http://www.deportivo-la-coruna.com/news.phpTHE LATEST ON COLOCCINI
29 Jul 2008 -- The agent of Colocini, Marcelo Lombilla, talked with reporters before travelling back to Argentina. Once again he blamed Lendoiro for the failure in the operation with Newcastle United. Lombilla assured that Depor?s president is asking for two more million and to change the number of payments to be made by ?the Toons?.
Marcelo Lombilla flied back on Monday?s evening to Argentina after failing to convince Lendoiro about Newcastle United?s proposal for defender Fabricio Coloccini. He confirmed the amount of the operation was reaching the ?12 million ?We must think this part of the negotiation is over, Lendoiro has to understand there?s nothing else. If there were more options, I would be staying. Just to clarify the things, this possibility with Newcastle appeared three months ago when the most important offer was for eight million euro. They even presented a better offer, one for eleven million plus one additional million for objectives. Therefore we are talking about an offer for twelve million euro. Evidently he (Lendoiro) believes there?s more, but there isn?t!?
Lombilla also revealed that Lendoiro is asking for two more million in order to accept Coloccini?s exit ?Newcastle's offer began in eight million and I refused to bring it, I felt it was something impractical, a waste of time. We were two and a half months working on this until they reached eleven million euro, on yesterday?s morning (Sunday) they released almost one more million for objectives and they also changed the method of payment from the usual four fractions, something Lendoiro always do with his transfers. They ended with that proposal, an offer that was something to break the situation and when I spoke with Augusto, he asked me for two more million and another method of payment? he still pulling the string and is no longer possible, I leave for that reason.?
Coloccini?s agent also denied any contact from Tottenham Hotspurs ?The player is wanted in several places, but the English league is what seduces him the most, in both senses, economic and sporting as well. It was proposed to Fabricio a five-year contract with a salary that?s doubling his current wages. There wasn?t any other offer that was not coming from Newcastle. Well, there were others, but always impossible to accept or even to be presented to the president, because I thought it was a lack of respect. I read something that came out of Tottenham. I know personally Juande Ramos, I have a good relationship with him and there was great interest, but no offers. The only one exceeding the ten million, which I knew that could satisfy the president, was the one of Newcastle. And it was also interesting for the player, because there are other markets that aren?t interesting for Fabricio.?
Finally, Lombilla assured that Coloccini is not refusing to travel to Venezuela, his absence for the South American tour is due the physical condition of the defender "If he hasn?t travelled is surely because he isn?t physically fit and still has to make that part of the season the rest of players have already done. This is not some kind of pressure, no one here does that, the only measure of strength that I should do, and I'm still thinking of it, is using an article of FIFA when you have a certain age and a few years of contract (such as Matuzalem in Zaragoza) But this is something that I don?t want to try in La Coruña, that?s clear. Another thing that should be cleared is that the absence of the player from the tour is not a decision of Coloccini, it was something agreed between him and the club, to not been forced to solve this situation with Coloccini in Venezuela. They may want to take a few days to continue evaluating the offer and to realise there?s nothing more than that, nothing is hided, is only there?s nothing more. "
During Monday?s night, president Lendoiro confirmed to Radio Galega that no advance has been made about the case. Meanwhile, rumours about possible replacements started to appear in the media on the same Monday. Galician sportpaper Deporte Campeón (DxT) published a list of ten names that Depor is studying in order to replace the possible departure of the Argentinean defender. Between the names mentioned are the ones of: Jonathan Botinelli (San Lorenzo, 23), Jonathan Maidana (Boca Juniors, 22), Bruno Alvés (Porto, 26), Rubén Pulido (Almeria, 29) and even Roberto Fabian Ayala (Zaragoza, 32).
