English Premiership
Livid Lampard calls radio show
2009-04-24 17:35
Don't call me scum (File)
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London - England and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard made an angry call to a radio program on Friday to hit back at criticism of his personal life on the anniversary of his mother's death.
Lampard called London radio station LBC after his sister said the presenter portrayed him as "scum" for splitting with his fiancee Elen Rives and was a bad father to their two young daughters.
The phone-in debate had been prompted by an interview given by Rives to a newspaper reporter in a bar.
Lampard claimed the Spaniard was drunk and did not know she was speaking to a journalist when complaining about the collapse of her relationship and having to move into a small flat with their daughters Luna, 2, and Isla, 1.
"You don't know anything about me and you're insinuating I'm weak and scum because I haven't fought tooth and nail (to save the relationship)," Lampard told LBC DJ James O'Brien. "The hardest part of this whole break up for me is not waking up with my kids every day.
"I hope one day that your wife or your girlfriend doesn't come to you and say, 'I don't want to be with you anymore and unfortunately that means you won't see the kids for a few days a week.' That will hurt with you as well but you'd have to deal with it."
The 30-year-old Lampard said the death of his mother Pat a year ago from pneumonia has had a "huge impact" on his life and his relationship with Rives.
He added that the radio program was a source of "distress" for him and his sister.
"It's the anniversary of my mum's death, so do you think my sister needs to hear you saying things like that on a radio station?" Lampard asked.
Chelsea plays the first leg of its Champions League semifinal against Barcelona next week and will face Everton in the FA Cup final next month.