Marius uncovered

[Alex MacLeod]

Courtesy of the Highland News

Is Nessie new ICT striker's other goal?

By Donald Wilson

Published:  18 August, 2007

A ROMANIAN football website is suggesting Caley Thistle?s new star Romanian international Marius Niculae could spend his spare time Nessie-hunting.

Hundreds of diehard supporters have been logging on to a link from the club site to a Romanian one but have been left scratching their heads wondering what it?s all about ? especially as there?s a prominent picture of Nessie.

Now the Highland News has had it translated for our readers.

The article says in his spare time Marius might try to succeed where millions of tourist have failed ? locating the elusive Nessie ?the famous monster of Loch Ness?.

Slightly less flattering perhaps is a reference to Inverness Caley Thistle as ?the illustrious nobody? of Scottish football.

The story also confirms the 26 year-old striker could be setting his sights on ultimately playing in the English Premiership.

Caley Thistle?s director of football Graeme Bennett made no secret of the fact when the club signed international that it could probably be simply a stepping stone for Niculae.

For the benefit of the fans, the HN has arranged this translation of the article on Marius:

?Niculae refused the Turks from Bursaspor and chose Scotland, which has the toughest championship in the whole Europe.

?The former judoka will not join Celtic or Rangers, but the illustrious nobody, Inverness Caledonian.

?The Scottish club is younger than Niculae. It was founded in 1994, when the Romanian was already 13 years old. In 2004, Inverness moved into the Premier League of Scotland, and, at the beginning of this year, the management of the team had announced that they would recruit Hagi and Gica Popescu among its scouters. They were not successful. They were not successful, but they managed to bring Niculae, who will earn EUR 450,000 per season.

?'There is no shame in playing in Scotland at a small team. If I score there, I could end up at the Celtic or Rangers. I would actually like to end up in England after Inverness, because I like that championship very much. If I score 10- 15 goals, I move to the (England) Premier League,? stated Marius Niculae.

?Declared enemy of Steaua Bucharest, the ex-Dinamo goal getter will have to wear the red-blue colours.

?The transfer to Inverness is an adventure for Niculae. In his spare time, the Romanian could try what millions of tourists never succeeded: find Nessie, the famous monster of Loch Ness, the lake which is only two kilometres away from the stadium Niculae will be playing at.?

Despite what the website says, Niculae?s wages are believed to be in the region of ?200,000 (300,000 euros).

[Yngwie]

Now the Highland News has had it translated for our readers.

Aye, using a crappy online translation website just like someone did on here about a month ago to the very same Romanian article!

[Harry Chibber]

Despite what the website says, Niculae?s wages are believed to be in the region of ?200,000 (300,000 euros).

my @rse

correct me if I'm wrong but on a 2 year contract that equates to over ?8000 a month

[Kingsmills]

Or much the same as we were offering Craig Dargo.

[Alex MacLeod]

.........or ?2000 a week.

[Harry Chibber]

I suppose it's not too bad when you look at weekly... still some amount of cash though :029:

[caleyboy]

Here we go again.

What he earns has absolutely nothing to do with anyone but himself and his employers.  :018:

If his contract was kept confidential in the first place, it would not be causing any problems in the dressing room.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

If Marius needs help we can always loan him out a submarine and perhaps Mike Smith would be the perfect bait to drop into the depths of Loch Ness.

[Mee]

Jeez, we don't want to poison her, she's one of the biggest tourist attractions in the area!!!  :001:

[ictchris]

the Highland News is a shocking rag.

In a semi-Niculae related memory, I recall watching Scotland lose to Romania during the Vogts era in the Phoenix, although the game was somewhat ruined by the chief sports writer or whatever job title he had that week of the HN hog-whimperingly drunk shouting 'ROMANIA?  ******* ROMANIA, HOW CAN WE LOSE TO ******* ROMANIA, THEY'RE ******* *****" at the telly.  Evidently the years of talented Romanian teams had passed this gent by.