AFONSO ALVES did sign a pre-contract with AZ Alkmaar – but insists their bid to ban him will fail.
The Samba star joined Middlesbrough for £12 million on transfer deadline day amid claims from AZ that he had already signed a contract with the Dutch club.
AZ chairman Dirk Scheringa appealed to the Dutch FA (KNVB) who ruled the agreement with the 27-year-old striker was invalid, and Scheringa has now taken his case to FIFA.
Alves told the Sunday Sun last month that he “never signed anything with AZ” but now admits he did pen a deal that would only have become valid had AZ reached agreement with the selling club, Heerenveen.
It is difficult not to feel a little despondent about Sunderland at the moment because no matter what sort of spin you try to put on it, three back to back defeats is difficult to accept....
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