Emerson leaves Al Ain for Fluminese

Marcio Emerson, Al Ain's Brazilian forward, will not return to the Pro League for the remainder of his two-year contract with the club. The 31-year-old was officially unveiled by Fluminense, after signing a 30-month contract today. "I have been away from Brazil for a long time, but today I am a player of Fluminense and I will do everything for Fluminense, and want to speak only of Fluminense," Emerson was quoted in the club website. "I have been on holiday for two months and that gave me a lot of time to arrive at this decision. I think I'll be in shape to take the field in 20 days. The thought of playing in the Brazilian league has given me more motivation like many players who return home." Emerson spent a season with Flamengo in Brazil before moving to Al Ain on a free two-year transfer on September 5, 2009. He made a promising start by scoring twice in the curtain raiser Super Cup against the Pro League champions Al Ahli in a 2-2 draw before his team clinched the tie on a penalty shootout 5-3. Yet, Al Ain failed to add any other silverware under Abdulhameed al Mishtiki, the club's Emirati under 17 coach, or Toninho Cerezo, the Brazilian, who had succeeded the sacked Winfried Schaefer before himself departing. The German had led them to the cup double in the previous season. Emerson finished with nine league goals and one in the Asian Champions League against Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia. Officials of the club were not available for comment on Emerson's signing. Jorge Valdivia, the influential Chile midfielder on duty at the World Cup, has a four-year contract running up to June 2012, and Jose Sand, the Argentine striker, who signed a two-year deal until June 2011 are the two other foreign players. They have also yet to name a manager. Alcides Antunes, vice president of Fluminense, told the club website: "Emerson is very happy wearing the tricolor. Surely this is the most beautiful shirt he has used to date. Several clubs were interested in him in Rio and Fluminense won the contract. We signed for 30 months." Emerson left Sao Polo in 1999 to spend more than five years in Japan, with Consadole Sapporo, Kawasaki Frontale and Urawa Red Diamonds. He moved to Qatar, where he had two spells with Al Sadd from 2005 to 2009, and in-between a season in France with Stade Rennais in 2007. Emerson was granted Qatari citizenship while at the influential Sadd in 2008 so that they could accommodate one more foreign player in their line-up. He made his international debut for Qatar in a friendly against Bahrain and played in the World Cup qualifying match against Iraq. It was later revealed Emerson had played for the Brazil under 20 side which made him ineligible to play for Qatar and so he joined Al Ain as a Brazilian player.