Rafinha leaves Schalke for Genoa

Brazilian defender Rafinha has completed his move from German side Schalke 04 to Genoa, the Italian first division club announced on Wednesday.

Details of the transfer have not been announced but media reports put the fee at between eight and 12 million euros.

The 24-year-old, who had a year left on his contract, joined Schalke in 2005. Last season he played 30 times as Schalke finished as runners-up to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

He has won one full cap for Brazil but in 2008 he was fined 700,000 euros by Schalke for breach of contract after he went to Beijing to play for Brazil at the Olympic Games where they won bronze.

It marks the second arrival in two days for Genoa who signed defensive midfielder Miguel Veloso from Sporting Lisbon for nine million euros on Tuesday.