Goa polls: Joining 'outsider' TMC was mistake, says Lourenco; hints at returning to Cong camp
Panaji(PTI): Weeks after he walked out of the Congress fold, joined the Trinamool Congress and quit it a day before without assigning any reason, former Goa Congress working president Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco on Monday hinted at rejoining his parent party.
He has apologised to his supporters and well-wishers for committing the "mistake" of joining the Mamata Banerjee-led party ahead of the next month's Assembly polls.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji on Monday, Lourenco said he had to face severe backlash after deciding to join the TMC, which he said had promised a "new dawn".
He said his supporters were apprehensive that joining TMC would invite the outside party" to Goa which will split votes.
Lourenco had resigned as the MLA from Curtorim and also as a member of Congress last December to join the TMC. He was then working president of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee.
On Sunday, he resigned from TMC without assigning any reason in the letter that he sent to Banerjee informing her about his decision to leave TMC.
On Monday, he said that his decision to join the Mamata Banerjee-led party was a mistake and that he now wanted to be the same person whom people trust.
I have hurt many friends and also my near and dear supporters (by crossing over to TMC). I also hurt my family members and those who stood with me in thick and thin, he told reporters.
Lourenco said that he had decided to join the TMC in the interest of people because he was promised a new dawn.
I have fought for the people. I had raised their issues in the Legislative Assembly. I have worked for the people with my heart and mind, he said.
Speaking about his future political course, Lourenco said that his supporters have asked him to rejoin the Congress party.
Congress leader Michael Lobo has asked me to rejoin the Congress party. I will listen to what my people say, he said.
Goa is going to polls on February 14.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
