Espanyol striker Martin Braithwaite is facing sanctions from his own club after voluntarily leaving pre-season training camp.
The Danish striker joined Los Pericos last Monday but left their Marbella camp less than a week into the season. Braithwaite is reportedly refusing to play for Segunda and looking to move, although he is also reportedly considering retiring.
He has two years left on his contract with Espanyol and it seems likely that Los Pericos will want a fee for him. Athletic director Fran Garagarza told MD that they would not accept his behavior.
“I spoke to him and he told me he didn’t want to be here and wanted to find a way out. But the situation is clear: the player has a contract with Espanyol and Espanyol counts on him because he is a very important player for us. From there, there is nothing more to talk about. He doesn’t want to be here, and there’s nothing we can do. I can’t tie him down, but obviously what happened is very serious and it’s a huge disappointment.”
“Espanyol is way above all that, they have an asset named Martin and he has failed in etiquette and everything. Let’s hope he comes back, because if he doesn’t then we’re going to have to start talking about the disciplinary regime, and that’s already underway. Our members are being disrespected and we will not allow that to happen. Not from Martin, not from anyone else. Anything that is not in line with the club’s values is a big mistake. It’s a serious disrespect.”
The Catalan daily reports that Braithwaite was then seen at Castelldelfells, his home in Barcelona, eating with his family. Something that caused disbelief among Espanyol fans.
“We don’t know where he is or anything. First, he will have to call us and explain. We are waiting for him to come and see what he tells us. After he left, I called him, but he didn’t answer the phone. We spoke to his agent and he told us that Braithwaite had decided to leave the camp and he couldn’t tell us any more.”
His attitude is that he doesn’t want to play in the second division and we want him to play because he has a contract. No negotiation possible at the moment. The problem is not with the club, because the club has the player and he has a contract. If he comes with an offer, it will be analyzed and the club will respond. If it arrives, it will be analyzed, but it has not arrived.”
Braithwaite seems to have taken its own course of action, but it is not yet clear to what end. If he is indeed considering retiring, the consequences may matter less to him, but either way the Danish striker is likely to face the wrath of both Espanyol fans and the club itself.
