Hibs chairman Rod Petrie today moved to rubbish reports that the signing of Moroccan wizard Merouane Zemmama wasn't all that it seemed.
Hibs snapped up the player on a 5-year-deal last week and reports had been circulating in the
It was also claimed that Zemmama's paperwork was forged and that this was connected to the Moroccan mafia!!!!
Hibs chairman Rod Petrie today moved to deny these reports by saying:
"We approached the signing of Zemmama in the same way as we approach the signing of any player.
"Obviously the paperwork was more extensive because of the requirement for a work permit. We submitted the documentation to the SFA as it is up to them to obtain international clearance; that is a procedure between the national associations and is not something a club is involved in."
"We were told he was fully registered, he was our player. The international transfer certificate transfers the player's registration from the country he was last registered in to the SFA. It is part of the regulations that such a certificate is unconditional - you either get it or you do not."
"Our only approach to life is to comply with the rules and have cordial relationships with everyone else in football.
"We are very tough and hard negotiators but at the end of the day we want to maintain the football friendly environment that exists.
"We are disappointed to be in dispute with another club but that seems to have arisen after we complied with all steps and after we were told by our national association that the player was ours and ours to play.
"If we had any doubt he would not have played against Inverness or Motherwell, it is as simple as that."
Good news!