Ivan Perišić (foto: Instagram)
Hajduk Split’s coach Gennaro Gattuso revealed after the match against Lokomotiva Zagreb that one of the team’s biggest stars, Ivan Perišić, wants to leave the club.
The arrival of Ivan Perišić at Hajduk sparked incredible excitement among the club’s fans, reflected in the rapidly growing number of registered members, a packed Poljud stadium, and immense ambitions to see the pride of Dalmatia return to the top of Croatian football after nearly two decades.
This was the bright side of Perišić’s arrival at the club, but it now appears that the story might have a very different ending. Hajduk coach Gennaro Gattuso excluded the Croatian international from the squad for the league match against Lokomotiva due to a conflict during training. After the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, Gattuso revealed that Perišić had expressed his desire to leave.
"I spoke with Perišić 20 days ago. He came to my office and told me that he wants to leave. If someone doesn’t want to stay, I have to respect the rest of the team. There are rules in the locker room that must be respected. I gave him opportunities to play—20 minutes, 35 minutes, 65 minutes..."
"When a player expresses a desire to leave, it can create the wrong mindset. The locker room must be respected. This story is not over. He’s still here; tomorrow is a new day," Gattuso stated.
So far, Perišić has made 12 appearances for Hajduk, with just one goal to his name, scored last season.
The former Bayern, Inter, and Tottenham star has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave the club by the end of August for just €200,000.