Midfielder Terry Antonis is reportedly keen to stay with Sydney FC, despite having signed a deal with Serie A club Parma. Picture: Brett Costello Source: DailyTelegraph
MIDFIELDER Terry Antonis has turned his back on a move to Italian club Parma and now wants to stay with Sydney FC, according to Sky Blues coach Frank Farina.
But the Young Socceroo captain is still caught in a contract hiatus, having apparently signed a deal with the Serie A club before getting the injury that ruled him out of last month's youth World Cup.
Antonis will not travel to Italy with the rest of the Sydney squad for a pre-season camp on Friday, as he continues a long recovery from a quad he tore the day before Paul Okon's Australia squad left for the U20 World Cup.
Farina admitted that Antonis's legal situation remained uncertain, but said the player's intention was now to stay in the A-League.
"That's still a bit of a curved one - he supposedly has a signed contract with Parma but he wants to stay now," Farina said. "Can he get out of it, or can he not? At the moment I'm not 100 per cent sure. The kid wants to stay, and I always said I thought he should. He was captain of the U20s and going to Parma, the world was his oyster. All of a sudden he tears a quad, he's a way off (being fit) and no one from Parma has rung him."
Striker Blake Powell will also miss the Italian trip with a knee problem that may require minor surgery to fix.
"We'll find out today or tomorrow (if Powell needs the operation), but I don't think he'll travel to Italy, along with Terry Antonis," Farina said. "Blake wants to go, he told me he started last year with it and nursed it through but that's the problem - I want him fit for the start of the season.
"He's still got 10 weeks to go, and there's plenty of time for him to hit the ground sprinting once he does start."
The full itinerary of Sydney's trip sees them play six games in total, with three earmarked for the Sky Blues' likely second-string players. The tour opens against Padova, Alessandro Del Piero's first professional club, on August 7.
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