عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

After Nearly 25 Years Away, Falcao Returns Home to Colombia to Play for Millonarios de Bogotá 

Colombia's Radamel Falcao celebrates after scoring against Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny during the group H match at the soccer World Cup at Kazan Arena in Kazan, Russia, June 24, 2018. (AP)
Colombia's Radamel Falcao celebrates after scoring against Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny during the group H match at the soccer World Cup at Kazan Arena in Kazan, Russia, June 24, 2018. (AP)
TT
TT

After Nearly 25 Years Away, Falcao Returns Home to Colombia to Play for Millonarios de Bogotá 

Colombia's Radamel Falcao celebrates after scoring against Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny during the group H match at the soccer World Cup at Kazan Arena in Kazan, Russia, June 24, 2018. (AP)
Colombia's Radamel Falcao celebrates after scoring against Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny during the group H match at the soccer World Cup at Kazan Arena in Kazan, Russia, June 24, 2018. (AP)

After nearly 25 years away, Radamel Falcao is coming back home to Colombia. The 38-year-old striker will play for Millonarios de Bogotá next season, the team announced on Thursday.

Falcao, who played for Chelsea, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid among other clubs in a 15-year career in Europe, has not played in Colombia since 2000, when he did it with Lanceros Boyacá, a second-division club.

With Atletico de Madrid he won the Europa League title in the 2011-12 season.

“Everybody knows that Millonarios is the team of my heart,” Falcao said in a video recording.

Falcao, who is Colombia’s all-time scoring leader with 36 goals, arrives to Millonarios after spending three seasons with Rayo Vallecano, in Spain, where he scored 12 goals in 80 matches.

Falcao, who will play in Colombia’s top flight for the first time in his career, signed a six-month contract, the team announced. Millonarios will play against River Plate in Argentina on July 9th, although it’s unclear if Falcao will be able to play in that match.

Falcao played four seasons with River Plate before signing with Porto for the 2009 season. In Portugal he won two league titles and the Europa League.

He also played for Monaco and Galatasaray.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Alcaraz Opens Wimbledon with Straight-set Win, Sabalenka and Azarenka Withdraw with Injuries

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning against Estonia's Mark Lajal during their men's singles tennis match on the first day of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 1, 2024. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning against Estonia's Mark Lajal during their men's singles tennis match on the first day of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 1, 2024. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
TT
TT

Alcaraz Opens Wimbledon with Straight-set Win, Sabalenka and Azarenka Withdraw with Injuries

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning against Estonia's Mark Lajal during their men's singles tennis match on the first day of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 1, 2024. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning against Estonia's Mark Lajal during their men's singles tennis match on the first day of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 1, 2024. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz had goosebumps walking onto Centre Court before his opening match at Wimbledon on Monday, a 7-6 (3), 7-5, 6-2 win over qualifier Mark Lajal.
Lajal proved to be something of a speedbump for Alcaraz, who acknowledged that his 269th-ranked Estonian opponent “surprised me a little bit" on Day 1 at the All England Club.
Alcaraz, who won his third major championship at the French Open three weeks ago, defeated Novak Djokovic in last year’s final on the grass at Wimbledon but said he was still nervous before Monday's match.
“When I walk into the court, I got goosebumps. I remembered last year. It was a great feeling," the 21-year-old Spaniard said in his on-court interview. “But I try not to think about it. It’s a new year — totally different tournament. I have to be focused on my game just to play at the same level as last year if I want to repeat the same (success) as last year."
Earlier, Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka both pulled out of the tournament because of respective shoulder injuries.
Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, said she was “heartbroken” to announce her withdrawal after it became clear in a practice session that she wasn't ready.
The No. 3 seed was seen as top contender at the All England Club, which has had seven different women win the title in the last seven years.
Azarenka is also a two-time champion at Melbourne Park.
Ninth-seeded Maria Sakkari was among the early winners on Monday, and said after beating McCartney Kessler 6-3, 6-1 that the women's draw is wide open.
“We could name like 20, 25 girls that could win the tournament right now,” Sakkari said.
Seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini, the French Open runner-up last month, got past the first round at Wimbledon for the first time on her fourth try. The Italian beat Sara Sorribes Tormo 7-5, 6-3.
On the men's side, fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev beat Aleksander Kovacevic 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, and eighth-seeded Casper Ruud defeated Alex Bolt 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4. Unseeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov eliminated No. 19 Nicolas Jarry 6-1, 7-5, 6-4.