Dario Rodriguez released
04.01.2008
He was a rock for five-and-half years. But now Dario Rodriguez and FC Schalke 04 are going separate ways. The 33-year-old has asked to be released from his contract with immediate effect.
"For personal reasons", said general manager Andreas Müller. The player's father died last year, his mother still lives in Montevideo. And when Rodriguez asked to be allowed to return to Uruguay, Müller gave it plenty of thought. "We didn't really want to let him go. But when a player is with his thoughts back home, there's no point trying to keep him."
The managing board therefore decided to cancel the Uruguayan's contract, which was due to expire this summer, with immediate effect. Schalke's legendary number 16 will return to Germany one more time, however. The defender is due back in Gelsenkirchen after training camp to bid farewell to the players and fans.
He will get the opportunity to do so on 25 January, when the Royal Blues take on FC Basel in their final warm-up game before the 3rd round DFB Cup clash at VfL Wolfsburg (Jan 30) and the season restart.
"Dario will be given the send-off he deserves", stressed Müller, who has come to appreciate the Uruguayan's qualities as a great sportsman. "He's very popular with the players and the crowd and he'll be great loss, both in personal and in sporting terms." Rodriguez made 106 Bundesliga appearances (6 goals) for the Royal Blues.
