In a surprising turn of events, former Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham has abruptly ended his stint with Swansea City, refusing to participate in their season opener. The Frenchman’s decision, which came at the eleventh hour, has raised eyebrows and sparked discussions about his professional conduct.
Ntcham, once a promising talent at Celtic, was linked with high-profile moves away from the club during his peak. However, following a disastrous loan spell at Marseille, Celtic terminated his contract, leading to his subsequent move to Swansea. Unfortunately, this venture has also turned sour, as the player gets to sign for Samsunspor.
Yuksel Yildirim, the chief executive of Samsunspor, has hinted at a potential lifeline for Ntcham. In a recent Twitter post, Yildirim expressed optimism about an imminent “showtime” on Tuesday, presumably referring to Ntcham’s signing. WalesOnline has reported that a fee has been agreed upon between Swansea and Samsunspor, suggesting that Ntcham’s time in a Swans shirt is indeed over.
Yildirim’s tweet read, “We plan to start much better than where we left off after 11 years in the Super League. Now we will have a tumbler hawk… It flew, it flew, it’s almost time to say Ntcham flew… Good news, I hope there will be a showtime in Samsun on Tuesday…” The post was accompanied by three photos of Ntcham’s trademark backflip celebration, further fueling the speculation.
Swansea’s manager, Michael Duff, revealed that Ntcham had informed him on Friday evening that he did not wish to play against the Blues in the season opener. “Olivier was in the team yesterday morning and we got a phone call last night saying he didn’t want to play,” Duff said. “He was in the team last night. The players didn’t know until 1:20 this afternoon. He didn’t want to play so we couldn’t play him. It’s disappointing, but that’s football.”
Duff added, “He was in the shape of the team all week. You learn not to predict too much in football. You’ve got to be adaptable. Football works in funny ways. It gives someone else an opportunity.”
It’s purely speculative, but Celtic ripping up Ntcham’s contract and not looking to get any fee for him two years ago makes more sense if this is how the player conducts his business.
When the dust settles on his career, the goal he scored for the bhoys in Lazio will always be remembered. One of the most memorable European away nights in the club’s modern history.
