Zamparini: I would not sell Ilicic even for €30 million

29-Dec-2012 12:15:00 AM

The Rosanero chairman has stated that the club intends to hold on to the Slovenia international, and made clear that no amount of money will make him change his mind

Palermo owner Maurizio Zamparini has insisted that not even a €30 million offer could tempt him into selling midfielder Josip Ilicic.

The 24-year-old has scored four goals in 16 Serie A appearances so far this season for his team, who find themselves in a battle to avoid relegation.

The flamboyant Zamparini made it clear that the player is vital to the Rosanero, and will not be sold, especially considering the club's recent struggles on the pitch.

"We must not sell our players. We have a bad situation to get out of and therefore I would not give Ilicic away, not even for €30 million," the 71-year-old told Radio Radio.

"For the next year I want to build a very strong team and Ilicic will stay with us. For a time he was not at the top of his game but now he's coming back to play well.

"He will not move for at least a couple of years, then we'll see," he concluded.

Despite Palermo currently occupying a relegation spot in Serie A, Zamparini has no doubts that the Rosanero will climb up, even without the help of new signings.

"It can be resolved even without the reinforcements we are missing. We could have easily won 22-23 [points] and now be talking about different things," he concluded.