http://tinyurl.com/d1f5 What a load! Says the potential new president of Barcelona is preparing to bankroll a bid for RVN. Gimme a break... Also says that Barca has agreements with Japp Stam and John O'Brien.
Its so funny - I mean, why not pick someone who is at least a legitimate target! Shevchenko, Henry (wishful thinking ), Batistuta - anyone but RVN. Hell - Barca probably has a better shot at signing Ronaldo!
Barcelona fans had the same reaction and response in the Summer of 2000 when the unlikely -at the time(2 time reigning foreign player of the year in Spain) -transfer of Figo to Madrid was mentioned. More unlikwly tranfers have happened in the past
Real was able to get Figo because there is a buyout price for any contract in La Liga. Real offered Figo a boatload of money to boot, and off he went, without anything Barca could do. As far as I'm aware, there is no such buyout clause for EPL players. If Ruud were unhappy, I might be a little concerned. Yet just last week Ruud said that he wants Ferguson to stay a long time. Futhermore, Ferguson showed a lot of faith in Ruud by having him come to Manchester after he blew out his knee. Ruud mentioned not long ago how much it means to him that United still wanted him after his injury. No, Ruud's not going anywhere.
I don't know if it was a buyout clause, correct me if I'm wrong. I heard Figo signed a pre-contract with Real and if he reneged on the deal he would have to pay Real a huge fee he couldn't possible pay, which would make Barca(his employers) responsible for the fee. Barca felt it would be better to just sell him, since Figo didn't want to play there anymore, rather then go into legal disputes with Real. You can write a book on the Figo to Real deal.
Yes Spartak, you are partially right, Figo signed an agreement with Florentino Perez and he didnt expect to fulfill his commitment, Perez proposed to pay US$1 million to Figo if he wasnt elected but if he was president he would head to Madrid or pay Perez the same amount of money, the surveys had low numbers for Perez so Figo thought it was easy money, WRONG! he won the election and therefore he transferred to RM. Since he was under contract, RM paid the buyout clause of US$60 million. Barca had nothing to do or pay in that deal.
Isn't it illegal to sign a player who is under contract in Spain? I would of thought Barca would have tried to do something to Real, if they could, to penalize their actions. Especially since Real stole one of the greatest players ever, Alfredo Di Stefano, from them almost 50 years earlier.
Actually that is the reason of the existance of the buyout clauses, any team could "buy" a contract of "x" player, of course the player must have to agree on the move, that happenned with Laudrup and Schuster and other "infamous" players, usually that clauses are high, to avoid the other clubs "steal" the good players.