Olisadebe blasts Blues

Last updated : 24 July 2002 By Brian Cartlidge
Emmanuel Olisadebe
The Polish international striker passed a medical last week to move from Greek club Panathinaikos but Blues have not followed up their strong interest in the Nigerian-born forward.

"Birmingham came to an agreement with Panathinaikos and I came through the medical checks and AGREED a four-year contract," said Olisadebe.

"But, despite this, signing it was delayed and delayed. I could not bear being treated in this way. It was unprofessional and degrading.

"This is not the way that other players are treated. I didn't expect a leading club to behave this way when I agreed to come over to England and that I should spend most of my time waiting in a hotel room.

"Now I am going to rejoin Panathinaikos, concentrate on preparing myself for the new season and forget about Birmingham."

It could well be then, that Blues flew Olisadebe over from Greece for contract negotiations and put him through a medical purely to put pressure on the chairman of Crystal Palace in order to pull off the transfer of number one target Clinton Morrison.

Reports have suggested that the Pole was looking for wages in excess of £30,000-a-week but, I tend to agree with Olisadebe that he has been treated pretty shabbily, whether his wage demands were too high or not.