Star fights for future in Italy

Feb 29 2008 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

DAVID Rozehnal has expressed a desire to stay at Lazio beyond the end of this season, but the on-loan Newcastle United defender admits there is “a lot at stake” for him in the remaining months of the Serie A campaign.

As well as trying to earn a permanent move to Rome, the Czech defender is also anxious that a lack of first-team football should not damage his chances of playing at Euro 2008.

Concern over his short-term international future was cited as the major reason for the 27-year-old’s temporary departure from Newcastle, but he has found getting a regular centre-back start at the Stadio Olimpico no easier. Nevertheless, it has not put him off the idea of trying to secure a permanent move to his “more pleasant” new home.

“We will see what Lazio decide in the summer,” he said of his future. “I would like to stay here as long as possible. Of course, the city is more pleasant than Newcastle. I get up in the morning and it is 18 degrees (Celsius). That is one of the factors that helps me against a bad mood. Either it turns out well for me and Lazio will want me on a permanent stay, or I will return to Newcastle. A lot is at stake.”

Rozehnal was an unused substitute in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Reggina and his only Lazio start so far, against Empoli, came at right-back. Being overlooked for his preferred position – Kevin Keegan used him in the middle of midfield and at left-back – also added to the former Paris-Saint Germain defender’s frustration at St James’s Park.

Despite his satisfaction with his new surroundings, Rozehnal admits the lack of first-team opportunities in Serie A are an annoyance.

“I came to Lazio to play football,” he pointed out. “I am not happy about it but what can I do? I don’t know if I would be playing more at Newcastle. I came to Rome with a view to getting better prepared for Euro 2008, but that is still a long way away. I need to do well at Lazio because I am fighting for my place in the team.”

The manager who brought Rozehnal to the Premier League this summer, Sam Allardyce, has revealed he was spoken to by the Football Association of Ireland about becoming the new boss of their international side, but claimed he was reluctant to rush back into management after leaving Newcastle.

“It is true they made an enquiry,” the 53-year-old revealed in his Zoo magazine column. “It wasn’t done directly, but one or two people rang me to tell me there might be a possibility. I said I was very flattered but it was far too early for me to be thinking about something like that. I’m not looking to rush back.”

The Republic instead gave the job vacated by Steve Staunton after their failed Euro 2008 qualifying campaign to Italian Giovanni Trapattoni.

Meanwhile, striker Obafemi Martins says he cannot wait to finally make his first appearance for Kevin Keegan.

The Nigerian international missed the start of Keegan’s reign because he was on international duty at the African Cup of Nations and returned with an ankle injury, but expects to be fit to face Blackburn Rovers tomorrow. Martins did nothing to disguise the importance of the match.

“The game on Saturday is very, very important,” he told his club’s official website. “The team is doing its best and we won’t lose hope. We’ll give our maximum to try and win. We have to give the fans a lift as well. They are the best I have ever seen and we need to win for them too. If we can win one game it will help our confidence and help us keep on winning. I’ve seen everyone training hard this week and I think we are ready.”