| Last week, an SPL tribunal controversially ruled on a technicality that Dundee were due nothing for the £1-million-plus defender, who moved to Ibrox under freedom of contract in July.
Rangers had initially offered £75,000 for Khizanishvili and, under league rules, were obliged to pay half of that figure in the summer.
Now that they have been told they are due nothing, a ruling which staggered Scottish football on Friday, Rangers are demanding cash back — plus interest.
It is a step that has stunned everyone at Dens Park, but club officials were maintaining their dignity today.
“I think we’ll let others judge Rangers actions on this matter,” was how spokesman Niall Scott put it.
Dundee remain determined to fight on in their bid for compensation for one of the best young players in the Scottish game and are set to take it to the SFA.
Turning to team news. Dundee will again be without Georgi Nemsadze against Dunfermline on Saturday.
The Georgain midfielder hasn’t played for the best part of a month due to a knee injury.
A trip to Switzerland to see a specialist confirmed that the problem didn’t require surgery, but Nemsadze will still be sidelined when Dundee make the trip to East End Park.
“Georgi has no chance of being fit for Saturday,” revealed boss Jim Duffy, who admitted that he wasn’t a big fan of the Pars’ new synthetic surface.
“It’s just like any other rule or regulation — it’s there so we have to deal with it,” added Jim.
“It’s not my preferred surface, but I’m not going to make a big deal about it, we just have to get on with it.”
The Dark Blues will visit Fife tomorrow to test out the new pitch ahead of the game. Whether Craig Burley is able to join their numbers remains to be seen. He picked up an ankle knock for the U/21s at Aberdeen on Monday and will be “assessed” over the next 48 hours.
Brent Sancho (thigh) and Garry Brady (Achilles) are also receiving treatment.
Meanwhile, Dundee defender Jonay Hernandez played for an hour of Venezuela’s 2-1 World Cup 2006 qualifier win against Bolivia.
Dundee today laughed off rumours that have been circulating in the last 36 hours concerning the positions of owners Peter and Jimmy Marr and team boss Jim Duffy. In what appears to be malicious gossip, various stories have had the Marr brothers and Duffy quitting, but club spokesman Niall Scott assured fans there was no truth in them whatsoever. |
