Emerson completes Real switch

Emerson completes Real switch

MADRID, (AFP) - Brazil midfielder Emerson was officially unveiled as a Real Madrid player on Wednesday.

Just a day after his former Juventus teammate Fabio Cannavaro finalised his move to the Spanish giants, Emerson signed a three-year deal.

"I am very happy to be here," said Emerson. "It is something I had been thinking about for several years and now it has happened.

"Now I am playing for a team as important as Real Madrid and I hope to achieve great things, as happened at my previous clubs."

The 30-year-old, who spent two seasons at Juventus following spells at Roma and Bayer Leverkusen, was greeted by around a thousand cheering fans as he pulled on the famous white shirt for the first time.

Emerson not only joins up with Cannavaro but also former Juve boss Fabio Capello who also left the Turin giants in the wake of the Italian match-fixing scandal that saw Juventus relegated to the second division.

"He is a very valuable player who benefits the team, who sacrifices himself for the good of the team," said Real president Ramon Calderon. "He is a player that everyone appreciates and values."