Soccer-Ze Roberto returns to Bayern Munich

MUNICH, June 22 (Reuters) - Former Brazil international Ze Roberto is returning to Bayern Munich on a two-year contract, the Bundesliga club confirmed on Friday.

The 32-year-old midfielder left Bayern last year after four seasons with the club and he returns after an outstanding year at Santos.

"We're delighted that a player as technically gifted, quick and hard-working as Ze Roberto is coming back to the club," Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in a statement announcing the move on a free transfer.

The return of Ottmar Hitzfeld as coach last earlier this year prepared the way for a return, although the club insisted that he should retire from international football before completing the move.

The player complied with that request before the start of the Copa America and after a medical in Munich on Thursday the move was completed on Friday.

"We don't believe it's good for a player who's a bit older to be flying back and forth across the Atlantic six times a year," Bayern manager Uli Hoeness told the club's website (www.fcbayern.de).

Ze Roberto helped Bayern do the domestic double three times in his first spell with the club.

His return makes him the seventh signing for the new season. Bayern have also brought in Franck Ribery, Luca Toni, Marcell Jansen, Jose Ernesto Sosa, Jan Schlaudraff and Hamit Altintop for close to 60 million euros ($80.39 million).

The club also hope to do a deal to sign Miroslav Klose from Werder Bremen before the new season. Failing that, he will join Bayern on a free transfer in 2008.

(Writing by Kevin Fylan in Berlin)