Football: Juninho cleared to return to Boro
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.JUNINHO'S PROPOSED return to Middlesbrough moved a step closer to becoming reality after the Department of Education and Employment yesterday recommended he be awarded a work permit.
The diminutive Brazilian was a great success on Teesside during his previous stint with the club between 1995-97, despite their eventual relegation from the Premiership. He is currently out of favour at Atletico Madrid and is eager to return on loan to the Riverside until the end of the season.
Boro went to appeal on Friday after the player's application for a work permit was turned down because of his lack of internationals in the last two years left him below the 75 per cent of games he required under the application criteria.
But the fact that he performed so well during his first spell with the club, and was named the Premiership Player of the Year in 1997 were major threads in their arguments at the appeal.
However, a Boro spokesman said that despite the recommendation, the deal was not yet cut and dried, with the player still to complete his medical.
The Leicester manager, Martin O'Neill, has said he will make an announcement tomorrow regarding his future at Filbert Street in the wake of the boardroom chaos which has divided the club's directors into two factions this week. "Let me put it this way - I really want to stay at this football club," was his comment yesterday.
The divisions came to a head once again this week when the chief executive Barry Pierpoint issued a statement on the Stock Exchange claiming that the club chairman, John Elsom, and the plc chief executive, Sir Rodney Walker, had resigned. Elsom and Walker have denied the allegation.
The row stems from the so-called "Gang of Four", led by Pierpoint, which is trying to wrest control of the club from Elsom and Walker.
The timing of the latest row clearly angered O'Neill, who agreed to stay at Filbert Street last year with the warning: "There must be no more interference in football matters."
O'Neill is known to have had disagreements in the past with Pierpoint and the directors Roy Parker, Gilbert Kinch and Phil Smith over their alleged interference in team affairs and it appears unlikely he would stay at Filbert Street if they managed to seize power.
O'Neill said: "I find the current events astonishing. At 2.15 on Tuesday afternoon, four members of the board decided to put out a statement saying that John Elsom and Sir Rodney Walker had resigned.
"The club's stockbrokers, because this was not right, then decided to resign and now we have no one looking after the club's shares.
"The chief executive [Pierpoint] issued a statement on Monday saying he wanted the players to concentrate on the game at Crystal Palace. Then on the day of the match a statement is issued by the four members of the board so that all I am getting from the players is, `what's going on?' It is just horrendous."
Uefa Cup previews, page 26
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments