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Gomez leaves Bayern Munich for Fiorentina

German football powerhouse Bayern Munich announced on Monday that striker Mario Gomez will join Italian side Fiorentina.

Gomez leaves Bayern Munich for Fiorentina
Photo: DPA

Champions League winners Bayern said an agreement had been reached “in principle” for the 27-year-old, who found his place in the Bavarian team taken by Mario Manduzkic last season.

The two clubs had been negotiating over the transfer for some time, with Bayern saying last week the deal was dead as the Florentine club were reportedly unwilling to meet the German double winners’ €20 million asking price.

Bayern’s communications director Markus Horwick said a contract until 2017 should be signed “in the next one to two weeks.” Gomez is expected to earn around €4 million a season.

Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport claim the transfer will cost Fiorentina €15 million.

Gomez was under contract in Munich until 2016 but was known to have become frustrated at having to play second fiddle to Mandzukic last season.

He was eager to orchestrate a move abroad in order to get more first team football, especially with the World Cup only a year away.

Despite being benched for most of the campaign, he still managed 19 goals last season, including two in the German Cup final.

Known as “Super Mario” after the computer game character, Gomez joined Bayern in 2009 from Stuttgart for €35 million.

He has scored 25 goals for Germany in 58 appearances.

AFP/jcw

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RACISM

VIDEO: Spain’s La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

Spain's La Liga on Monday said it was reviewing a video of a child making racist insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

VIDEO: Spain's La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

“We’re in the process of studying and analysing the facts from a legal standpoint to see what we can and should do,” La Liga sources said.

In a video published by a journalist for ESPN Brasil, and picked up by Spanish media, a boy sitting in a woman’s lap can be heard calling Vinicius a “monkey”.

The Brazilian scored twice for Madrid as his team recovered from two goals down at Mestalla on Saturday.

Vinicius raised his fist in a “Black Power” salute after the first of his two goals at a ground where he was racially abused last season. Valencia subsequently banned three people from the stadium for life.

The 23-year-old has become a symbol of the fight against discrimination in Spanish football after suffering racist abuse on many occasions, and he was jeered repeatedly by home supporters on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was sent off after the final whistle against Valencia for protesting after the referee blew the final whistle right before the England midfielder headed home what he thought was the winning goal.

READ ALSO: Football star Vinicius highlights racist behaviour from Spanish fans

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