Lippi keen to retain Conca
17 July 2012 08:38
Guangzhou Evergrande coach Marcello Lippi has confirmed star midfielder Dario Conca will remain with the Chinese club.
Conca handed in a transfer request last week and was subsequently linked with a return to Brazil, with Fluminense reportedly lining up an 8.5 million-euro move for the Argentine, who has two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract.
But Lippi told reporters he wanted to retain the services of Conca, who would not be sold cheap.
"Conca will stay in my team," Lippi said. "Conca plays an important role in the team. He played almost every match since I took charge of the team."
The Argentine has previously been unsettled in matches when substituted early, including a public spat with ex-coach Lee Jang-Soo in an AFC Champions League match which saw him receive a nine-game club-imposed suspension.
Lippi insisted any time Conca is replaced during a game is for the good of the team.
"We have to make changes in and between matches, so will make substitutes, not because of the condition of the player, but for the balance of the team," Lippi said.
Evergrande, who lost the Guangzhou derby on Sunday, remain top of the Chinese Super League with a four-point buffer on second-placed Jiangsu Sainty.
The Chinese leaders are also preparing for an AFC Champions League quarter-final against Al Ittihad in mid-September.
