Heartland manager, Fidelis Ilechukwu, says the Naze Millionaires have no immediate or remote plans to stage a protest and subsequent boycott of their NPFL match day 28 Oriental fixture against FC Ifeanyi Ubah, Orient Sports reports.
‘The Working One’s, as Ilechukwu if fondly called by admirers, starting from illustrious days at MFM, Lagos, distanced himself from a news published on Tuesday in a national media reports suggesting that players of Heartland were set to embark on a protest and also boycott the match day 28 game against FC Ifeanyi Ubah.
Fuming with rage, Ilechukwu claimed there was no such plan in the club, likening such information as ‘fake news’.
“This is just another fake news, a cheap means to distract my team and fuel unnecessary tension in Owerri”, Ilechukwu thundered.
“Let me state clearly that the players under my watch will never go on such protest or boycott any NPFL game.
“How would someone cook such a story when there is security challenges in the South East, let alone boycott an NPFL game.
“He should, off course, know the negative effects of such actions before he began writing his fake news where he quoted me.
“For record purposes, I did not grant such interview with anybody ‘on Monday’ or had a chat with anyone on social media platform, WhatsApp.
“I have taken time to go through the call log on my phone and chats, no number of such from a reporter that claims to have spoken with me.
“For clarity and record purposes, I did not grant such interview with any journalist on Monday or had a chat with anyone on social media platform, WhatsApp.
“I have taken time to go through my call log on my phone and chats and I couldn’t find any number of such from any journalist that claimed to have interviewed me.
“This is the kind of issues I want to avoid. Of late some media have said to my face that am been selective with who I grant interviews with.
“I understand what the players are agitating for, like I have maintained, I want to use this medium to reassure the players that Governor Hope Uzodinma who is the club’s number one fan will take care of the situation.
“Like every other teams in the NPFL have their challenges and that of Heartland is no different. So all hands would be on deck to proffer solutions to them as we move on”.