Former fan favourite Juninho Paulista has hailed the new friendship between Ituano and English Championship side Middlesbrough.
Juninho travelled to Teesside to link up with his old club and formed a partnership between the two clubs which saw two players move on loan to England.
“Since we started the work to recover and modernise Ituano, I thought about getting both clubs closer," Juninho told Terra.
“When I played a commemorative game [at Middlesbrough], they showed interest in having a partnership deal with Ituano.
“I wanted to improve Ituano"s structure first, sort out the youth setup and establish a more solid situation so that I could get this project moving forward.
“Now, after [football director] Thiago Cruz went to England, the partnership has been agreed and two players went to Middlesbrough on trial."
Juninho is insistent he wants the deal to be long-term: “It"s only the beginning of this partnership, I"m very confident.
“There is a big respect from Middlesbrough and they think the same way I run Ituano. I think it will be beneficial for both sides."
Source: Football 365
