Fortuna Dusseldorf releases Cha Du-ri

Korean defender Cha Du-ri has been released from Fortuna Dusseldorf, the Bundesliga club said yesterday.

Cha’s contract with Dusseldorf was set to expire in June 2014. The club said on its Web site that the deal has been terminated under a mutual agreement. No specific reason has been given.

The three-time World Cup contender has been staying in Korea for the past several weeks, reportedly attending to family affairs and searching for a team in the K-League Classic.

Cha, 32, was reported to have been in talks with the Suwon Bluewings about a transfer, but the negotiations are believed to be basically over due to disagreements over price.

The German-born player had a two-year deal with Dusseldorf in June last year after ending a stint with Celtic FC in Scotland between 2010 and 2012, but his playing time has been limited with the German club. This season, he appeared in 11 games for Dusseldorf, 10 of them as a substitute.

By Moon Gwang-lip