Soccer club and player deny rift over lottery win comment

Roberto Batres, a forward for second division side Alcoyano, put a message on his Facebook account last Sunday announcing he was off for vacation in Madrid. "I'm cleaning the house and packing my case to go home tomorrow and if I win the Christmas lottery, bollocks am I coming back."

The incident was reported by Efe news agency after it learned that Alcoyano had told Batres his services would not be required in January, attributing the termination of his contract to the missive. Both club and player later denied the agency's report and stated that the parting of ways was due to sporting matters.

"The agency lied," the club said in statement. "It's a case of a journalist who has not spoken to the club or to me putting his foot in it," said Batres. "On Saturday, after the match against Murcia, the coach spoke to me and told me they are looking for a new striker and that I should look for a new club. I was signed as a center forward but I prefer to play further back, including as a center midfielder. That's part of the reason why things haven't worked out for me."

Of his online comment, Batres assured that he had made it "as any employee would, as a joke, 'if I win the lottery I'm retiring'."

Alcoyano sporting director Tony Torres concurred: "Anybody can say something like that in a familiar atmosphere. The reasons for letting him go are unrelated and we told him that before the comment."

"The main thing is to reach an agreement," added Batres. "I just want to play" - and to win Thursday's lottery.