Brazilian midfielder Juninho to leave Lyon

LYON, France (AP) -- Brazilian midfielder Juninho will leave Lyon at the end of the season, club president Jean-Michel Aulas confirmed on Tuesday.

Aulas said Juninho still had one year left on his contract, but the club will rescind the final year, allowing him to join a new club on a free transfer.

"We met with Juninho yesterday, we spoke a lot and he asked us to let him go," Aulas told Lyon's television channel OL TV on Tuesday. "He can come back whenever he likes but he is leaving the club on June 30. It's likely he will have a final go (with another club) before going back to Brazil."

On Saturday, Juninho left the field to a standing ovation at Lyon's Stade Gerland after scoring his 100th career goal for the club he joined in 2001, and helped to win seven consecutive French league titles from 2002-08.

Juninho sat next to Aulas during the televised interview, but when he was handed the microphone, the tearful player was unable to speak and had to be comforted by Aulas before being led away.

"It's the time to stop and it's very difficult for me," Juninho said.

He is Lyon's fourth highest ever scorer and the club's top scorer in Europe with 18 goals.

"Juninho is an exception, a great player. What he achieved with Lyon is huge," said Bernard Lacombe, Lyon's technical adviser who recruited Juninho to the club.

The 34-year-old Juninho has played 344 games for Lyon and scored 43 goals from free kicks, some from as far out as 40 yards.

His final goal for Lyon came from the penalty spot in the 3-1 win over Caen on Saturday.

Juninho, who was suspended for Lyon's final game of the season away to Toulouse on Saturday, helped Lyon reach three consecutive quarterfinals of the Champions League from 2004-2006.

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