Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Play Off - Second Leg - Benfica v Fenerbahce - Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal - August 27, 2025 Benfica's Leandro Barreiro in action with Fenerbahce's Dominik Livakovic REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
Dec 12 (Reuters) - Girona manager Michel said on-loan goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic has refused to play for the club because he wants to keep his options open for another move that will improve his chances of playing for Croatia at the World Cup next year.
Livakovic, who has made 71 appearances for 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia, joined the Spaniards on loan from Fenerbahce in September following the arrival of Ederson at the Turkish side.
The 30-year-old has played twice for Fenerbahce this season but has yet to feature for Girona, with Paulo Gazzaniga being Michel's preferred option between the sticks.
Under governing body FIFA's rules, a player can register with three clubs during a season but can only play for two.
"Livakovic is a spectacular person, but he has a timeline with objectives different from Girona's," Michel said. "He needs to play for the World Cup, not for Girona."
"He told me this himself, he is a sincere person. He told me he didn't want to be here, that he wanted to play for another team because if he played with Girona, he wouldn't be able to play for another team."
Reuters has contacted Livakovic's management agency for comment.
Michel said Livakovic had refused to play in a 2-1 defeat by third-tier side Ourense in the Copa del Rey this month, with Gazzaniga having to play through illness.
"He was supposed to play, and he told me he wouldn't," the Spanish manager added.
"Gazzaniga played in Ourense with the flu and a fever of 38 degrees. Right now, I only have one goalkeeper available ... until the winter transfer window, I know we have a problem."
Girona, who finished third in the 2023-24 LaLiga season, are 18th in the standings with 12 points.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Nashik, India; Editing by Peter Rutherford and Thomas Derpinghaus)
