Lucio to play on beyond 40

Rio de Janeiro, April 17: Veteran defender Lucio, a member of 2002 FIFA World Cup-winning Brazil squad, has signed a contract with Serie D football club Brasiliense that will see him play on beyond his 40th birthday.

The central defender has agreed to represent the Brasilia-based club until the end of 2018 after completing a three-month spell with Brasiliense’s local rivals Gama, Globo Esporte reported on Monday. After more than a year away from the game, the former Brazil captain signed with Gama in January and represented the club 10 times, scoring one goal, reports Xinhua news agency.

The retirement of former AC Milan and Real Madrid playmaker Kaka last year means that Lucio, who turns 40 on May 8, is the only member of Brazil’s 2002 World Cup-winning team who is still playing. Lucio was capped 105 times for Brazil and his club career has included spells at Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Juventus. IANS