An Italian outlet released alleged quotes from Achraf Lazaar yesterday, seeing the NUFC outcast claim his move to Tyneside “wasn’t the right decision”.
Less than 24 hours later, Lazaar has been in touch with the Chronicle to insist that these comments are untrue and ‘fake news’.
In a bid to set the record straight, the current NUFC loanee states he still ‘loves’ Newcastle and does NOT regret picking us over Fiorentina when Rafa Benitez signed him back in 2016.
Here’s what he’s had to say:
“I have seen suggestions of Newcastle being a bad choice.
“I don’t know where it came from.
“It’s fake news.
“People are always talking about me and suggesting I’m saying bad things about Newcastle.
“But I’ve never said that.
“I love Newcastle and if I chose Newcastle over Fiorentina in 2016, then that says it all for me.
“Newcastle still means something to me.
“People can talk or make me look bad.
“People who know me will tell you it’s b*****t that I made the wrong choice.”
Considering how his career has gone downhill since he arrived at the club four years ago, it’s hard to believe he’s still happy with the decision he made!
After all, he’s now on loan at Cosenza – a struggling Italian side who are second bottom of Serie B – and has managed to make just 10 appearances at Newcastle.
In a way, I feel for him. Something may have gone on behind the scenes, but he was convinced to join Newcastle over Fiorentina – a top half Serie A side – yet seemed to be almost immediately excluded from the Spaniard’s first-team plans moments later.
