Pereira: ‘I’m disappointed with how I’ve been treated’

Winger Michael Pereira has once again revealed his frustration with the Real Mallorca Board of Directors. The Frenchman has spent his summer break criticising Director of Football Serra Ferrer for not meeting with him to discuss an improvement to his current contract. When Pereira last announced his discontent at the end of the season, Serra Ferrer commented that he is still in contract and wasn’t willing to accept the pressures of his representitive.

But it seems that time hasn’t been a great healer as Pereira, who has returned to preseason training, was keen to underline that he was still unhappy on Friday. ‘I am here today because I am a professional but that does not change what I think. I’m still very disappointed with what happened last season and I’m disappointed with the treatment I’ve received,’ the 24-year-old revealed.

‘The last time I spoke to Serra Ferrer he said he was very happy and proud to have me on his team. He said I was carrying out a big role but then I read in the press that I’ve had a bad season. I don’t understand.’ Pereira went on to say that ‘the damage has been done,’ and that he doesn’t expect anything from the club because ‘they would have done something already.’

Pereira has made it somewhat of a habit of turning to the media. Negatively influenced by disruptive agent Nikola Franco, the pair first caused trouble in the signing of his first professional contract when Franco claimed Pereira had to take out a bank loan which he had to endorse because Mallorca wouldn’t offer him a professional deal. It later emerged that Franco had actually tried to hold the club to ransom over a £415,000 agent fee.

He then threatened the club in November 2011 that he would leave in the winter transfer window if he wasn’t given more first team appearances. After being handed those chances, he then said he expected to leave this summer immediately after the final game of the season.

It is behaviour which has drawn criticism from his teammate Emilio Nsue, who fumed, ‘fuck any player who says he plays by his agent‘. Club President Jaume Cladera has also said, ‘if we need to talk, we do it in the offices. We do not go to the media.’

Pereira currently has two years remaining on his £3,200 per week deal.