BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
Italian Serie A club Sampdoria has signed
Argentine playmaker Ariel Ortega from Spain's Valencia for $12 million, the
Spanish clubs vice-president Jaime Orti said on Tuesday.
"We finally reached a deal this afternoon with Sampdoria, who will pay $12
million," Orti told Argentine radio from Spain.
Orti said Ortega had agreed a five-year deal with Sampdoria.
Ortega was signed by Valencia's former coach and Argentina international
Jorge Valdano midway through the 1996-97 season and made an immediate
impact, scoring seven goals in just 12 games that season.
But Valdano was sacked early last season and Italian coach Claudio Ranieri
only reluctantly fielded Ortega since, mainly as a substitute and rarely in
the starting lineup.
Ortega has repeatedly challenged Ranieri to give him more starts or allow
him to leave and frequently aired his differences with the coach to the
Spanish and Argentine press.
A brilliant, creative dribbler, Ortega scored two goals in the World Cup
and set up several others.
But he was also sent off in the dying moments of the quarterfinal against
the Netherlands after head-butting Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. Two
minutes later, Dennis Bergkamp scored the goal which gave the Netherlands a
2-1 win.In recent months Ortega has been linked with various clubs, including
English side Manchester United and his old Argentine club River Plate.
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