Blackburn Rovers striker and former Senegal international El Hadji Diouf has hit back at Senegalese-born International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Lamine Diack, who last week opposed to a possible return of the versatile winger-forward to the national team.
In an interview with Senegalese Press Agency (APS) on Sunday, Diouf was unequivocal in his criticism.
“I don’t want to argue with someone who is aspiring to be president of the Republic of Senegal without having worked hard for it,” Diouf said, in reference to Diack’s rumoured bid to run for the president of Senegal.
Diack, in an interview last week with RFM - a local radio in Senegal – had said “if Senegal national team is still in need of El Hadji Diouf, then they don’t have any football at all.”
Diouf retired from the team in April 2009, but has evinced willingness lately to rejoin the Lions of Teranga set up, and some local sports personalities as well as fans have aired their desire to see the Bad Boy – as he is widely referred to in Dakar – don anew the colours of the Lions.
“I am a footballer whose only arena of expression is the field. I wouldn’t enter into any fuss with a presidential candidate who abandons a nation he aspires to govern when things are rough,” Diouf said.
An official from the Senegal Football Federation, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, regretted the comments of Diouf to an international sports personality respected across the West African nation.
“El Hadji Diouf has made very unpleasant, offensive and disproportionate remarks to President Lamine Diack,” the official said. “In my opinion, Diack didn’t say anything bad about Diouf. He spoke on a debate stirred by everyone. He just said his thoughts as others did during the radio programme.”
However, Diouf concluded by assuring local fans that he would, in two weeks' time, pronounce on his future with the national team.
In an interview with Senegalese Press Agency (APS) on Sunday, Diouf was unequivocal in his criticism.
“I don’t want to argue with someone who is aspiring to be president of the Republic of Senegal without having worked hard for it,” Diouf said, in reference to Diack’s rumoured bid to run for the president of Senegal.
Diack, in an interview last week with RFM - a local radio in Senegal – had said “if Senegal national team is still in need of El Hadji Diouf, then they don’t have any football at all.”
Diouf retired from the team in April 2009, but has evinced willingness lately to rejoin the Lions of Teranga set up, and some local sports personalities as well as fans have aired their desire to see the Bad Boy – as he is widely referred to in Dakar – don anew the colours of the Lions.
“I am a footballer whose only arena of expression is the field. I wouldn’t enter into any fuss with a presidential candidate who abandons a nation he aspires to govern when things are rough,” Diouf said.
An official from the Senegal Football Federation, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, regretted the comments of Diouf to an international sports personality respected across the West African nation.
“El Hadji Diouf has made very unpleasant, offensive and disproportionate remarks to President Lamine Diack,” the official said. “In my opinion, Diack didn’t say anything bad about Diouf. He spoke on a debate stirred by everyone. He just said his thoughts as others did during the radio programme.”
However, Diouf concluded by assuring local fans that he would, in two weeks' time, pronounce on his future with the national team.
Blackburn’s El Hadji Diouf Fires Back At IAAF President Lamine Diack
![Blackburn’s El Hadji Diouf Fires Back At IAAF President Lamine Diack]()
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