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'I'll hate him for the rest of my life': Gabriel Agbonlahor slams Roberto Di Matteo for treatment of Stiliyan Petrov after then-Aston Villa manager 'refused to give midfielder a new contract' when he had recovered from leukaemia

Gabriel Agbonlahor says he will 'hate Roberto Di Matteo for the rest of my life' after he didn't offer Stiliyan Petrov a new contract following his recovery from leukaemia.

Di Matteo was Aston Villa manager in 2016 when Bulgarian midfielder Petrov wanted to return to playing having overcome the life-threatening illness.

Petrov, then 37, returned to training with Villa's first team during pre-season ahead of the 2016-17 campaign but, to his astonishment, was told by Di Matteo that he wouldn't be part of his squad and was offered a coaching job instead.

Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor says he still 'hates' Roberto Di Matteo for not offering leukaemia survivor Stiliyan Petrov as new contact in 2016
Di Matteo told Petrov in the summer fo 2016 he wouldn't be part of his playing squad and offered him a coaching role at Villa instead
Bulgarian midfielder Petrov had recovered from leukaemia having been diagnosed in 2012

And striker Agbonlahor, a team-mate of Petrov at Villa, still hasn't forgiven the Italian manager for the snub.