COLO STILL COMMITTED
NEWCASTLE UNITED DEFENDER FABRICIO COLOCCINI REAFFIRMS HIS DESIRE TO STAY
Fabricio Coloccini reaffirmed his commitment to Newcastle United – after the club lurched towards the Championship.
Rafa Benitez’s side dropped back in the Premier League’s relegation zone on Saturday after a goalless draw against Aston Villa.
And Sunderland could relegated Newcastle by beating Everton at the Stadium of Light tomorrow night.
Coloccini, sidelined since February with a calf injury, was at Villa Park to watch his team-mates, who end their campaign on Sunday with a home game against Tottenham Hotspur.
But the odds are on the club’s fate being decided by then.
“It was really disappointing,” said Coloccini, the club’s captain.
“Itwasabigchanceforus to win, but we didn’t create too much. We created a few chances, but couldn’t score.
“We still have a chance and we still believe we can stay in the Premier League.”
Coloccini signed an extension to his contract keeping him at St James’s Park until next summer on the eve of the campaign after sitting out the club’s pre-season fixtures with an injury.
But the 34-year-old’s commitment to the cause has again be questioned by supporters.
Asked if he remained committed to the club, Coloccini said: “Yeah. Yeah, of course.
“But I’m not thinking about the future, I’m thinking about this present (moment)andkeepingNewcastle in the Premier League. I don’t look in the future now.”
Coloccini will not be fit for the Tottenham game, having suffered a setback last month.
And the long-serving player, in the team which was relegated in 2009, says he has found it “difficult” watching helplessly from the sidelines.
“It’s really difficult,” said Coloccini.
“I tried to be early (back from injury), and that’s why I got injured again.
“Now, I just try to help from outside and try to tell them that we have to believe, because we still have a chance. Always, when a chance is there, you have to fight.
“We have to think about winning the game and wait for other results.
“I thought, before this game, we had a great chance. But we couldn’t (win). Now we have one chance, and we have to try to win.”