Zé Roberto stays in Munich

By www.fcbayern.de
June 20 2005

Bayern and Brazil star Zé Roberto ended weeks of speculation about the player's immediate future by shaking hands on a one-year contract extension at the weekend. Zé will put his name to a deal keeping him at the Munich club until 30 June 2006 over the next few days.

The 30-year-old left club headquarters at the end of the domestic season with his immediate future up in the air, but an agreement to renew the contract set to expire on 30 June seemed increasingly likely over the last few weeks.

Coach Felix Magath and the board of directors strongly indicated the club would like to retain the player's services. Commented general manager Uli Hoeneß after the Cup final in Berlin: "We're holding the door open for him. We don't want to be without him." Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge made an impassioned plea in the Brazilian's direction: "Please try and strike a deal with Bayern."

The 30-year-old was the target for a number of top clubs in Spain, Italy and Russia, but Zé ultimately decided staying put was the best option: "I don't want to leave Germany. My family like living here."

The player left Bayer Leverkusen for Munich in summer 2002 and has made 115 appearances for the Bavarians, 83 in the Bundesliga, 10 in the DFB German Cup and 22 in the Champions League. He has scored four league goals and provided 24 assists. Zé Roberto, real name Jose Roberto da Silva Júnior, is currently in action for his country at the Confederations Cup, going the full distance in both Brazil's matches against Greece and Mexico to date.