MONTREAL ā Didier Drogba wonāt go to Bologna on loan. But what about Laurent Ciman?
The Belgian international, one of the three finalists for MLS Defender of the Year, said on Wednesday that the Montreal Impact were āopenā to him going on loan this offseason, perhaps to former club Standard de LiĆØge, who currently need all the help they can get.
Ciman insisted, however, that nothing is set in stone. Mrs. Ciman, for one, isnāt even part of the discussion yet.
āIāll see,ā Ciman told reporters. āFirst, I need the green light from the missus. And if the missus green lights this, weāll see what opportunities there are for me. If I have to make sacrifices in my family life, the rest has to follow.ā
Ciman, who joined Montreal for family reasons after playing half of the 2014-15 season at Standard, has been working non-stop for a year and a half now ā he was also in Belgiumās 2014 FIFA World Cup squad. But the idea of a four-month-long offseason still puts him off.
A two-week vacation is what heās used to, Ciman said with a smile.
āNot playing for such a long time, thatās never happened to me,ā Ciman said. āThe club is open. After that, weāll see under what conditions.ā
Added interim head coach Mauro Biello: āObviously, we want to focus on Sundayās game. When we get an offer from a team, weāll discuss it. For now, we havenāt had any offers. For me, those are rumors. Our focus is Sundayās game.ā
Ciman is one of two Montreal nominees for the league's year-end awards, the other being Drogba, whoās up for Newcomer of the Year. Coincidentally, rumors have swirled around linking Drogba to a loan spell at Bologna, Impact president Joey Saputoās other club.
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But Montreal released a statement on Tuesday morning denying those rumors, which were an unwelcome distraction before Leg 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal against Columbus Crew SC on Sunday. Drogba himself had a bit of a laugh about it during training on Wednesday, shouting that he was āoff to Bologna for pasta bolognese.ā
āItās the end of the season,ā Impact captain Patrice Bernier said. āI donāt focus on whatās going to happen with Didier or whatever. Thierry Henry went on loan, others too. We are focusing on finishing this season, on playing. Then, when itās done, guys want to maintain their top shape. The club has confirmed that it wouldnāt happen. Right now, everyoneās thinking about the next game.ā