Petit abandons Benfica for Cologne

Portugal midfielder signs “contract of my life”

Benfica and Portugal midfielder Petit has left Benfica and signed for Bundesliga club Cologne.

The midfield terrier ends a five-year association with the Eagles, penning a deal for two seasons with an option for an additional one with the German outfit.

“I feel honoured that Cologne have invested in me and I’m excited about the atmosphere that I feel here. The club has excellent conditions and I remember the atmosphere in the stadium when I was here with Portugal at the 2006 World Cup.”

Christoph Daum, the Cologne coach was radiant at the capture of the Portuguese, saying “with Petit we can reach a new dimension.”

The transfer was something of a surprise given the preponderant role Petit has played for Benfica in recent years. He won one championship wearing the famous red shirt, to add to his title triumph with Boavista earlier in his career.

Benfica’s football director Rui Costa did not want to let the 31-year-old go, but the fact Petit admitted he was able to sign “the contract of my life” in financial terms meant Costa was powerless to prevent the deal from going through.

Moreover, the arrival of Hassan Yebda, who joins Cameroonian international Binya at the Estadio da Luz, saw Benfica with a surplus of defensive midfielders.

The Lisbon club did not receive a transfer fee from Cologne, but will save around two million euros in wages as Petit was one of the club’s highest earners.


Related: Petit PortuGOAL profile