No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveBryan Ruiz Earns Highest Tico Soccer Price Tag

Bryan Ruiz Earns Highest Tico Soccer Price Tag

Striker Bryan Ruiz became the most expensive soccer player in Costa Rican history on Wednesday, when Dutch soccer team Twente secured his transfer for 5 million (a little over $7 million).

Ruiz, 23, played the past three seasons with the Belgian Gante club, where he was a captain and the main goal scorer. Before the deal with Twente was confirmed, other big European clubs were also interested in Ruiz, including England s Newcastle, the NetherlandsHeerenveen, Germany s Hoffenheim and Russia s Zenit.

The Ruiz transfer topped Paulo César Wanchope s old record of the highest transfer price paid for a Costa Rican, when Wanchope was picked up in 2000 from England s West Ham United by ManchesterCity for $5.6 million.

Ruiz has played an integral role in the Costa Rican national team, which is leading its Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Soccer Associations (CONCACAF) World Cup 2010 qualifying group.

After playing with Alajuelense, Ruiz left Costa Rica in 2006 at age 19 to play in Belgium, where he developed and became physical enough to compete at the European level.

While playing with Gante, Ruiz was called the best player on the team and one of the best foreign players in the Belgian league. In December, the Italian club Napoli offered Gante 8 million (about $11.2 million) for Ruiz, but the club refused the offer without consulting him.

Ruiz expressed his frustration with his club s decision to leave him out of the deal and said he wished to leave Belgium to play in a more competitive league, where he would have more opportunity to show his abilities. He especially expressed interest in the Dutch league and Twente, the runnerup in last season s finals. With Twente, Ruiz will be able to play in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League, which consists of Europe s top teams.

EFE

 

Popular Articles

U.S. Embassy in Honduras Issues Urgent Alert Over Mass Shooting Threats

The United States Embassy in Honduras issued a security alert warning of potential mass shooting threats targeting three locations in the capital, Tegucigalpa. The...

US Denies Military Base Plans in Panama Amid Public Outcry

An agreement signed by the United States and Panama a month ago does not allow for the installation of U.S. military bases in the...

A pope for the ages: Is Leo XIV a young pontiff?

At 69 Leo XIV was elected pope at a significantly younger age than his two immediate predecessors, Francis and Benedict XVI -- something observers,...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait

Latest Articles