"I am no slave", unbowed Kuffour tells Bayern

Bayern Munich defender Samuel Kuffour has hit back at the club after he was fined ?3,100 for his part in the 'poaching' row with Barcelona. "I am no slave," he raged, "I can go out for dinner after training with whoever I like."

The 24-year-old Ghanaian defender caused consternation at Bayern when he very publicly had lunch with Barcelona director Bernd Schuster at Eboli, one of Munich's top restaurants.

In January Barca had a bid of ?9 million for Kuffour rejected by the Bavarian club and it was felt that they were trying to poach the powerful defender.

The defender was fined by Bayern and managing director Uli Hoeness issued a strongly-worded hands-off warning to Barcelona.

Kuffour remained unrepentant though and refused to take his punishment lying down. "I am no slave. It is my right to go out for dinner after training with whoever I like," he told Bild.

"Uli Hoeness doesn't know what we talked about, he wasn't there and he has simply reacted to what other people have told him."

Even though he is under contract to Bayern until June 2003, Kuffour gave a thinly-veiled hint that his heart was still set on joining the Nou Camp club.

"Barcelona is behind me for the moment. What counts is Bayern – but only until the end of the season. I don't look any further ahead these days."