RIO DE JANEIRO, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Flamengo coach Joel Santana said Friday that former Argentine international midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme does not deserve to play with the Rio de Janeiro club.
The comments followed Riquelme's decision to reject an offer to join Flamengo after reportedly being dissuaded by the team's 3-0 loss to Corinthians on Wednesday.
"Any player who says he can't play for a fan base like ours doesn't deserve to wear the club's colors," Santana said.
Riquelme announced his decision to leave Argentina's Boca Juniors following the team's 3-1 aggregate loss to Corinthians in the Copa Libertadores final earlier this month.
The former Barcelona and Villarreal star has also reportedly received offers from Brazil's Cruzeiro and China's Shanghai Shenhua, coached by Riquelme's compatriot and friend Sergio Batista.