Al Fayed blasts back at former manager Hughes

Oct 24, 2011, 12:29 GMT

London - Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed hit out at former manager Mark Hughes on Monday, labelling him a 'strange man' and a 'flop.'

The former Manchester City manager quit Craven Cottage in the summer amid speculation linking him with the vacant position at Aston Villa, which eventually went to Alex McLeish.

'What a strange man Mark Hughes is,' said Al Fayed in a statement. 'Sacked by Manchester City, he was becoming a forgotten man when I rescued him to become manager of Fulham Football Club.

'He fully negotiated a two-year extension to his contract. On the day he was due to sign, he walked out without the courtesy of a proper explanation.

'And now he insults the club, saying it lacks ambition, and the players who delivered an eighth position finish last season and a place in the Europa League. He is not just disrespectful but entirely wrong.'

He insisted Fulham had always wanted Martin Jol, who replaced Hughes. 'If people are looking for a flop, they only have to look no further than the man who has lost his spark,' Al Fayed went on.

Hughes had made his comments in an interview in the Mirror, insisting he had never expected the Villa job.

'It was a point in time where I felt my ambition for where I wanted to take the club was not matched,' he said.

'Historically, Fulham was a club that was happy to be in the Premier League and that was their ambition, but it was not my ambition for them.'

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