Senegal international Papiss Cisse is not going back on his concerns over the new Newcastle United shirt sponsored by a loans firm Wonga and the striker has been forced to train by himself.
The Wonga shirt sponsorship row has taken its toll out of the harmony at the Tyne side club as Cisse was banished to the gym on Saturday when he turned up for training.
Reports claim Cisse has offered to wear a charity logo on his shirt and training gear instead of Wonga’s- a high-interest payday loans company- because gambling is forbidden in Islam and the striker does not want to benefit from a money lending company.
He was told to stay away from training until the dispute had been resolved, but did not and was sent away, according to The Mirror.
However, Cisse’s teammate Hatem Ben Arfa, another practicing Muslim, does not seem bothered by the club’s partnership with Wonga as he has been training with the shirt.
In October 2012, high-interest payday loans company Wonga signed a £24m shirt sponsorship deal with Newcastle in a move that was said to have sparked anger from some politicians and fans, worried that the deal could project the wrong image of the club. It is said the contract is worth around £8m a year to the Tyne side club.
