Sneijder to join Qatar club Al Gharafa

A statement on the team's official social media said a deal was in place for the Dutch veteran, who most recently played in France's Ligue 1 with Nice.

Published : Jan 05, 2018 23:47 IST , Doha

 The Dutch veteran, who has been capped 133 times by the Netherlands, most recently played in France's Ligue 1 with Nice.
The Dutch veteran, who has been capped 133 times by the Netherlands, most recently played in France's Ligue 1 with Nice.
lightbox-info

The Dutch veteran, who has been capped 133 times by the Netherlands, most recently played in France's Ligue 1 with Nice.

 

Former Real Madrid and Inter star Wesley Sneijder is to sign for mid-table Qatari league side Al Gharafa, the club announced on Friday.

A statement on the team's official social media said a deal was in place for the Dutch veteran, who most recently played in France's Ligue 1 with Nice.

"Breaking: We are delighted to announce that @sneijder101010 will join Al Gharafa Sports Club," the team's Twitter page said.

Sneijder, 33, a midfielder, won La Liga with Real and Serie A and the 2010 Champions League with Inter.

READ: Xavi urges Bundesliga star to make Qatar switch

He played 133 times for the Netherlands, making him the nation's most capped player, and appeared in the 2010 World Cup final which the Dutch lost to Spain, 1-0.

Sneijder's signing is a coup for the Qatari league, especially for Al Gharafa which sits in mid-table with just 11 points from 11 games.

Sneijder's first appearance may be on January 12, in a league game against Al Ahli, who sit just one place above Gharafa.

The league's biggest star is former Barcelona great Xavi Hernandez, who plays for Al Sadd but is likely to retire at the end of the season.

Xavi told AFP that the signing was a coup for the Qatari league.

"It's great news for the Qatar Stars League. He's a really good player."

The two played against each other in the 2010 final.

Other stars to have played in Qatar, the 2022 World Cup finals host, include Raul and Pep Guardiola, the current coach of Manchester City.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment