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Soccer News of Thursday, 22 November 2012

Source: Prince Dornu-Leiku / 90MINUTES

Appiah: I didn’t fail medical at Persepolis

Ex-national team captain, Stephen Appiah has rubbished alleged reports that he could not strike a deal in Iran due to medical reasons.

The 31 year old former Ghana skipper arrived in Tehran to a king’s treatment on November 8 to apparently complete his switch as a free agent to 9-time Iran champions Persepolis after ending a four-month loan stint with Serbian outfit FK Vojvodina last season.

Reports even said that Appiah had been introduced to Persepolis fans with his assigned jersey number 3.

In the end however, Appiah could not strike a deal after reportedly failing to impress Persepolis’ Portuguese coach, Manuel Jose but it’s the reports he was rejected for ill-health that irks the former Juventus playmaker.

Appiah claims former Al Ahly coach, Jose has a personal agenda at Persepolis.

“I heard that there were a lot of reports about my health that’s why I couldn’t sign a deal. It’s not true. I did not even do a medical so how could health be an issue,” Appiah told Joy FM.

He continued: “The coach is just interested in signing his own players. Before I went, the President of the club had told me it was a done deal. Even the fans of the club, kept telling me ‘don’t mind the coach, he’s trying to bring his own players,’”

The former Black Stars captain added on his fitness: “I train twice a day, I’ve been training on my own but you know team work is different. The most important thing is to train which keeps me very fit.

“Even when I went there and I removed my shirt in the dressing room, their captain came to me and said; ‘what a body, you are fit’ and I told him I’ve been training on my own.