27th June 2001
Now it's Norwich after Libbra
Canaries linked with bid for Hibs target
(Stuart Crowther)

THE CONTINUING SAGA OF MARC LIBBRA took another couple of twists over the last 24 hours, with his French side Toulouse launching yet another bid to extricate themselves from their domestic problems while leaking news of another bid from an English club for Marc Libbra.

It remains to be seen if the latest 'firm offer' for Libbra proves to be little more than the vapour of previous offers from Celtic and Leeds United, but this morning Toulouse are letting it be known that Norwich City have tabled a £500,000 bid for Libbra, the Carrow Road boss Nigel Worthington apparently ready to swoop in and pinch Libbra from under the very nose of a patient Hibs managing director Rod Petrie.

Toulouse have failed in two appeals to have their relegation to Division 3 in France overturned, both in the courts and to the football authorities, but now the club are preparing yet another appeal.  This time they are asking the CNOSF, a non-sporting body in France with no ruling powers, to recommend that the French
Football Federation's Financial Directorate permit them a further appeal.  An increasingly desperate Toulouse club president Jacques Rubio said yesterday: "So far we still have not received the DNCG's reasons for their decision to relegate us to the third division so we have lodged an appeal to the CNOSF."

Rod Petrie - patience

Toulouse remain hopeful that the DNCG will reverse their decision which is based on the £7m debt of the club, which they believe will make it impossible for Toulouse to operate in the second division next season.  To support their appeal, Rubio insists that they club have further backers in addition to Alain Afflelou, who said last week that he would under certain conditions be prepared to underwrite the debt.  Rubio said: "We are currently in the process of finding new partners around Afflelou, then we'll present solid contracts to the DNCG."  While Toulouse had their appeal to the French Courts (The Conseil d'Etat) thrown out last week, when the club claimed that other clubs had acted illegally, Rubio insists that they were not in the wrong, saying: "The Conseil d'Etat did not consider we were completely wrong, they recognised our rights."

In the middle of all of this, Hibs must attempt to negotiate a deal that would bring Libbra to Easter Road, the stated desire of the player himself who is being caught in the middle of what has become something of a French farce.

Elsewhere today Hibs look closer to confirming the signing of Alen Orman from Antwerp ahead of pre-season training at Easter Road starting tomorrow.  Negotiations with Alan Smart also continue, with hopes remaining high that the Watford striker will be at the club by the end of the week.  Meanwhile former Hibs midfielder Russell Latapy is reported to have been offered a deal by Rangers.  And another player released by the club, Dirk Lehamnn, confirmed his move to Brighton on a 1-year deal yesterday.