Football: Annoni free to leave Celtic.
ENRICO ANNONI'S Celtic career is over after the club and player last night parted company by mutual consent.The 33-year-old defender, signed for pounds 250,000 from Roma by Tommy Burns in February 1997, had one year left on his contract but I understand he and the club have reached an agreement regarding compensation and that he is now free to go.
Annoni's last appearance for the club was in the 1-0 Tennent's Scottish Cup final defeat by Rangers in May but long before that he was clearly unhappy he had failed to establish himself as a first-team regular at Parkhead.
His father's serious illness was another source of distress to the player and a factor in the club allowing him to go.
With Tom Boyd, Johan Mjallby, Olivier Tebily, Vidar Riseth and, once they are fit, Alan Stubbs and Marc Rieper all ahead of him in the queue for a starting place, Annoni will attempt to continue his career in Italy.
The big man was a cult hero with the Parkhead faithful but, under first Wim Jansen then Jozef Venglos, he was no more than a fringe player.
While Annoni is on the way out French winger Stephane Bonnes last night became boss John Barnes' FIFTH signing.
The 21-year-old, who can also play on the right side of midfield, joins from Second Division outfit Mulhouse.
But Barnes won't be pursuing his interest in Munich 1860 defender Jochen Kientz.
It's all a far cry from last summer when Venglos was
appointed just four days before the club's first competitive game and the first new signing, Vidar Riseth, didn't arrive until mid-September.
Barnes considers Bonnes to be a player of great potential. He said: "He's a young boy and one for the future.
"I don't think he'll necessarily be pushing for a first-team place straight away but I've been very impressed by the way he's performed and the way he's mixed in and he showed in Norway that he is a good player."
Meanwhile, the coach is optimistic that Stilian Petrov will be given the green light to complete his pounds 2.8m move from CSKA Sofia when the club's appeal for a work permit for the 20-year-old is heard on Wednesday.
He said: "I'm confident we'll get him and that common sense will prevail.
"He's a young lad and it would have been impossible for him to have played in 75 per cent of his country's matches in the last two years but he's a regular now.
"He has also been playing with a club who have done well in Europe so he should meet all of the Government's criteria."
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| Title Annotation: | Sport |
|---|---|
| Author: | Grahame, Ewing |
| Publication: | Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland) |
| Date: | Jul 24, 1999 |
| Words: | 440 |
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