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Savio has told one thing to the press and told something else to me – Climax Lawrence
The former India skipper didn’t shy away from expressing himself as he launched another attack on coach Savio Medeira for not being upfront with his thoughts with the media.
02-Feb-2012 12:01:00 AM
By Rahul Bali
Goal.com
Climax Lawrence announced his retirement, on Tuesday, after being informed by Medeira over the phone that he was being ‘dropped’ from the 30-member probables list for the upcoming Challenge Cup. However, when Goal.com spoke to the coach for his take, he stated otherwise and mentioned that the idea was to “rest” an experienced player like Climax.
The Dempo midfielder stated that Medeira, in his communication, never spoke of the “rest” theory and was further upset given that the coach didn’t have the gumption to tell the truth.
“I read it on Goal.com where he (Medeira) said of giving me rest and not excluding me from his plans. Let me tell you that he never told this to me. He plainly said: ‘I want youngsters.’ He asked him again that if there was a chance, he said ‘No’. So now why he is saying one thing to the press and telling something else to me,” Climax questioned.
“Yes, I did have retirement on my mind and I wanted to (call it quits) after the Challenge Cup. If he didn’t want me, why did he keep supporting me in public when one of the reporters asked him whether I would retire after the SAFF Championship final? He said that ‘performance was the key and not the age.’ What has all of a sudden happened that you decide to drop me from the squad altogether,” he further added.
The 33-year-old agreed that the national team needed an overhaul but added that it must be done over a period of time rather than just calling up a player a day before the names are to be announced and telling him ‘you are no more required.’
“For the last ten years, I have always been in the starting eleven and never on the bench. Ok. If I had been on the bench for a few games then you could say that yes, maybe he could be dropped,” said Climax.
“At this point of time, my heart is disturbed and everyone was shocked to know that I was dropped. I am retiring but it is very hurtful and bitter. I am not asking for a testimonial match. A few days back, Savio and I were chief guests at a function. He could have told me, ‘Climax, I want to speak with you.’ I would have listened to him and retired with no issues at all. But just to tell on the phone, ‘Thank you for what you have done’ isn’t right.”
Climax mentioned that it wasn’t the first instance where Medeira had acted weird with him as he shared another case from the past.
“When Marcus Pacheto was the coach of Salgaocar, I had scored seven goals that season. After Savio came in, he benched me for the first two matches, which we drew and lost. In the third game, he started with me and we won 3-0 against ITI back then. In the fourth game of the league against Vasco, he once again kept me on the bench only to bring me in when we were trailing 1-0 late in the second half and we lost eventually. Thereafter he began playing me often,” he recollected.
“When I was called into the national team by Stephen Constantine, he told me that it was he who had told Medeira to play me often. I don’t know where the problem lies.”
However Climax was all praise for the rest of the coaches he has played under in the national team and wished the Men in Blue all the luck needed to book a berth in the 2015 Asian Cup.
“Every coach from Armando to Bob to Nayeem to Constantine were the best. There are a lot of youngsters coming up such as Jewel Raja, Lenny Rodrigues and Lester Fernandes.
“I just want to tell everyone to work hard and qualify for the 2015 Asia Cup. You have my best wishes always,” he signed off.
The Dempo midfielder stated that Medeira, in his communication, never spoke of the “rest” theory and was further upset given that the coach didn’t have the gumption to tell the truth.
“I read it on Goal.com where he (Medeira) said of giving me rest and not excluding me from his plans. Let me tell you that he never told this to me. He plainly said: ‘I want youngsters.’ He asked him again that if there was a chance, he said ‘No’. So now why he is saying one thing to the press and telling something else to me,” Climax questioned.
“Yes, I did have retirement on my mind and I wanted to (call it quits) after the Challenge Cup. If he didn’t want me, why did he keep supporting me in public when one of the reporters asked him whether I would retire after the SAFF Championship final? He said that ‘performance was the key and not the age.’ What has all of a sudden happened that you decide to drop me from the squad altogether,” he further added.
The 33-year-old agreed that the national team needed an overhaul but added that it must be done over a period of time rather than just calling up a player a day before the names are to be announced and telling him ‘you are no more required.’
“For the last ten years, I have always been in the starting eleven and never on the bench. Ok. If I had been on the bench for a few games then you could say that yes, maybe he could be dropped,” said Climax.
“At this point of time, my heart is disturbed and everyone was shocked to know that I was dropped. I am retiring but it is very hurtful and bitter. I am not asking for a testimonial match. A few days back, Savio and I were chief guests at a function. He could have told me, ‘Climax, I want to speak with you.’ I would have listened to him and retired with no issues at all. But just to tell on the phone, ‘Thank you for what you have done’ isn’t right.”
Climax mentioned that it wasn’t the first instance where Medeira had acted weird with him as he shared another case from the past.
“When Marcus Pacheto was the coach of Salgaocar, I had scored seven goals that season. After Savio came in, he benched me for the first two matches, which we drew and lost. In the third game, he started with me and we won 3-0 against ITI back then. In the fourth game of the league against Vasco, he once again kept me on the bench only to bring me in when we were trailing 1-0 late in the second half and we lost eventually. Thereafter he began playing me often,” he recollected.
“When I was called into the national team by Stephen Constantine, he told me that it was he who had told Medeira to play me often. I don’t know where the problem lies.”
However Climax was all praise for the rest of the coaches he has played under in the national team and wished the Men in Blue all the luck needed to book a berth in the 2015 Asian Cup.
“Every coach from Armando to Bob to Nayeem to Constantine were the best. There are a lot of youngsters coming up such as Jewel Raja, Lenny Rodrigues and Lester Fernandes.
“I just want to tell everyone to work hard and qualify for the 2015 Asia Cup. You have my best wishes always,” he signed off.
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