West Brom Grant Nicolas Anelka Compassionate Leave After Death Of His Agent

Chris Wright

22nd, August 2013

4 Comments

By Chris Wright

Soccer - Barclays Premier League - West Bromwich Albion v Southampton - The Hawthorns

Nicolas Anelka has reportedly left West Brom just 49 days after signing a one-year deal at the Hawthorns.

It is being said that Anelka, 34, had a meeting with club’s technical director Richard Garlick at West Brom’s training ground this morning in which the two parties agreed to nullify his contract and that the French striker was last season packing his bags and leaving the premises.

According to Birmingham Mail journo Chris Lepkowski, it’s being suggested that Anelka’s decision to leave was based on personal matters.

The Daily Telegraph have it thus:

It is believed Anelka may have experienced a recent tragedy in his personal life and talks to find an amicable solution with the club have so far failed. There is no suggestion of a bust-up.

The Telegraph also reckon that Anelka has cleared out his locker while Sky Sports News are saying that he also told club staff that he plans to retire with immediate effect.

Well, that’s Pies wild-card Fantasy Football pick out of the window then.

More when/if we have it.

*****

UPDATE from Brum Mail reporter Chris Lepkowski…

We could be wrong here, but isn’t Anelka’s agent his brother? It seems we might be dealing with something truly tragic here.

*****

UPDATE #2 from a statement issued on West Brom’s official website…

“[WBA] can confirm that Nicolas Anelka will not be involved in Saturday’s game at Everton. The club have excused the striker from club duty on compassionate grounds.”

That is all. Anelka hasn’t walked out on the club, he’s merely been allowed a leave of absence to deal with what may be an incredibly personal bereavement.

All the best, Nic. What we said about our Fantasy League team? We didn’t really mean it.

Posted in Newsnow, Transfers & Rumours, West Bromwich Albion

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4 Comments

  1. JoshITFC says:

    Bearing in mind the most recent update on this, wouldn’t it be wise of you guys to maybe delete the first bit of this story you wrote as it is clearly very disrespectful to Mr Anelka?

  2. Prof. Paul Meyer says:

    Yeah, Pies, it’s very disrespectful of you to be floundering about the death of someone close to Anelka in a very gallant and chivalric manner. Also I find that the spelling and grammar mistakes in your articles are far from fit and proper – from a journalistic point of view. Despite all that, the content is up to scratch. Put more time into your literacy and we’ll have a perfect soccer blog, guys!

  3. TravisKOP says:

    @JoshITFC: dunno where you got first bit as being disrespectful from

  4. Andy Carroll's Ponytail says:

    Delete what? If there’s no 1st part, then the UPDATES (can you understand the meaning of this word?) will make no sense.

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