Newcastle target striker Modibo Maiga punished by current club
Posted on August 17th, 2011 | 6 Comments |
As I mentioned yesterday, Sochaux were looking to punish Modibo Maiga for refusing to play against Caen last weekend in an attempt to force a move to Newcastle.
Well they have punished him by leaving him out of the squad for the Europa League match against Metalist Kharkiv tomorrow night.
Sochaux’s assistant coach Stéphane Gilli said:
“The staff made the decision not to bring him to the Ukraine. We need him, but there are things you can not let pass. There are other players who will be there. And FC Sochaux will prevail – the club is more than just Bazdarevic, Maiga or Boudebouz.”
Isn’t that a bit like punishing an on-strike member of BA’s cabin crew by giving them a day off? Although I suppose any player worth their salt would want to be playing in European competition, even if it is only the Europa League.
Gilli continues:
“Since I arrived here, I’ve got to know the club, which is surrounded by factories. There are people from those factories who would pay to play instead of the players.”
There is however no news – well, none that I can find – about whether he’s any closer to signing for us, although Sochaux coach Mecha Bazdarevic is keen to try and find some solution that keeps Maiga at the club. In an interview yesterday he said:
“I met him [Maiga] Monday and I said I understood, I know that a player can not be quiet when other clubs are after him. He has the right to expect … but also duties in relation to the club. He has the duty to work for others and for the club. Sochaux has a history, a tradition, the club is above us all. Modi knows he made a mistake, but I have decided to punish him by sending him to train with the reserve team. He remained there until Friday, will not go with us in Ukraine, and then we will take stock. I hope that by Friday, it will be ready to rejoin the group.”
There hasn’t yet been any response from Maiga about any of this but I’m getting the impression that the prospect of him coming to Newcastle is fading.
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NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen
I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10).
Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.
I can see this becoming another one of those farces that rumbles on until deadline day then comes to nothing, where Pardew trots out with that annoying cockney grin to say “well we tried, the supporters have no right to complain”….
also saw this on the beeb;
Newcastle have been told it will cost around £2m to take defender Wayne Bridge on loan from Manchester City.
Full story: The Sun
have the crazy Arabs been putting the strong stuff in their pipes? £2m to BUY him I could understand, but just to borrow him – get to f**k