MADRID, Spain _ Brazilian midfielder Emerson completed his move to Real
Madrid from Juventus after passing a routine medical on Wednesday.
Emerson, who signed a three-year contract, received a Madrid shirt bearing
his name but without a number from the club's honorary president, Alfredo Di
Stefano, at his presentation at Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
"I'm very happy to be here. I hope for the success I have achieved with other
teams," Emerson, a long-standing Madrid target, told about 1,000 cheering fans.
"This is something which began a long time ago and now has become reality."
The 30-year-old Brazilian international follows Italy captain Fabio
Cannavaro, who arrived Tuesday from Juventus as the first part of a double
transfer estimated at euro20 million (US$25.3 million).
Cannavaro and Emerson agreed on their moves after Juventus was demoted to
Serie B in the Italian match-fixing scandal.
"My situation was similar to Cannavaro's. We didn't expect what happened to
Juventus. Sadly, soccer brings these bad surprises," Emerson said.
Emerson and Cannavaro are Madrid's first acquisitions since Ramon Calderon
was declared the winner of the club's presidential election on July 3.
Calderon hopes the experienced duo will bring an end to Madrid's three-year
trophy drought.
Usually occupying a defensive position in midfield, Emerson is seen as a
replacement for Claude Makelele, whose departure to Chelsea in 2003 is viewed as
a major reason for Madrid's problems on the field.
"He is a dependable asset, an asset upon which to build a team. He will be a
key player in the champion team which we are assembling," Calderon said.
Emerson joined Juventus from AS Roma in 2004 and won Italian league titles in
2005 and 2006, although Juventus has been stripped of the honors.
Emerson, who will be reunited at Madrid with former Juventus coach Fabio
Capello, also has played for Bayer Leverkusen and Gremio.
"He has the full confidence of our coach," Calderon said.
Madrid kicks off its Spanish league campaign on August 26 or 27 with a home
game against Villarreal.
