Euro stars transfer abroad

Greece skipper Zagorakis signs with Bologna; key defender Kapsis set for Bordeaux

Greece captain Theodoros Zagorakis, who led the national team to the European Championship title earlier this month, has signed a two-year contract with Italian Serie A club Bologna, the team announced on Saturday.

Another key member behind Greece’s Euro 2004 triumph, central defender Michalis Kapsis, has agreed on a deal with French club Bordeaux, Greece’s state television NET reported Saturday.

Both players have played club soccer with the cash-starved Athenian club AEK in recent seasons.

The Italian powerhouse Bologna gave no details about Zagorakis’s contract. The 33-year-old midfielder told the team’s website that he wanted to keep on winning after the Euro 2004 title that he called “God’s gift” for Greece.

“Playing in the Italian league is every player’s dream,” Zagorakis said. “I’ll try to be a decisive player, as I have been so far.”

As for Kapsis, NET reported that he stands to earn around 2 million euros for a two-year contract with Bordeaux. The station added that the 30-year-old is expected to travel to France to formally sign the deal within the coming days.

Kapsis has formally asked to be released from his cash-starved, current club AEK Athens over unpaid wages.

He impressed the international soccer community at Euro 2004 with superb marking of big names, including France’s Thierry Henry and Jan Koller of the Czech Republic.

AEK, now controlled by a group of investors led by the team’s former striker Demis Nikolaidis, has struggled to pay outstanding fees to players. Many roster members, unpaid for extended periods, have taken legal action against the club. The local soccer federation has threatened AEK, traditionally one of the country’s most popular clubs, with relegation to amateur competition if its administration fails to settle its financial commitments.(AP, AFP, Kathimerini)