Wednesday, January 30, 2013 - The controversy surrounding Gor Mahia’s Brazilian signing Giovanni Rodriguez has threatened to divide the club right through the middle after the club management differed with manager Zdravko Logarusic over the fate of the striker.
The Croatian tactician has been vocal in his criticism of the 25-year old who claimed to be overweight and unfit to play for the club.
This has not gone down well with the club’s top brass especially club chairman Ambrose Rachier who has accused Logarusic of overstepping his mark.
“We have his detailed records of video and resume from the Brazilian federation. The player has been keen to join us for the past two years and when he came here for trials, at his own expense, we thought we should give him a chance,” Rachier said.
“He has confessed that due to a lay-off, he is overweight, but he wants to regain his fitness. Although the coach has the final say on matters to do with fitness and talent, we need to give the player a chance to prove himself,” he added.
“I am just reading comments by the coach in the Press, which is out of order. We will sit down with the coach and other members of the technical bench to make the final decision,” he said.
“The coach is not the spokesman of the club. Matters of decorum and protocol were broken, but we understand that the coach comes from a different culture where coaches are managers and therefore assume the role of spokesmen,” he said.
On the same breath, the player’s agent jumped into the defence of his client insisting that he has valid two year contract with Gor Mahia that must be honored.
“Rodriguez is a professional player. He had a season long lay-off and was only practicing in the gymnasium which saw him add weight. With proper practice he is going to go back to his normal weight,” said Bernard Opondo who brought him to Nairobi via a Brazilian contact.
“I have seen his training with Gor and he is a fantastic dribbler and therefore I am convinced that the latest outburst by Logarusic can only be incitement from some officials in the club,” he added..
Logarusic had hitherto confirmed they have no space for the Brazilian in the team.
“After watching the player in the last one week, it is our opinion as the technical bench that he will not fit in our system.” Logarusic was quoted saying.
The Kenyan DAILY POST.