Hearts boss slams 'childish' Kenichi

Accra Hearts of Oak chief executive Vincent Odotei has urged Kenichi Yatsuhashi to stop acting ‘childish’ as the feud between the Japanese and the Phobians escalates.

A planned meeting between Yatsuhashi and the club’s management was called off today after the Japanese said he needed to focus on their Ghana Premier League game on Wednesday.

The Phobians have looked vulnerable in the last few weeks and are winless in three games including Saturday’s defeat in the MTN FA Cup against Samartex.

The dip in form has coincided in a public war of words which has been fought on facebook and radio.

Odotei says Yatsuhashi ‘has to be honest with himself and stop the childish behaviour’ after the coach took to Facebook to lay out his problems with the club.

The Japanese claimed on Facebook that he had not been paid for two months and says he rejected the payment when it was made because the club still owes the players and technical staff.

The comments have infuriated the Hearts management with Odotei leading the fightback. “He must be honest with himself and stop this childish behaviour. The things that Kenichi has taken this club management and board through you have no idea. He has refused to attend technical meeting with the board and refffered to him as useles in an email,” he said.

“He has walked out, banged the door and banged the table. He walked out on me in a management meeting. This is somebody who came from the USA and wanted to be paid $1600. This has been going on for months but we have kept quiet. The winning bonuses we have given them is unimaginable."

Odotei has also disputed the claims that the Japanese has rejected his salary in solidarity with the players and technical staff and called that a blatant lie and is adamant the club has treated the present players with great dignity.

Yatsuhashie’s facebook post over the weekend was explosive and sought to pitch the club’s management against fans by danming the club the club is managed while praising the fans.

“My heart is with Accra Hearts of Oak. My motivation is our Hearts supporters; as long as the supporters of Hearts support me and trust me to guide our club to success, I will do and have always done my best.

“The road is a long winding road; there are hills and rivers we must climb and we must swim, but I believe, together with our supporters, we can over come any set backs and difficulties we may face.

“I thank our supporters. Without them, I wouldn't be here today.”