MADRID (AP) – Girona coach Michel criticized Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković on Thursday for not prioritizing the club and said he has no intention of playing for the team again.
Michel said the reserve goalkeeper had refused to play in recent matches and was considering leaving the club. He said the goalkeeper was only worried about the World Cup.
“Libaković is a great person, but he has a timeline with different goals than Girona,” Michel said. “He needs to play for the World Cup, not for Girona. He told me that himself. He is a sincere person. He told me that he doesn’t want to be here, he wants to play for another team, because if he plays for Girona he won’t be able to play for another team.”
Mitchell said Libaković, 30, who is on loan from Fenerbahce, was told he did not want to play because he wanted to maintain his eligibility to play for other clubs. A player can only play for two teams in a season, but Libaković had already played for Fenerbahce.
Mitchell told Livakovic earlier this month that he wanted him to play in a Copa del Rey match, but Livakovic refused, and regular starter Paulo Gazzaniga was forced to play with the flu and a high fever.
“Right now, we only have one goalie available,” Michel said. “There is no doubt about Gazzaniga’s commitment. Until the winter transfer window, we know we have problems. And instead of defending my position, I will defend the goalkeeper who has been here for three years, Gazzaniga.”
Michelle said she decided to go public with what was supposed to be a private matter because “her fans needed to know.”
Gazzaniga had a rocky season, including some embarrassing mistakes. It happened in the team’s opening game in the Spanish league, and again on Sunday when a mistake by Argentina’s goalkeeper led to two goals for Elche. The first time, he passed the ball straight to an opponent in the area in an attempt to send it to a defender, before failing to make a routine save with an angled shot that hit the near post.
Girona are 18th in the league standings and in the relegation zone.
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