NAYBET ASKS DEPORTIVO TO LET HIM GO

6th May 2004 -- Moroccan defender Nourredine Naybet (34-years old) has
been at the club since 1996 and was present during the most successful
period in the history of Deportivo. Under coach Irureta he has won 1
Liga, 1 Copa del Rey, 2 Supercopas and he saw his team finishing twice
among the final eighth in Europe and this season being eliminated in
the Semi-Finals. Despite this, Naybet has asked Deportivo to let him
to Qatar to earn some big money in his final days of his career.

Nourredine Naybet still has a contract until 2005 at the club but
feels that his period at the club is over. On Tuesday he was sent off
because of receiving two yellow cards and when asked about the Champions
League of next season he commented that “maybe I’ll play again in this
competition”. This remark raised some eyebrows among the supporters of
the club, as Deportivo will at least pre pre-round matches in August.

On Wednesday the defender said to Radio France that his wish is to play
in the Middle-East next season. “My intention for next season is to go
to the Middle-East and to start a new adventure there. My wish is to
play for two years in Qatar, although Deportivo will have to decide
about my future because I still have one more year of contract to go. But
I want to finish my career there, to play two more years of football and
after it to retire”. Naybet added that “I have won many things at
Deportivo and I am happy at the club. But I have realized that I cannot
continue at this level anymore”.

The reaction of Deportivo is unknown yet, but it could well be that the
club will decide to let him go. His eighth years of service at the club
have been more than excellent, especially if we concern that his
transfersum in 1996 only was about €1,6 million. He was signed by then
coach John Benjamin Toshack and was the leader of the defence at Deportivo
until now. Naybet scored the first goal ever of Deportivo in the Champions
League, by hitting the equalizer against AEK Athens in 2000.