Quote:
Cuauhtemoc Blanco to leave Chicago Fire for Mexico
MEXICO CITY (AP)—Mexico star Cuauhtemoc Blanco will leave the Chicago Fire and return home to rejoin second-division Veracruz.
Blanco said on Thursday he will not renew his three-year contract with Chicago when it ends in December, and will start playing for Veracruz again in January. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 36-year-old forward played for Veracruz in 2004.
“I had a great experience in the MLS, where they treated me very well, but at this stage of my career there were some clubs from the Mexican league that wanted me to come home,” Blanco said on his Web site. “I will start a new stage in Veracruz, a place where I used to play and I promised to come back.”
Fire technical director Frank Klopas said in a statement that Blanco “remains focused” on winning the MLS Cup this year and is still “a valuable member” of the team.
“We respect his desire to continue playing in Mexico during the MLS offseason and continue preparing for the 2010 World Cup, which is a top priority for him,” Klopas said. “We will continue our dialogue with his agent regarding Blanco playing for the Fire in the second half of the 2010 season and beyond.”
Good Riddance!
