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Batistuta signs for Qatar's Al Arabi Posted: Sunday August 17, 2003 3:46 PMDOHA, Qatar (Reuters) -- Former Argentine international Gabriel Batistuta formally signed a two-year contract worth $8 million with Qatar's Al Arabi Sports Club on Sunday. The 34-year-old will be paid $5 million in the first year and $3 million in the second year to train Qatari footballers and play for the club, said a source close to Al Arabi. Batistuta, Argentina's leading goalscorer with 56 goals in 78 appearances, said he took the Al Arabi offer because Qatar had fascinated him on his first visit during the finals of the Emiri Cup in 2002. "I saw a big challenge in Qatar and that was the main reason behind opting for this offer. I would like to give my best and score as many goals as possible for my new team," Batistuta told reporters. Batistuta, who made his name at Boca Juniors and then Fiorentina before spells at AS Roma and Inter Milan, retired from international football after last year's World Cup, his third. "I would have loved to finish my career in Argentina, but it does not seem likely now. I don't want to play there in a bad state," he added.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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