Reality: Why did Kessany leave?

Real story of what happened in Zestafoni.

Ernest Akouassaga and Paul Kessany

Have you seen the serial "Footballers' Wives"? It's hard to say what actually happens behind the scenes of English football clubs, though conflicts, tension and sometimes fistfights is not a rarity. So don't be surprised with what you learn from our story...

Paul Kessany lodged a complaint with FIFA and accused Georgians - Zestafoni residents in general and his own teammates in particular - of racial slurs. He provided photos as well to prove he had been beaten while in the club ...

And what actually happened in ZESTAFONI? What photos did Kessany present? Was he actually beaten in the club? We looked into the matter carefully to see what lies behind the official comment and this is what we learned:
Let's agree that when embittered one may start swearing and say whatever comes into his mouth. This is not to justify swearing but we would never think it could be directly associated with racism. Though it does depend on the gravity of swearing...
In spring the captain of Gabon National Team did kick off a fight in ZESTAFONI. No sooner had he arrived in Georgia he picked up Georgian, especially swear words like "f... your mother". It was with these words that he addressed one of his team members during the play. We would like to add that we heard this story in the club but no one disclosed who Kessany had had a conflict with.
The first time the Gabonese swore was taken as a thoughtless behaviour but he repeated the same twice, and to the same team member at that. That's why the conflict between Kessany and one of the ZESTAFONI footballers arose, and of course the Gabonese got it for that, though it does not at all mean that he was beaten, he too punched him back. Nevertheless, the sluggers quickly made it up and the things between them got back to normal.
More interesting events were unfolding in parallel with the above. Back in January Kessany's manager conducted negotiation with ZESTAFONI. Several clubs showed interest in him while he played in the Gabon National Team. They offered him better conditions than ZESTAFONI did. Negotiation between the club and the manager ended unsuccessfully - the African was a valuable purchase for ZESTAFONI, and accordingly, the team wouldn/t let him go.
Kessany and his manager often got in touch with each other and they realized that they couldn't just slip away from the ZESTAFONI club. Therefore, they changed tactics. This time the Club offered him an increase in salary. The club had a contract with him till 2010 setting out Kessany's pay in no uncertain terms.
From a legal standpoint ZESTAFONI is right but from a tactical standpoint it was worth increasing salary to a key player. As we learned the plan would have come into effect from the new season.
In any case Kessany realised he couldn't leave the team or to be more precise, lost all hopes for better future. That's exactly when he had a fight with his teammate. We'd like to repeat that it was a single combat during which not only Kessany was hurt but also the one who had taken offence at Kessany's swearing.
After the incident Kessany left for Gabon, played in the National Team and came back to a "racist" Georgia. During this period he shocked his teammates by having a photo taken half nude but no one guessed what was on his mind. It was then that his manager and he thought of a "racist" plan to get away from ZESTAFONI.
A short time thereafter ZESTAFONI won the Georgian Cup Final. Kessany again left for his home country, played in the National Team and ... With the photos taken in Zestafoni he returned to his home land but never returned to Georgia for the preparatory stage...

Ilia Kokaia: "Kessany will be severely punished for this adventure..."

FC Zestafoni's President Ilia Kokaia

There is nothing to get in the way of the truth. We are going to defend ZESTAFONI. We just tried to clarify the actual situation. We have the impression that Kessany is trying, on windblown charges, to terminate the contract with ZESTAFONI and sign a much more profitable contract in Israel. We asked Ilia Kokaia, the ZESTAFONI President for an interview in regard to the said matter...
- Mr. Ilia what can you say in regard to the Kessany matter?
- On 10th of December the FIFA Committee governing the status and transfer matters of players is discussing so called "Kessany matter". I am sure the Gabonese will make answer for everything.
- To tell the truth, racism is a heavy allegation. Both FIFA and UEFA take it very seriously...
- You are right, but one of the high ranking FIFA officials on a visit to Georgia told us that some Africans often use it as a pretext. They already know what has actually happened and thus, Kessany should not have any hope for winning the action. He hadn't been a captain in the Gabonian Team. It was then that his manager and he thought of a "racist" plan to get away from ZESTAFONI. and hadn't had a stable place in the regular players' team before he arrived in Georgia. He played up and got a captain later. It is after he had arrived in Georgia that some offered him to play in their teams, so Kessany thought over a plan to get away with his contractual obligations.
-  As far as we have learnt Kessany’s manager contacted you still at the beginning of the year...
- Yes, I talked to him and explained that Kessany was a wanted player in ZESTAFONI; that we hoped for playing in the European Cup games and couldn’t do without the African...
- And did the player asked for pay increase?
- No, he didn’t. Such proposal was made by us as we thought that Kessany was a useful player. Though one shall deserve to have a pay increase and we should have made ourselves sure that Kessany was doing better, and thereafter we would negotiate new conditions.
- So, did you increase the pay?
- He got away, lodged a complaint against us and signed a contract with the other club. So, there was no good to carry on negotiations?! I think he will be punished for such adventure.
- The thing must be that the level of Georgian championship and the conditions in the club fail to meet the requirements...
- If you really think that he had bad conditions in here, you are wrong. Many other clubs will not give him such a high pay.
- Did you finally accept the idea of Vieira leaving?
- Yes, we did. He asked to return back to his home land. His brother would have been another Ronaldinho unless one morning he wouldn’t have woken up paralyzed below his waist. It was not easy leave the own brother in such a situation. In short, we didn’t hold him back.
- It’s obvious that the team has been staffed with younger players...
- We wish to maintain these players. They shall make a strong team, they are sensible...

Lasha Kiknavelidze, the ZESTAFONI fan club activist asked himself to make comments:
’’...... Kessany was the first one who congratulated my family a New Year. We were friends and he was crazy about Georgia... I took him to the restaurants, wedding parties... I didn’t know that such relationship with a person was racism. Actually we all know that he wanted to leave? He hurt us by raising the claim. “

The matter lies in the situation in our wretched country. If Kessany had played in England, Spain or Italy and had dealt with real racial slurs, he wouldn’t have expressed his wish to leave the club and terminate the million dollar contract?