Dutch Football - Eredivisie - Romero proud of new contract with AZ

"The intellectualisation
of football has
always foundered
on a simple problem-
-the players. Doing
all your most
rewarding thinking
with your feet seems
to dull the philo-
sophical impulse.
Unless, of course,
you are Dutch.
According to legend,
Europeans played
a moronic, muscular
version of the world's
game, until Holland
proclaimed its vision
of total football in the
1974 World Cup,
and enlightenment
dawned."

From:
Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football

Romero proud of new contract with AZ

Friday 05 December 2008

AZ goal keeper Sergio Romero (21) believes he will win prizes with AZ in the coming seasons and in doing so maintain his status as national keeper of Argentina.

For that reason Romero decided to extend his contract with the Alkmaarders until 2013.

Romero's current contract would expire in 2012.

The technical staff of the club and Director Marcel Brands are impressed with Romero's development.

AZ's expectations of the towering shot stopper are high and the club is proud they have managed to keep the Argentinean at the club.

"Nowadays I don't have to explain where I am playing when I am with the Argentinean national team," Romero says.

"All the boys play for big clubs in Europe. I play for AZ, but now that we are top of the table they are impressed. When we played Scotland recently Zanetti (128 caps and playing for Inter Milan) said to me: 'How can you draw against Vitesse?' It's then that you notice that everyone is trying to keep track of each other. There is a lot of respect and Maradonna wants to keep it that way."

Romero knows he is only at the start of a long career.

AZ suit his ambitions for that matter: a club who are after their first league title since 1981 with young players and attractive football.

"Normally Ajax and PSV are the most important clubs here. We are not yet talking of the title, but we are fighting from game to game."

Technical Director Marcel Brands feels Romero has adapted to the Dutch style of football at record pace.

"In the 1½ years he has been here he has developed magnificently. Sergio has adapted to Holland very quickly. And when it became clear that he was to be our first goal keeper at the start of the season, we wanted to make an appreciative gesture towards him. Sergio is very talented and will become a great goal keeper."

When AZ face Heracles Almelo on Saturday Romero can set a new club record.

AZ have kept a clean sheet for five consecutive home games and when they again manage a shutout on Saturday they will break the old record of five.

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