Exits confirmed as Fulham deals expire

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Chris Baird, Mladen Petric and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer are among 12 players to be released by Fulham after their contracts expired.

Giorgos Karagounis, Mahamadou Diarra and Simon Davies are also leaving Craven Cottage as boss Martin Jol looks to freshen up his squad.

Keeper Csaba Somogyi and five of the development squad have also been allowed to leave.

Davies has struggled with injury.

All six of the first-team squad members to be released are over the age of 30 and three – Schwarzer, Baird and Davies – played in the 2010 Europa League final.

Australian Schwarzer, 40, departs after five seasons, during which time he made more than 200 appearances for Fulham.

Petric, 32, joined from Jol’s former club Hamburg last summer and scored five goals in 24 games, although he was largely used as a substitute, while Northern Ireland international Baird, 31, leaves after six seasons at Fulham.

Vastly experienced 36-year-old Greek international Karagounis played 28 times after signing last September but injuries restricted former Lyon and Real Madrid star Diarra, 32, to just 19 appearances in his 15 months at Craven Cottage.

Longest-serving player Davies, 33, who joined from Everton in 2007, will be best remembered for his crucial goals in the Europa League run, including the equaliser in the final against Atletico Madrid, but hasn’t played for the first team since March 2012.

Somogyi was Jol’s first signing when he joined in the summer of 2011 but failed to make a first-team appearance, and he joins Alex Smith, James Musa, Richard Peniket, Tom Donegan and Corey Gameiro out the exit door.

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