Filed under: Blackburn Rovers, Premier League, Football, Scotland
He is a deeply unpopular African with a long list of crimes and a decidedly uncertain future. And now it turns out El-Hadji Diouf is also a friend of Colonel Gaddafi.The Senegal striker, on loan at Rangers from Blackburn Rovers, has told an African magazine that he regards Libyan leader Gaddafi, who is currently embroiled in a civil war, and his son as friends.
Has there ever been a player so keen to court controversy? Or seemingly to know no shame?
But then El Hadji Diouf does not care whom he upsets, and Rangers will have known that when they agreed to borrow him, but at least the forward didn't declare that he hopes his pal crushed the rebels and danced on their graves.
"Gaddafi is a man who I have always admired," he declared. "I am telling the truth. I know him, and I know his son Saif as well. They are my friends. I do not honestly know what is really happening in Libya at the moment, but it must be very hard for Gaddafi and his family.
"I cannot remain far away from what is happening in Libya. I do not know who is in the right and who is wrong, but it is a shame to see so many victims. By the will of Allah, victory will go to the side that is in the right."
The Gaddafi regime, you may recall, has been reviled in Scotland ever since the Lockerbie bombing of 1988 implicated Libya and these controversial comments are merely the latest in a long list of headline grabbing moments in the 30-year-old's career, which have also included spitting at Celtic fans, spitting at opponents, drink-driving charges and, earlier this season, taunting an opponent who had just had his leg broken.
The latter, when Queens Park Rangers' Jamie Mackie suffered a season-ending injury in an FA Cup tie, cost him his place in the Blackburn side and set up the Ibrox move.
Steve Kean, the Rovers manager, explained it was because he wanted to give 20-year-old Junior Hoillett a run in the team and it remains to be seen whether Diouf will want to return to Ewood Park, where he has another year of his contract still to run.
It also remains to be seen whether Rangers manager in waiting Ally McCoist will want him next season either, particularly as Diouf also declared that Madjid Bougherra, the defender, needs to quit Rangers and move to the Premier League to further his career.
Of course, it is not impossible that Kean will no longer be in charge of Rovers in a few weeks' time and the new manager might appreciate Diouf and his talents. But perhaps he shouldn't bet on it...
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Ernie Els Fabio Cannavaro Fabio Quagliarella Feliciano Lopez Fernando Torres
No comments:
Post a Comment