Sports / Soccer |
Riquelme future at Villarreal depends on him toeing line(Reuters)Updated: 2007-01-23 17:29 MADRID, Jan 22 - Argentine playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme's future at Villarreal depends on him toeing the line, club president Fernando Roig has said. "The club have set out some clear parameters which he knows because I have explained them to him. There is nothing more to say," Roig told television station Canal 9. The 28-year-old has been left out of coach Manuel Pellegrini's last five squads, with newspaper reports saying the club are unhappy with the level of commitment from a player afforded many privileges. This has prompted speculation that he could be on his way out of the club. Roig said they had received offers for Riquelme from other European sides and Qatar but they were not interested in off-loading their highest-profile player yet. "Roman has told us he wants to stay here. If he wants to it is up to him. There is no problem between him and the coach -- it is the club with whom he has had problems," Roig added. Riquelme is one of the Primera Liga's most talented players and helped lead modest Villarreal to the Champions League semi-finals last season. He was their top scorer with 12 goals in the league. In September he retired from international football with 37 caps, citing personal reasons after criticism of his performances in the World Cup finals in Germany. But his club form has dipped this season, he has one league goal to his name, and the team have suffered as a result. They are out of Europe and the King's Cup and are 11th in the Primera Liga.
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