Hibs Conference League rivals in transfer drama over Roma-bound star defender - will he play at Easter Road?
Asking price for youngster rockets to 9 million Euros
Hibs Euro rivals Legia Warsaw will arrive in Edinburgh an intense transfer drama still swirling around their brightest young talent. And it looks like the Poles are guaranteed to lose star defender Jan Ziolkowski to AS Roma – despite last-minute haggling over the fee.
The 20-year-old centre-half looked as if he’d played his final game for Legia in the second leg of their 5-3 aggregate defeat to Larnaca in the third qualifying round of the Europa League last week. An agreement on the fee – 6 million Euros up front, with another 1.5 million in add-ons – had been struck, while personal terms had also been negotiated.
But Legia have now increased their demands to nearly 9 million Euros in total, leaving Roma infuriated – but still eager to do business for a player who featured for the full 90 minutes in the weekend loss to Ekstraklasa newcomers Wisla Plock. The Serie A club’s sporting director, Frederic Massara is believed to be confident that the deal will be completed, according to Italian media.
Some sources in Italy suggest that Ziolkowski could even fly out to Rome BEFORE tomorrow night’s UEFA Conference League clash with Hibs at Easter Road. Either way, the youngster – a cornerstone of the Legia team – is at risk of being unsettled as his team look to guarantee league phase football.
Legia, who reached the Conference League quarter-finals last season, losing out 4-2 to the billionaires of Chelsea on aggregate, have been pitched against Hibs as a result of losing that Europa League tie against Cypriot opponents Larnaca. They face David Gray’s men in Edinburgh tomorrow night, with an 8 pm kick-off, and the return leg is next Thursday night in the Polish capital.
The saga surrounding Ziolkowski isn’t the only drama involving Legia at the moment, with head coach Edward Iordanescu being linked with TWO different managerial jobs just weeks into his new role. The Romanian gaffer has reportedly been sounded out about taking over his country’s national team for the second time, while United Arab Emirates club Al-Jazira are said to be offering him 3 million Euros a season to sign a multi-year contract.
Iordanescu took over Legia, Polish Cup winners under Goncalo Feio last season, in the summer. His first competitive game was in July, when he led his new team to victory over reigning champions Lech Poznan to lift the Polish Super Cup.
Fan warning over hooligan threat
Hibs fans travelling to Warsaw for next week’s return leg, meanwhile, will need to be on alert after a shocking incident of fan violence was reported by Polish media. According to TVN24, a fan wearing the ‘wrong’ jersey was attacked in the Legia club shop just before last week’s Larnaca game.
An eye witness told the Polish station that the man was challenged by a group of fans to explain why he was wearing a rival shirt, revealing: "The man replied that he would buy a Legia jersey, because that's what he came here for. He went to the cash register with the Legia jersey, where several hooligans grabbed him, knocked him to the ground, kicked him, and smashed his face, probably with brass knuckles. They ripped off his red jersey, forbade him from buying a Legia jersey, and left. The man was left in the store with his face covered in blood and shirtless.”