FCBARCELONA.CAT

15.03.2007 14:16

Belletti signs until 2009

Juliano Belletti has signed a one-year extension to his current deal that will keep him at the Club until 30th June 2009. His buy-out clause remains at 60 million euros.

Juliano Belletti will continue to compete for the rightback spot for a further year after the Brazilian international agrred a year’s extension to his current deal with the Club which finalised at the end of the 2007-08 season. As a result of the agreement, Belletti’s earnings will increase from next season.

Belletti delighted

Belletti spoke at a Nou Camp press conference on Thursday just minutes after putting pen to paper and expressed his delight at extending his stay with “the greatest club in the world”. He went on to add: “I’m very happy here, as is my family. There are many players who want to come to Barca. I’d be delighted to stay here for many years more and I’m aware that that depends on my performances”.

The team above all

Belletti revealed: “I’m not playing as often as I’d like [but] that’s the manager’s decision”. Howvere, he insisted: “The interests of the team are above anything else. My obligation is to demonstate every day to the boss during training that I’m fit and that he can count on me when needed”.

His debut

Belletti, who was born on 20th June 1976, joined Barca for the 2004-05 season. He made his debut in the opening game of the season against Racing Santander on 29th August 2004. In his first year, Belletti played 31 league matches and 8 in the Champions League. In the 2005-06 season, Belletti shared the rightback position with Oleguer Presas, playing 27 league matches.

A goal to remember

Above all else, Belletti will be remembered by all Barca fans as the man who scored the second and decisive goal in the final of the Champions League against Arsenal in Paris on 17th May 2006. It was his first goal in a Barca shirt and handed the Club it’s second European Cup.

His statistics this season

This season, Belletti has had to compete with Oleguer Presas and Gianluca Zambrotta for a place in the back four. So far he’s played 10 league macthes – 8 in the starting lineup and 2 as a sub – 2 matches in the Champions League, at home against Levski Sofia and Liverpool, and 2 in the Spanish Cup, against Badalona in the Nou Camp and away to Alavés.