New lease of life for Leandro

Yee Hope's new signing, dynamic Brazilian striker Simioni Leandro, believes his move after a bitter split with Sai Kung will result in a period of even greater success for him. Last season's First Division top scorer fulfilled his one-year contract with Sai Kung but was unhappy that the financially crippled club had not paid him his salary for the last month.

'I think there is some management problems within Sai Kung. Now, I prefer to concentrate on the next season,' said Leandro, who is considering further steps to claim his money. 'I've got a better salary here but money is not everything. The most important thing is that I enjoy playing with this team. I'm glad [Yee Hope manager] Joe Chan Leung is doing everything to make the players happy.'

The Brazilian, well-known for celebrating his goals with acrobatic somersaults, is upbeat that the free transfer to Yee Hope will result in the team winning some silverware. It is the first time in Hong Kong that he is with a club who can mount a realistic challenge for the league title, after having played for Golden two years ago and Sai Kung last year. Yee Hope finished fourth behind South China, Happy Valley and Sun Hei last season.

'We've a stronger team here. We have a good chance to finish in the top four but my target is to help the team to qualify for the end-of-season championship playoff,' said Leandro, who netted 19 goals last season.