Money it's a hit -- Players get kicked around with transfers galore

Money it's a hit -- Players get kicked around with transfers galore
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Paris, July 30: Football players become celebrities and attain demi-god stature worldwide but in reality are dwarfs in front of money and politics as seen in some of the recent high-profile European club transfers.

Leading clubs were busy this week finalising the departure and arrival of many of their players as it is considered normal to trade them in order to strengthen the teams ahead of the next season.

But this year's pre-season transfers were quite unusual and marked by inflated claims, pressure tactics, acrimonious bargains and a sense of betrayal, thereby raising questions over where the game is heading to.

The hard reality was leading players, including Portuguese midfielder Luis Figo, French star Nicolas Anelka, Argentinian maestro Fernando Redondo and many others, became pawns in the football world ruled by money and politics.

The deal of the season was when Portuguese star midfielder Figo moved from Barcelona to Real Madrid. Figo became the World's most expensive footballer after he was traded for a whopping $56 million between the two Spanish football clubs.

Anyone who has seen Figo's magic in the recently-concluded Euro 2000 would agree that he is worth the deal. For years, he was the backbone of the Catalan team's midfield and helping the team to win many laurels.

But his sudden departure shocked Barcelona fans as well as new president Joan Gaspart who felt betrayed by Figo.

``I am not going to forget this. Someone who does this to me will pay for it,'' an angry Gaspart said.

Figo became a central piece in the Real Madrid's club politics also. Apparently the new president of Real, Florentino Perez, struck a deal with Figo before the elections and promised the club members to bring the Portuguese star, which influenced the voting. On the other side Barcelona accused Figo of greed.

Figo retorted. ``They (Barca officials) did not want a dialogue. They thought only of the club and I thought only of myself,'' Figo was quoted as saying in the football website soccernet.com. The transfer saga did not end there.

Real had to pay a price for staging a coup with Figo's arrival. The club is already believed to be in deep financial crisis with debts of over $250 million and scouting for ways to balance the recent deal. Again the victims were Real's existing football players.

Real finally managed to sell French striker Nicolas Anelka to Paris St Germain for a deal worth more than $30 million and thereafter shocked its fans by disposing Argentine midfield maestro Redondo.

Shocked Real fans staged a demo in the club premises for sacrificing Redondo, who spent last six years with the club. He has been an inspirational player in the multi-national Real outfit. Even some Real players did not favour his departure to AC Milan for a deal worth $17 million.

At the same time, English player Steve MacManaman became other casualty of Figo's arrival at the Real as the club has indicated he is no longer wanted in Madrid. McManaman, who scored a goal in Champions League final this year, was reluctant to move away but he has no choice.

English Premiership club Arsenal hit the jackpot by selling Dutch midfielder March Overmars and Emmanuel Petit, the French defender to Barcelona for a deal worth more than $50 million.

But both the players were happy to accept the deal. On the contrary, French first division club Bordeaux put the French striker Sylvan Wiltord's future in a limbo as they refused to accept an offer from Arsenal.

Wiltord scored the crucial equalising goal in France's Euro 20000 final against Italy. While Wiltord is keen to join the other French legions, like Thierry Henry and Patirick Viera, in Arsenal there is no green light from Bordeaux so far. In protest, Wiltord is not practicing with the Bordeaux team.

Brazilian forward Ronaldo, playing for the Italian club Inter Milan, expressed the desire of going to the Brazilian club Flamengo on a loan until he recovers from his knee injury. But the club refused. Till recentlly regarded as the World's best player, Ronaldo had to swallow the insult.

Some are less fortunate than the others. AC Milan, which bought Redondo, terminated the contract of Liberian striker George Weah, who played an influential role for the team in recent years. Weah was not happy but had little option than to look for other teams with lesser pay.