Portuguese Alves eyeing Tractor exit
Portuguese midfielder Ricardo Alves has informed Tractor SC of his intention to terminate his contract with the Persian Gulf Pro League champion.
The Iranian club, however, said in a statement that it would firmly reject Alves’s request and the Portuguese would have to report for the first training session of the preseason in Tabriz today.
Alves, whose contract runs until July 2026, has made the decision amid concerns over further conflict between Iran and Israel.
Israel launched an aerial aggression on Iranian territory in the early hours of June 13, which led to a 12-day war, before a ceasefire went into effect between the two countries.
Should Alves’s departure go twhrough, it will be a major blow for Tractor and Croatian head coach Dragan Skocic ahead of their domestic league title defense and participation at the AFC Champions League Elite.
Having joined the northwest Iranian club in 2022, the central midfielder has scored eight goals, while providing his teammates with a remarkable 31 assists, in 95 appearances in all competitions for Tractor.
Deeply adored by Tractor fans, Alves finished atop the league’s assists chart in back-to-back seasons before playing a pivotal role in helping the club lift its maiden top-flight trophy in May.