Viana angry after Newcastle block Sporting loan
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LISBON (AFP) - Newcastle United's Portuguese midfielder Hugo Viana has blasted the club's manager, Sir Bobby Robson, for refusing his request to be loaned back to Sporting Lisbon for the rest of the season.
"Bobby Robson was not fair to me, I deserved more respect," the 20-year-old player told Portuguese sports daily A Bola.
Viana, who joined the Magpies for 8.5 million pounds (15 million dollars) from Sporting in July 2002, is keen to return to Portugal in order to boost his chances of earning a place in his country's squad for the Euro 2004 finals.
The European Young Player of the Year has had little time on the pitch since joining the English Premiership side, having played for roughly 100 minutes this season in occasional appearances as a substitute.
"I would have liked the coach to have been more sincere with me, he was not honest," said Viana. "The opportunities Robson promised me never arrived."
Viana added he had agreed to take a 60 percent salary cut in order to return to Sporting, and was on the verge of signing a loan agreement with the Portuguese side but Robson scuttled the move at the last minute.
But Robson, who has coached Portuguese giants Sporting and FC Porto in the past, told the paper Newcastle has too many injured players at the moment and the team could not afford to lose Viana as well.
"I need Hugo, I have six players out of commission and if I let him go it would be seven. I need him here," said Robson, adding he had spent hours with Viana on Tuesday to explain the reasons for his decision.
The 70-year-old Newscastle coach added he sympathised with Viana's dream of being part of the Portuguese national team and would give the player more time on the pitch in the new year.
"I invested millions of pounds in Hugo. I will not give up, he will appear in force. I hope he will be strong and also does not give up."
Robson added he was even planning on speaking to Luiz Felipe Scolari in order to persude Portugal's World Cup-winning coach that Viana deserves a spot on the Portuguese national team.
"One of these days I will call Scolari and I will talk to him about Hugo Viana. I will tell him to call him up for the next few matches of the national squad because he deserves it."
As hosts, Portugal automatically qualify for the Euro 2004 finals, which will take place from June 12 to July 4.
The Portuguese side is scheduled to play five more times before the start of the championship in friendly matches intended to prepare for the event.
Three of those matches have already been scheduled - England on February 18, Italy on March 31 and Sweden on April 28.
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