Diego Forlan agrees move from Atletico Madrid to Inter Milan

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Diego Forlan agrees move from Atletico Madrid to Inter Milan
Inter Milan have agreed to sign Uruguay international Diego Forlan from Atletico Madrid.

No financial details were disclosed, but Spanish media reports say Forlan will sign a two-year contract.

The 32-year-old, who is replacing Samuel Eto'o at the Serie A side, said: "Going to a club like Inter is not an opportunity that comes up often.

"I am happy with the decision that I have taken, it is normal that some players come and others go."

Cameroon striker Eto'o left Inter last week to join ambitious Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala, and scored on his debut.

Forlan, who scored 96 goals in his four seasons with Atletico, said he would be leaving the Spanish capital with plenty of good memories, adding "I don't regret anything, I would not go back on anything that I have done.

"You learn from your mistakes and you have to accept things as they come. Sometimes they are not as one would like but it was a spectacular period.

"There is a group here that will always stay with me in my heart. It was four years of victories and defeats, what remains are these human relations, which in the end is what matters most in life."

After joining Atletico from Villarreal in 2007, Forlan scored 23 goals in his first season, then 35 goals in 2008/09.

The following year he scored twice in the final against Fulham as the club won the Europa League, and he was also part of the team that beat Inter in the UEFA Super Cup later that year.

Last season was a disappointing one for the striker as he scored 10 goals in 42 appearances as Atletico finished seventh, outside European qualification.

But Forlan scored twice in the 2011 Copa America final against Paraguay as Uruguay won the competition, a year after he won the Golden Ball award for best player at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, after scoring five goals for Uruguay as they reached the semi-finals.

At a press conference to announce his transfer he added: "I have already spoken with Esteban Cambiasso and Diego Milito, they are my friends.

"I know Serie A having watched many games on television and I am very happy to be playing in Italy after my time in the Premier League, and Liga.

"I am going to play for a great team. I liked the project as well as their will to have me. I have a great will to start and changing [teams] will give me new motivation."

Forlan played for Manchester United between 2002 and 2004, scoring 17 goals in 98 appearances.

Inter Milan have also announced the signing of Italian Under-21 midfielder Andrea Poli from Sampdoria.

Atletico, who sold striker Sergio Aguero to Manchester City last month for a reported fee of £38m, have signed Radamel Falcao from FC Porto for £35.4m.
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Woudnt mind seeing him back in the premier league tbh.
 
Always been a bit sad that we didn't persist with him for a bit longer. I wouldn't be surprised if SAF felt his handling of Forlan was a low point in his almost flawless history of proper man management.
 
He should do well for Inter. Good luck to him except if he faces us in the CL ;)
 
Won't be available to play in the CL until January apparently.

Diego Forlan and Antonio Nocerino both played in the Europa League preliminary round, but only one can feature in the Champions League at San Siro.
Inter were stunned to discover today that Forlan cannot be used in the Champions League until January.

This is because he played in the Europa League third preliminary round with Atletico Madrid.

However, Milan signing Nocerino also played in the same round, but is available for European competition straight away.

The reason for the discrepancy is that Palermo were eliminated in the third round, whereas Atletico Madrid went through to the Europa League proper.

“As a rule, a player may not play in a UEFA club competition for more than one club in the course of the same season,” reads the UEFA rule book.

“Exceptionally, however, a player who has been fielded in the first, second or third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League is entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League for another club as from the group stage, provided that his former club did not qualify for the group stage of either the UEFA Champions League or the UEFA Europa League.”

The mistake Inter made was not reading the rules properly, as they didn’t realise Atletico Madrid’s qualification – even without Forlan taking part in the final play-off round – automatically cup-tied him.

To make matters worse, the Nerazzurri only realised this after they had handed in the UEFA list, so players like Luc Castaignos and Andrea Poli are left off while Forlan is included despite being ineligible.
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Football Italia - the Italian football website for English-speaking football fans
 
bergen said:
Always been a bit sad that we didn't persist with him for a bit longer. I wouldn't be surprised if SAF felt his handling of Forlan was a low point in his almost flawless history of proper man management.
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Why?

He was clearly better suited to Spain and continental football than the PL. He had plenty of chances but needed to leave to get first team football.

I'd say it worked out best for both parties in the end.
 
What is the benefit of not allowing players to play for different clubs in the european competitions over the course of the season?
 
You get the feeling Forlan may have been better suited to our style of play once we dropped Ruud and went with Saha, Rooney, and Ronnie towards the end of the 05/06 season... when we played some of our most dynamic attacking team play in years.

Incidentally our midfield during that stretch was anchored by the dynamic duo of Giggs and O'Shea in the middle
 
bergen said:
Always been a bit sad that we didn't persist with him for a bit longer. I wouldn't be surprised if SAF felt his handling of Forlan was a low point in his almost flawless history of proper man management.
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The stage was just too big for him at that point in his career. He didn't look to have the nerve to play when it really mattered, or at least not consistently. Blaming Fergie for that without any reason to do so is more than harsh.
 
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