Martinez: loan players should be able to face 'parent club'

, 1 May, 0comments  |  Jump to most recent

Roberto Martinez has advocated a change in the rules regarding loan players being ineligible to play against their parent club.

Speaking before Saturday's final home game of the season against Manchester City, a match in which Gareth Barry will not feature because of that regulation regarding loan players, Martinez said that once a club has agreed to let a player go, even on a temporary basis, they should be able to play against any team.

"In my eyes, when you reach an agreement to let a player go, whether that's on loan or a permanent transfer, they should be allowed to play," the Catalan told reporters at Finch Farm this morning.

"I don't see how it's healthy not allowing a player to play against a parent club. If you make the decision to allow a player to go, it's because for that season, for whatever reason, everyone is happy to see the player at another club.

Drawing comparisons with the Thibault Courtois situation in the Champions League this week where the goalkeeper played for Atletico Madrid against parent club Chelsea, Martinez continued, "I think the fairest way is what we see in European competition and see a player fully focused on the team where he is and then, at the end of the season, it will be a case of reassessing the situation."

"The domestic laws should be the same as the European laws," he concluded.

Regarding the clash with City itself, Martinez insisted that his players want to finish with as many points as possible and that they will not be rolling over for Manuel Pellegrini's men as they seek to pip Liverpool for the Premier League title.

"I don't think there is any doubt about the integrity of our football club towards the league, we are a club who want to win every single game.

We are not that sort of football club," Martinez said. "The values we have as a football club mean we would never contemplate not to give our all in a game, especially when we have so much to fight for.

"I don't think there is any doubt about the integrity of our football club towards the league, we are a club who want to win every single game.

"They are precious points for us and we can't really afford not to give everything we have got for every point we have got left.

"If that adds some spice in the twists and turns of the title race so be it.

"As to helping other teams, that is not the way we do our work. It is not as if we are coming out on the pitch to do anyone a favour."

Quotes sourced from BBC Sport





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