by 112-1077774096 » Fri Mar 18, 2005 3:14 am
from the daily mirror, its about time we sacked him for gross misconduct
STRIKER El-Hadji Diouf brought new shame on Bolton yesterday after he was accused of spitting at a beggar and a Big Issue seller outside a London nightclub at 3.45am yesterday.
The £40,000-a-week striker starts a three-match ban this weekend following his red card in last Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Arsenal.
But the Senegal international was unable to stay out of trouble off the field either when he left Chinawhite in Soho.
After shouting obscenities at the paparazzi outside the club, he was approached by a man selling the Big Issue magazine. The 24-year-old is then alleged to have spat at him and a beggar, who was looking for cash.
Diouf and his pals then called a taxi after their car was towed away. An
onlooker said: "He was really, really abusive and swearing at everyone in sight.
"Then he turned round and spat in the direction of a tramp who was outside the club. I couldn't tell if he hit anyone but it was still really disgusting.''
The former African Footballer of the Year, who was red-carded on Saturday for lashing out at Gunners keeper Jens Lehmann, is no stranger to controversy or spitting.
In 2003 he was fined £5,000 after pleading guilty to spitting on a Celtic fan during Liverpool's UEFA Cup tie.
And last November Diouf was banned for three matches after spitting at Portsmouth's Arjan De Zeeuw, while he was also questioned by Cleveland Police over allegedly spitting on an 11-year-old Middlesbrough supporter.
The Crown Prosecution Service is still to decide whether to pursue a case.
Diouf's agent Alexandre Krstic last night denied any knowledge of the latest incident. "I don't know anything about this - I haven't spoken to him today,'' he said.
"I spoke to him and his wife yesterday and they were both in Liverpool.''
Bolton boss Sam Allardyce was unaware of the incident too, and did not wish to comment.
Liverpool paid £10m for Diouf after he starred in the 2002 World Cup but he scored only three goals in two seasons at Anfield before being shipped out on loan.
But Allardyce admitted at the weekend the player's continued ill-discipline was endangering a permanent transfer.
"In the main he can control himself for 95 or 98 per cent of the time, then all of a sudden something crops up,'' he said. "The red light goes on and the fuse blows.''