FORMER Club President of Partizan Belgrade, Zarko Zecevic has accused former Nigerian international, Taribo West of reducing his age by 12 years!
Zecevic on Wednesday told the Croatian media that when he signed West in 2002, the player claimed he was 28 years’ old when in actual fact he was 40.
“He joined us saying he was 28. We only later found out he was 40, but he was still playing well so I don’t regret having him on the team,” Zecevic said.
Zecevic added that the cat was let out of the bag when Partizan attempted to sell West to another Croatian club, Rijeka.
“He went for the medicals and Rijak’s doctors insisted that West’s troubled injured knee suggested he was older’’
“At that time, he was 44, but he told the doctors he was 32.’’
The date of birth in West’s biodata says he is 39.
However, Taribo told Tribunesport that Zecevic is not a football person to have come out with that fact.
“He is not my father, brother or relative. The reporters should have asked him where he got that fact.
I have my record in the professional League with Obanta United since the 1990’s and all along, I have been keeping with my true age,’’ he said.
