Riyad Mahrez goes AWOL again and dodges fury from Leicester players after being ‘betrayed’ by Foxes over Man City move
The upset Algerian has gone missing again today - leaving Leicester considering a £200k fine and taking legal advice on how to re-integrate their £95m-rated playmaker
RIYAD MAHREZ faces the full fury of his team-mates when he eventually returns to Leicester after going missing again.
The wantaway Algerian failed to turn up to training for the third consecutive day today
Mahrez claims the Foxes have betrayed him by refusing his dream move to Manchester City.
And now it is the third day in a row that he has gone AWOL after pulling out of the 2-1 defeat at Everton.
Technically, Leicester could view that as a breach of contract with the possibility of a £200,000 fine and have taken legal advice on how they now try and re-integrate their £95million-rated asset back into their squad.
However, Mahrez is understood to be “very depressed” and blames director of football John Rudkin for the mess.
A close friend who has worked with the player for many years told SunSport: “I was with Riyad today and he is very down and depressed.
“He understood that if a big club came in for him he would be allowed to go and realise his dream.
“Riyad thought he had that relationship with the club that he could be free to move and be recognised as one of the best footballers in the world.
TRAINING DAY Leicester to fine Riyad Mahrez £200,000 for training no-show after failed Manchester City move on deadline day
“But over the last four transfer windows they have been asking for £45m, then £50m, then more than £80m. This is not fair on him.
“He is not interested in the cars and the money. He is not a flash footballer. But he wants to be the best he can be at the best club he can play for.”
Mahrez’s relationship with Rudkin was described as “total zero".
And the friend added: “It’s not about money, it’s about fulfilling a dream.
“Riyad comes from a very poor background where he didn’t have shoes to play football and has looked after his whole family. He has always been a fighter.
“He fought to get to Leicester, to help get them promotion, to help them win the Premier League and he became the club’s player of the year.
“Riyad has never had it easy and he has given the club everything, the absolute maximum to the point where they were going to make more than £60m profit on him.”
Mahrez, 26, has now missed two training sessions and Wednesday’s Prem defeat at Everton.
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And his furious team-mates feel he let them down on Tuesday by missing their crucial training session ahead of the Everton match, when they ran through set pieces and tactics.
They weren’t impressed, either, when he went public at the start of the season, stating he wanted to move to a "bigger" Champions League club.
And they dubbed him Viktor Navorski - after Hollywood actor Tom Hanks’ character in the film Terminal - when he spent August’s Deadline Day holed up at a Paris Hub Airport ready for a flight to Barcelona, Madrid, Manchester or London if a top club agreed a fee for him.
