De Boer didn't want to sign Gabigol, says brother

Frank de Boer did not want to sign Gabriel "Gabigol" Barbosa, according to the sacked Inter coach's brother Ronald. Ronald lifted the lid on Frank's brief 85-day tenure in charge of the Serie A club following Tuesday's axing.

Published : Nov 02, 2016 16:08 IST

Frank de Boer 'was unable to change the situation on the pitch, but it is also possible to point to several factors that made a big difference', according to his brother Ronald.
Frank de Boer 'was unable to change the situation on the pitch, but it is also possible to point to several factors that made a big difference', according to his brother Ronald.
lightbox-info

Frank de Boer 'was unable to change the situation on the pitch, but it is also possible to point to several factors that made a big difference', according to his brother Ronald.

Frank de Boer did not want to sign Gabriel "Gabigol" Barbosa, according to the sacked Inter coach's brother Ronald. Ronald lifted the lid on Frank's brief 85-day tenure in charge of the Serie A club following > Tuesday's axing .

Former Ajax boss Frank signed a three-year deal to replace Roberto Mancini just a fortnight out from the Serie A season but he lost his job just three months after, with Sunday's 1-0 loss to Sampdoria the final straw.

Ronald revealed his brother encountered many problems at San Siro, including the signing of Brazilian sensation Gabigol - who has struggled for game time in Milan - against his will during the off-season. "The squad was not suited to playing his style of football and was also decidedly too big," Ronald told Bureau Sport .

"There were seven or eight players who should've left or he didn't want, but they didn't sell any more than two. I include among these Gabriel Barbosa. Frank had no say in that transfer, so Gabriel just arrived out of the blue."

'Disappointed'

The weekend's loss at Sampdoria left Inter with just two wins from its last eight matches in all competitions, and it sits 12th in the Serie A. "Of course I am disappointed and so is he," Ronald added. "Frank was combative and convinced he could turn things around if he had stayed. Unfortunately, it went differently. He hoped to have success in Italy, but over the last seven days something changed.

"You must also look at yourself. Frank was unable to change the situation on the pitch, but it is also possible to point to several factors that made a big difference."

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment