Saturday, April 18, 2009

Liverpool To Offload Charles Itandje After His Hillsborough Service Antics


Liverpool will intensify their efforts to off-load Charles Itandje this summer after the reserve goalkeeper behaved offensively during the Hillsborough memorial service at Anfield on Wednesday.

The French goalkeeper was spotted laughing and acting the fool by TV cameras at the service to mark the 20th anniversary of the deaths of 96 Liverpool supporters at Hillsborough. Members of the congregation afterwards complained about Itandje's behaviour, which was in stark contrast to the solemn occasion and that of the rest of the Liverpool squad. Rafael Benítez, the team manager, is understood to be livid with the 26-year-old having studied the complaints and the footage.

Anfield officials have described Itandje's behaviour as "wholly unacceptable" and are exploring the maximum punishment they can impose on the player with their legal advisers. He is unlikely to play for the club again.

Itandje has made seven first-team appearances since joining Liverpool on a free transfer from Lens in 2007, but has not started a senior game since the FA Cup defeat by Barnsley last season. He does, however, remain a registered member of the first-team squad and still has over two years to run on his Liverpool contract.

Attempts to sell Itandje to several clubs last summer, including Galatasaray, were thwarted by the goalkeeper's personal demands, but Benítez will renew efforts to part with Itandje at the next available opportunity.

No comments: