Cesar Cielo, Olympic 50m free champion from Brazil who gets his 2010 race season underway in Austin from today, has signed for the Corinthians athletic club.
After nearly two months of negotiations, Cielo verbally agreed to sign with the club in its centenary year, leaving his mentor and long-term coach Alberto Silva in the process, according to Brazilian reports. Silva was also contemplating a move to Corinthians but was reported this week to have opted to stay at Pinheiros, the club where Cielo grew up.
The club also signed open-water ace Poliana Okimoto before the transfer window for Brazilian clubs closes on March 30. "We
reached a verbal agreement with both swimmers. The contracts are not yet signed, but we plan on sealing the deal and announcing their arrival sometime next week," director of aquatic sports at Corinthians, Fernando Alba, told reporters.
Alba, however, admitted that as of now, the club does not have the money to pay for the athletes. The money that the athletes will attract to the club will pay for them, he suggested, just as it had with Ronaldo. Slightly different financial league that one, of course...
Meantime, Cielo has told reporters in Texas at the US grand prix that he is "far from his ideal weight and physical preparedness but hopes that his new contract with Corinthians will help to get him back in form", in the words of agency reports. The Brazilian hero expected to return to Brazil after the Austin meet to sign his contract with Corinthians, a physical signature necessary for the transfer to be valid, according to Brazilian reports.
