I wish we knew more. Let's assume for a moment that it was G. Kleiban who represented them. While he doesn't seem like the type of person who would be an agent, and despite his obvious character and personality flaws he's intellectually not dumb. He does understand the difference between €10,000 and say $50,000. Why would he allow his clients to sign for so little? Also, why would these clubs sign them for so little, given that the potential negative publicity could sour other prospects on signing with them. Maybe there are substantial incentives in the contracts? But no experienced agent would allow his client to sign for so little. Maybe he would allow them to sign for a bit less than the going market rates (with incentives), but not for such ridiculously low figures. Even if Kleiban won't talk I wonder if someone could get more information from Freiburg and Wolfsburg. This is such a baffling story.
Even if that were true the salaries they were signed for were revealed to the public. If you're an outstanding prospect would you trust a club that signed someone for €10,000? We still need more information to fully dissect this whole situation.
I guess that's possible, but I'd suggest the more likely explanation is that G. Kleiban is a rigid ideologue who felt it was best for his client to sign abroad no matter the monetary value of the offer.
This is the general consensus - while also adding he’s a piss poor negotiator. But not even being a trained agent and enforcing your ideology and judgment on teenagers who are just starting their careers is.. well, something
Even if Kleiban is that stupid (or seriously disturbed?) that still doesn't address why either club would allow a signing at such a low price. Of course clubs try to sign players as cheaply as possible, but if we're to believe the amounts quoted (€10,000) it's got to be way way below what they normally offer, so it sends a negative message to other prospects. We just don't have all the information needed to come to a final conclusion.
And also in this article: "I don’t have a name, but I’m told that Galaxy general manager Dennis te Klose, who was hired away from the Mexican national team program in December, will be bringing in a new academy director from south of the border."
You would have to be beyond the worst negotiator to allow the US Soccer young player of the year to go for that low a wage.
Something isn’t right here - no way we are getting the entire story. If a kid is dead set on going to Europe, then fine. I think we all agree it’s the best place for them to develop. That said, the deal and numbers being thrown out there don’t make any sense. I could understand if the players took less money than the Galaxy offered because their youth contract is probably shorter and if they earn a first team contract, it will more than make up the difference and be well over 100k. The issue I see with the MLS contracts are the clubs seem to lock these kids into the terms of the original HG deal. This is evident by Cannon at FCD still being on the wages he is, even after playing more minutes than anyone. This doesn’t happen in other leagues. Agents need to be a little more creative and find a balance between advancing a kids career and making sure they are being paid fairly based on talent level. There is so much wrong with the numbers being bantered about that it just simply doesn’t make sense. I find it hard to believe an agent, a player and the players parents could be this naive.
its officially being reported by yahoo sports that both the kleibans pushed both kids to sign in germany for about 1k a month. its unbelievable.
What it sounds like is they just switched from the Galaxy's academy system to the German teams' academy system where the German teams threw in a little extra money to sweeten the deal.
It's just a special situation. The kids are talented and have been with the Kleibans for a decade. They trust them but unfortunately good coach does not mean good agent. Even worse, they have an axe to grind.
We just don't have all the information. On its face, the deal(s) sound horrible, and it's hard to believe that the players and their families would be so naive to accept it. But there are other possibilities. Maybe the clubs said we're interested in them, but they're unproven, and nowhere near the level where we would offer a full salary. However, we'll stick them with the U19s for now, let them live in the dorms, acclimate to the culture and language, and if they show the level that's needed for the 1st team they'll get a full contract (guessing at least $200K). This scenario would still reflect poor representation, because agents have a duty to get decent $ upfront, even with promises of bigger contracts to come. Maybe the kids were convinced by Kleiban that they're so talented that their chances of making the 1st teams were at least 80-90%. Of course this is total speculation, but with such an obviously poor financial setup I'm thinking (hoping) for their sake there's something more to it than the $1,000/mo., or whatever it is.
lol no the galaxy offered a lot more their 'coach' and his brother who was their 'agent' told them to leave the galaxy for a fraction of the money. you can't have a coach and his brother undermining a club they apparently wanted brian out for a while but because he is a good coach they tried to work things out but just couldn't make it happen.
yahoo sports has an article up and the writer tweeted the amounts of 1k a month and the galaxy offering between 5 and 10x that much. the other issue is the clubs they ended up at. I mean mendez is supposed to be a stud...why did he sign at a little club for so little. Freiburg isn't going to pay anyone a ton if they don't have to they have the second lowest average wage in the league. the sign a small contract at first to get a big contract later sounds great but if you are so sure you are good...why not sign a bigger contract now and a bigger contract later too?
Nobody here is taking up for B. Kleiban. If he steered players away from the Galaxy (and to his brother, Gary) he clearly deserved to be terminated from the club. The discussion is about the contracts Mendez and Llanez signed. Beyond the apparently poor representation that Gary provided them their willingness to sign the lowest of lowball contracts just doesn't add up. Llanez senior is on Twitter and he seems like he has some awareness. Does Gary really cast a spell over everyone (including his brother)? As I said previously, we don't have all the information. Stay tuned...
The problem with situations like this is we rarely ever get the full information. People usually just speculate for as long as it’s a story and then they move on to the next controversy and/or reason to hate on the soccer community’s favorite whipping boys.
we do have the information do you think germany has a law that they have to pay dual nationals from other countries less? I mean even Haji Wright signed a bigger first contract then both of them. I understand that is not for much more but still. if you are holding out for a 'they signed then for 1k a week but if they make a first team app they get a 100k bonus' you are absolutely dreaming teams don't do contracts like that. Oh and for the record neither of them are the lowest paid players at those clubs so its not even a real story for the club.
a)as bad a contract as they are they aren't the worst contacts at those clubs b)when ur advisors, who include the coach you trust and who has been ur coach for years and ur agent who pretends to know everything about the sport, tell you that you won't ever get a shot with the galaxy despite the bigger contract offer you'll be making 5k a week in the usl. If you want to play for a first division club at a high level you have to go to germany and this contract xxx is the best you can get at this point because of terrible competition you play against now you need to go to germany and prove urself. if you stay with the galaxy in three years we'll be asking the same questions and you'll just be three years older/three years wasted.
There are a few things that aren't speculation. The kids are close with the Kleibans. Gary hates MLS. Gary has no training as an agent. Gary is not a full time agent. It's pretty obvious who is to blame for this. As the police say, motive and opportunity.
I don’t have an issue with the clubs they signed with. Freiburg is very good at giving young players time and they have a new stadium opening in over a year. Wolfsburg is generally one of the better clubs in Germany with the VW backing. BL clubs are very good at giving new contracts once with the first team as seen with Pulisic, McKennie, and Sargent. However that initial contract is just awfully negotiated. Ledezma is making $225K
Let's not forget the Pulisics journey. They went to various clubs and got a few tepid offers. It wasn't until theyet a good agent that they found a club that really liked Christian. $1000 a month is an internship not a job.