FWIW, Lederman was at the Miniestadi watching the Barca B match last week. Ben Lederman był wczoraj obejrzeć mecz Barcelony B. Obecnie jest graczem KAA Gent. #FCBMasia pic.twitter.com/PpD17xmV5a— ■neurophate (@neurophate_) November 5, 2018
Since my "Kenny and the Gents" title never got used on the Saief thread, we could use "Benny and the Gents" on this one instead. I can see no possible downside.
Profile: 'We sacrificed our lives for this': How U.S. prodigy Ben Lederman's career was almost ruined at Barcelona http://www.espn.com/soccer/club/uni...dermans-career-was-almost-ruined-at-barcelona It was a decision that wasn't taken lightly. For Tammy [his mom], it has sparked some considerable reflection. She estimates that she gets about one call a month from families who are pondering taking the same path they did. Her advice is loaded with caution even as Ben's father, Danny, developed a business sending Barcelona youth coaches to a school in China. "I always said I don't think I would do it again if I had to," she said. "But it's very hard, especially when you have an older child and he didn't want to move. He was very happy with his life in California. He felt like he was paying a price. 'Why do I have to change my life for my younger brother?' Also [it was hard] for me. My parents still live in Los Angeles. I'm away from my family, I'm away from my sister and my whole side of the family. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ There have been the usual ups and downs. Lederman played once for the U-18s and performed so poorly that the coach asked Van Renterghem not to send him down again. But Lederman recovered and was called up for a first-team friendly against St. Truiden. While he didn't play, it was at least a tangible sign that his skills are getting noticed. Van Renterghem is taking a slow and steady approach. "I can't estimate if Ben will ever make a chance to develop here in our first team," he says. "If he does not in our first team, he will for sure make good at another team. The boys have to wait, wait, wait; [they have] to work hard, to prepare them for that one chance they eventually will have."
Was that your work BR? Great piece, and something I wish we had more of in the States in terms of deep pieces about the players and their experiences abroad. His was certainly unique compared to most. I cannot believe that La Masia, as established as it is, didn't have in-house lawyers that had cleared the practice of bringing in youth talent from abroad. His family had to uproot its whole life to make this move, and then to have it ripped away and impact his career and possible future earnings as it did. In the states, he and his family would have grounds for legal action against Barca, but overseas, not so much.
A few things: There's no way La Masia can "clear" bringing in young players if it directly contradicts FIFA's policy on the international transfer of minors. His family didn't have to uproot their lives for this move; they chose to. And they did so without first educating themselves on FIFA policy. This was painfully obvious in that NY Times story a few years ago, where they pretty much openly admitted that they moved to Spain for reasons that had nothing to do with work. Why would they want to sue Barça?
You clearly aren't an American lawyer. My point was, I am surprised they didn't have some loophole that had been tried and tested over the years to overcome this rather than just depending on the bureaucracy over at FIFA to be as slow as molasses sliding down an iceberg. His family was surprised by this issue. Sure, had they been less naive about the process they would have consulted a lawyer to vet the move beforehand, but they had stars in their eyes, like any parent would. Why would they sue Barca? Hmm, money? I don't want to belabor the point, it's not worth it.
Interesting perspective from an ESPN writer. I wrote about Lederman a few years ago + spoke to his dad. It's a tough one. Felt for him + others in his predicament, but those rules exist for a reason to stop wealthy European clubs from plundering the rest of the world's youngsters. They were clear. And they were ignored. https://t.co/9eiH3diThD— Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti) January 10, 2019
We were approached by a scout from Dynamo Zagreb back when my son was ten playing a tourney in Croatia. They told my wife they had scouted Modric (not kidding) and that my son had great potential and would we want him to come down there. Of course we were flattered, but quickly learned that something like that would violate FIFA rules, and quickly dropped the idea, even though the scout said they could work around the rules. This is not some niggly regulation buried somewhere in the back of some dusted old FIFA regulations tome.
Started for the reserves on the 11th and scored: Opstellingen pic.twitter.com/HqfdYSZJ4B— Stefan Smet (@Stefan_gent) February 11, 2019 68’ geel Lederman— Stefan Smet (@Stefan_gent) February 11, 2019
Correct, that's when Lederman was booked. He started and was subbed out in 72nd minute, but did not score.