Sissoko: Lack of respect not mine

Juventus midfielder Mohamed Sissoko has fired a broadside at the Turin club after they accused him of a lack of respect.

The Malian international has fallen out of favour with Juventus boss Gigi Del Neri this season, and has started in just two of the club’s Serie A games.

Juve sporting director Beppe Marotta said on Monday he was unsure what Sissoko’s problem was, and that he needed to ‘show the club and the fans more respect’.

But the 25-year-old hit back on Tuesday, telling Football 365 he had serious concerns about the way Del Neri treats his players.

“I have never shown a lack of respect to anyone, above all towards the fans who have always supported and encouraged me even when I was playing badly,” he said.

“As for Juve, the directors have wanted to sell me since the beginning of the season, at times trying to insert me into deals that I didn’t like. They offered me to Wolfsburg as part of a deal for Edin Dzeko.”

“When the competition is healthy, I have no problems. But this isn’t the case at Juve. Gigi Del Neri only pays attention to me and says ‘hi’ when he needs me. Otherwise I don’t figure in his calculations. I don’t want to start an argument, but I am not a mercenary.”

“If someone did show a lack of respect it was the Juventus directors towards me and not vice-versa.”

“They know that they made a mistake towards me and now they have invented the story that I didn’t play against Napoli because I refused to do so. But it’s completely false.”