and I hope to do the same.”
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It's exactly like you say. We will pay part of his wage.no, but maybe they tell us to pay them....
03 August 2007, 9:24 PM
St. Etienne Move Still On, Insists Coco Francesco Coco is sure that he will be playing for St Etienne this season, despite reports that the proposed transfer is on the verge of collapsing due to the difficulty he is experiencing in negotiating a contract release from Inter.
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The 30-year-old left-back is desperate for a new lease of life abroad after having failed once again to force his way into Roberto Mancini’s plans.
He has even gone as far as flying into St Etienne for a medical but evidently there is still the pesky inconvenience of an ongoing contract with Inter to deal with back home.
"I passed all the medical exams in St Etienne on Wednesday,’ announced Coco, before acknowledging that there is still unfinished business to take care of in Italy.
“I will go back to Milan because I have to hold talks with the board at Inter, where I still have two years left on my contract.
"There are two possibilities - either I tear up my contract with Inter then sign for a year at St Etienne, which is the solution I would prefer; or I am loaned for a season to St Etienne.
"Either way, I am going to sign for a year at St Etienne."
Coco went on to proclaim that he aims to get himself back into the Azzurri squad, by finally producing the kind of form that once convinced the powers that be at AC Milan – the club he started off with – that they had found the natural successor to Maldini.
well that't not low salary. 2,5 mln euro for a year of playing.I'm not suprised with their decision.http://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/index.php?action=read&id=70135
I understand from the above link, that St. Etienne tried to get Inter pay part of Coco's salary. Ridicilous French idiots. Inter should get of Coco once and for all.
I really don't understand Coco now. I mean, he obviously has no future at Inter and is already rich as shit. Why not just agree with Inter to just tear the contract without any economical dealings involved. Just tear it, a hand-shake and move on with your career.
Why bother asking for a compensation? In any case, he has said he would play his last year for free with us, so it's still only one years wage, he should demand if we tear up the contract. Why bother? Just move on...