Despite repeated pleas from officials and football fans not to desert Mohun Bagan, Brazilian striker Jose Barreto said he is returning home, possibly this weekend.
"I'm leaving as soon as possible. Most probably, I'll board the flight the coming weekend," the footballer, who played a key role in Bagan's three National Football League triumphs, told a crowded press conference in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Alleging that club officials misbehaved with its players for the past four or five months, Barreto said he had taken up cudgels not for himself, but for the cause of all Indian players.
"Since coming to India, one of my aims has been to see the development of soccer in this country. The hard decision I've taken will benefit all players in future," said the footballer, regarded as one of the best foreigners ever to have played on Indian soil.
Barreto, however, said he may return to India, but did not give a specific answer when asked whether he would play for a Kolkata club or try his luck in Goa.
Barreto, who expressed a sense of hurt and anguish, also turned sentimental at times during the press meet, said he was now not in the proper mental and psychological frame to turn out on the soccer field.
Barreto, who has stopped going to the club and attending practice sessions for a week, said "after what I have endured for the past 4-5 months, I don't have any heart to continue."
The popular soccer star said he was yet to receive his salary for the last two months, and Rs 15 lakh of the total contract amount for the season was outstanding.
Barreto categorically said that he would not move FIFA, but felt that the Bagan officials were free to take the matter to world football's governing body if they felt that he was guilty of a breach of contract.
"But they cannot force me to play. If they accuse me of not keeping my side of the contract, I can also say that they have violated the agreement by not paying my salary on time," the prolific scorer said.
Barreto also contested the claim of club assistant general secretary Balaram Chowdhury that the footballer had refused to accept his dues on January 10, despite requests.
Without taking Chowdhury's name, Barreto said "an official, who came to my house, did not talk about money. He also did not bring any cheque. He only asked me to play."
Barreto also denied allegations that he was sabotaging the prospects of the club. "Those who know me well, will guarantee that I cannot stoop so low. I don't have any hidden agenda."
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