Voronin future in doubt
Andrey Voronin's loan spell at Fortuna Dusseldorf could be cut short after a disagreement with coach Norbert Meier.
The Ukrainian striker, 33, was left out of the squad for the 1-0 DFB-Pokal win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on Wednesday and has complained that he doesn't feel part of the team.
The former Liverpool striker was one of Dusseldorf's key signings after promotion to the Bundesliga this summer, with Meier a huge factor in his decision to leave Dinamo Moscow.
"Norbert Meier [the Dusseldorf coach] was my first coach in Germany, I have known him for many years," Voronin said at the time, and vowed "to play his best football" for the club.
But the Dusseldorf coach has come to think that Voronin's best football is not enough. After omitting Voronin from the squad ahead of the cup match Meier explained: "Sometimes you have to set an example, if you don't agree with a player's performance."
Voronin has played eight Bundesliga games for Dusseldorf so far, but has failed to make a major impression on his team. In Dusseldorf's 1-4 defeat to Wolfsburg 45,000 fans watched Voronin argue with his team-mates instead of running back to help defend.
And he was singled out for criticism in the German press following his below-par performance, leading to questions about his inclusion for the game against Leverkusen on Sunday, a subject he refused to discuss when questioned on Thursday.
"It is up to the coach. I feel out of place with the team." he said. Voronin also refused to answer questions about his future at the club, adding: "That's also not my business. That's up to my agent."
Dusseldorf general manager Wolf Werner, 70, attempted to smooth over the situation by insisting the club remains confident in Voronin's ability.
"Of course, we hoped for more but sometimes you can't rush things," he said. "You really believe Voronin is pleased with his situation? He has to give an answer on the pitch now. I am confident he will do so. We have not doubts about him"
