Torino defender Nikola Maksimovic is facing disciplinary action from his employer after opting to fly to his native Serbia rather than report to first-team training.
The 24-year-old has been subject of interest from Napoli, as it makes contingency plans should Kalidou Koulibaly leave for Chelsea, but the English club is also apparently sighting Maksimovic if that move collapses.
“I don’t know whether Maksimovic is making these mistakes by himself or whether he is just ill-advised, but I don’t care either way,” Torino boss Sinisa Mihajlovic told La Gazzetta dello Sport, with translation from ESPN FC. “He will pay the consequences for this behaviour because he has damaged our club.”
Mihajlovic is dismayed by the lack of loyalty shown by Maksimovic, the player he handed an international debut to back in 2012, and has vowed to make him pay for his antics.
“I told him that if he stuck with me this year, he would be wanted by the biggest clubs in Europe next year,” Mihajlovic explained. “He assured me that he was delighted to stay. I put my head on the line for him and now he just disappears and wants to leave.
“I feel like a betrayed man. For me, they are men before they are footballers, but he has betrayed everybody – the club, his teammates, the fans and the coach. Now the ball is in the club’s court because Maksimovic has a contract here and he cannot decide his destiny alone.”
The former AC Milan gaffer then praised right-back Bruno Peres for his conduct during negotiations over a move to AS Roma that was completed on Tuesday.
“Bruno Peres has not held us to ransom, he has behaved professionally,” Mihajlovic said before the deal was confirmed.
Torino begins its 2016-17 Serie A commitments at Milan on Sunday.
