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Bologna Coach Franco Colomba is delighted the club decided to sign former Juventus and Parma midfielder Stephen Appiah. The 28-year-old has been without a club since June last year when his contract ended with Fenerbah�e. He underwent trials with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and even Russian champions Rubin Kazan, but failed to secure a new deal. Ghana captain Appiah still managed to keep his international career alive throughout these difficult periods with his club future. He has suffered a number of serious knee injuries and concerns about his fitness have put other teams off signing him. Another factor counting against Appiah is the likelihood he will play in the African Nations Cup in January. However, Colomba appears unconcerned and is just happy to have a player of Appiah's quality at his disposal. "It's an idea that started a long time ago. It was initially considered because of the injury to Mutarelli," Colomba told Il Corriere dello Sport. "Appiah is a central midfielder with similar characteristics," he concluded.