Paulo Assuncao joins Deportivo
Former Atletico Madrid midfielder Paulo Assunção has sealed a move to relegation-threatened Deportivo de La Coruña.
By ESPNSTAR.com staff
The Brazilian midfielder joined the club after ending his stint at Sao Paulo towards the end of last month.
Assunção, 32, previously played for Los Colchoneros for four seasons before seeking a return to his homeland but only featured in 11 matches before leaving Sao Paulo by mutual consent.
The midfielder has passed his medical with Depor and signed for the remainder of this season plus two more. There is also the option of a further season after that.
He said on his new club's website: "I'm very pleased, happy and grateful to come to a club as great as Depor and to be given the opportunity to return to Spanish football."
Deportivo are also undergoing several changes and recently fired Jose Luis Oltra after the Spaniard could only pick up 12 points from the first 17 matches. They have hired ex-Sporting coach Domingos Paciencia at the helm and the latter's tenure has gotten off to a good start as the Blanquiazules stunned high-flying Malaga on Sunday.
The Portuguese coach does have an arduous task of maintaining the Galician club's presence in La Liga, though, as the club currently have the worst defensive record, having already conceded 39 goals.
Assunção, a former team-mate of the Deportivo coach at Porto in the 2000/01 season, is an able defensive midfielder and was a key component of the Atletico squad that won the Europa League in 2010.