Romario will join Persepolis, says official

MNA – TEHRAN, Brazilian star Romario will sign a contract with popular Iranian team Persepolis, a club official announced on condition of anonymity here Sunday.

According to him, the 40-year-old South American and a Peruvian defender are scheduled to come here in a couple of days.

The club has recently hired the Dutch trainer Arie Haan to fill veteran manager Ali Parvin’s shoes.

Persepolis has had a lackluster performance in 22 weeks of the 16-strong Iran Pro League.

Brazil's top scorer in 2005 with 22 goals in 31 games, Romario has insisted that it is his hunger to close in on the legendary Pele, who scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 matches, that drives him forward.

"My ambition is no longer to be the best on the pitch or to put on a show but just to continue to put the ball in the back of the net," said the former PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona player.

Vasco da Gama striker was world champion in 1994, South American champion in 1989 and 1997, league winner in the Netherlands in 1989, 1991, 1992, and Spain 1994.

Romario missed the 1998 World Cup because of injury, and was left out of the squad in 2002.