Mutu future at Fiorentina looks bleak
Reuters - Wednesday 05 January 2011, 19:28
MILAN - Adrian Mutu's future at Fiorentina
looks bleak after the striker deserted training on Wednesday and
the Serie A strugglers threatened legal action against him.
The Romanian, who returned from a nine-month drugs ban in
October when he was also involved in a fracas with a barman,
looks to have pushed Fiorentina's patience too far and has been
dropped from the squad to play Bologna on Thursday.
"Adrian Mutu today abandoned training without giving any
justification," a club statement said.
"Such insubordination and lack of respect for the shirt and
the team, the latest in a sequence of similar acts by Mutu, has
forced Fiorentina to consider legal action."
Mutu, still battling a 17 million euro fine
levied after being sacked by Chelsea in 2004 for testing
positive for cocaine, now looks certain to be sold in the
January transfer window.
Sampdoria took legal action against striker Antonio Cassano
after he swore at the club president in October and after a
three-month suspension, the Italy forward was sold to Serie A
leaders AC Milan.
Mutu's possible departure would make it highly unlikely
Fiorentina, a disappointing 15th in Serie A under coach Sinisa
Mihajlovic, would allow their other main striker Alberto
Gilardino to leave amid reports of interest from Juventus.