Colombian soccer's Hernandez in transfer dispute

BOGOTA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Giovanni Hernandez, a star winger with Colombia's national soccer team, on Wednesday began training with Junior, a team from Caribbean coast team Barranquilla, after a new Chilean law dissolved his contract with a leading team there.

Junior's director, Hernan Yunis, told Xinhua that Junior is now negotiating with Colo Colo where Hernandez was a key player in 2007's local league triumph.

Hernandez had been transferred there for a year, with an option to extend his contract for three years. But Chile passed a law that dissolves sporting contracts that are extended by option clauses on pre-option contract date.

"We have reached a verbal agreement with the player's agents on a figure that Colo Colo must deliver for a definitive transfer to be concreted," Yunis said.

Prior to this agreement, Colo Colo, known in Chile as El Cacique (the Indian Chief), had threatened to take Junior to the courts.

"We have fixed a position with the agents and the player that we will not negotiate if there is any court case in the way," Yunis said.