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Exit striker Nonda, enter young Mexican Giovani Dos Santos
The number of foreign players on the Galatasaray squad dropped to seven with the departure of the 32-year-old Nonda. This has therefore paved the way for young Mexican striker Giovani Dos Santos Ramirez to join Galatasaray on loan from English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur for the rest of the season.
The much-traveled Nonda, who joined Galatasaray in August 2007 on a two-year deal, which was extended this season to June 2010, began his professional career in Switzerland with FC Zurich in 1996. He signed with French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais in 1998 and moved to AS Monaco in 2000.
His performance, including that in the 2004 UEFA Champions League final, earned him a move to Italian Serie A powerhouse giant Roma on a three-year deal in 2005. However, Nonda failed to live up to expectations, perhaps due to a knee injury he sustained while at Monaco, and spent the 2006–07 season on loan at English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers.
While at Blackburn, Nonda opted for a permanent deal, but Blackburn rejected it and he signed a two-year deal with Galatasaray in August 2007.
Even though he was born in Burundi, Nonda is a citizen of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and won a total of 49 caps for this country. He exiled himself from international soccer in 2005, but made a comeback two years later. He hit a hat-trick against the Republic of Djibouti in the World Cup qualifier in 2008.
Nonda scored 23 goals in 60 appearances for Galatasaray, but age and gravity really began to pull the striker down in 2008-09. His performance deteriorated this season, so he had to make way for fresh blood.
Professional soccer is a truly thankless job. Who said it wasn’t?
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