Chronicle Editor
MILAN: Italy’s interior minister Matteo Salvini yesterday branded Argentina international Gonzalo Higuain a “mercenary” for leaving AC Milan for Premier League club Chelsea.
“I’m glad that Higuain has gone and I hope we’ll never see him again in Milan because he really behaved in an unworthy manner,” Salvini, a staunch AC Milan supporter, told Italian radio.
“I don’t like mercenaries in politics or football,” continued Salvini, who is also Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister.
Higuain was loaned early in the season to AC Milan from Juventus following Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival in Turin.
But the 31-year-old failed to settle in at his new club and scored just six goals in 15 league games.
Last week, he joined his former Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri in Chelsea, still on loan, with Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek arriving in Milan in his place on a four-year deal.
“I like (Krzysztof) Piatek very much, plus he has an EU passport!” said Salvini.
Salvini had already taken Higuain to task after a red card received by the Argentine against Juventus in November.
“It is shameful, unworthy behaviour, I hope it will be heavily penalised,” said the leader of the right-wing anti-immigration Lega Nord party, who has also in the past criticised coach Gennaro Gattuso’s tactics.
Meanwhile, Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud has admitted his future at the London club is uncertain following the loan signing of Gonzalo Higuain from Juventus.
In an interview held with Canal Plus last week and published over the weekend, Giroud was asked for his thoughts on the impending arrival of Higuain.
The Frenchman admitted to feeling “a little part of regret and frustration” in regard to his stint with Chelsea and highlighted the challenge of playing alongside Eden Hazard in attack.
“I will never make people unanimously satisfied with me,” Giroud said. “There is a little part of regret and frustration.
“The public expects a goalscorer to score goals. I’m the fourth best goalscorer of French football and nobody can take that away from me.
“The coach makes [Eden] Hazard play nine which is detrimental to strikers. But he is the best player I’ve ever played with.
“If the club decides to get another striker, like Higuain, it will certainly darken my future at Chelsea.”
While the 32-year-old would like to stay in the Premier League, he has admitted he would be interested in joining either Lyon or Marseille if he was to return to France.
He added: “I have never said no to a return to France. Lyon and Marseille are two great clubs. My priority is to stay in the Premier League though.”
Giroud joined Chelsea on an 18-month deal from Arsenal in January 2018 and has gone on to make 45 appearances in all competitions, scoring 10 goals in the process.
Fixtures
Today:
-Fulham v Brighton & Hove Albion (Craven Cottage 21:45)
-Arsenal v Cardiff City (Emirates Stadium 21:45)
-Wolverhampton Wanderers v West Ham United (Molineux Stadium 21:45)
-Huddersfield Town v Everton (The John Smith’s Stadium 21:45)
-Manchester United v Burnley (Old Trafford 22:00)
-Newcastle United v Manchester City (St. James’ Park 22:00).
Tomorrow:
-Southampton v Crystal Palace (St. Mary’s Stadium 21:45)
-AFC Bournemouth v Chelsea (Vitality Stadium 21:45)
-Liverpool v Leicester City (Anfield 22:00)
-Tottenham Hotspur v Watford (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 22:00).
Table
P W Pts
1 Liverpool 23 19 60
2 Manchester City 23 18 56
3 Tottenham Hotspur 23 17 51
4 Chelsea 23 14 47
5 Arsenal 23 13 44
6 Manchester United 23 13 44
7 Watford 23 9 33
8 Wolverhampton Wanderers 23 9 32
9 Leicester City 23 9 31
10 West Ham United 23 9 31
11 Everton 23 8 30
12 AFC Bournemouth 23 9 30
13 Brighton & Hove Albion 23 7 26
14 Crystal Palace 23 6 22
15 Southampton 23 5 22
16 Burnley 23 6 22
17 Newcastle United 23 5 21
18 Cardiff City 23 5 19
19 Fulham 23 3 14
20 Huddersfield Town 23 2 11
— AFP.
derick.khumalo