8 June 2006, by Sean Gillen

Evergreen Couto just goes on and on

Parma defender signs one-year contract extension

Veteran Portuguese defender Fernando Couto has agreed to prolong his career in football by signing a new one-year contract with Italian side Parma.

The resilient defender made 23 appearances for the Gialloblu last season, helping them to a respectable 10th place finish after narrowly avoiding relegation the year before.

After leaving Porto in 1994 for Parma, Couto has spent ten of the last twelve years playing in Italy. Two years in Spain with Barcelona were followed by seven seasons with Lazio, where Couto won the Serie A title.

The defender, capped 109 times by his country, made a popular return to the Ennio Tardini and Parma last summer, signing a one-year deal.

Couto has now extended that deal by agreeing to play his 20th season in professional football with Parma next season.