The players are rebelling

Dembélé and Coutinho have mutinied. Each one in their own way. The Frenchman skipped training on Thursday and was disciplined by his club. The Brazilian handed in a transfer request to Liverpool yesterday, hours after the club had said there was no chance of a transfer. Both players want to join Barça this season and are trying to force their moves through. It’s a risky strategy but it often works: the clubs end up having to give in to the player’s wishes. No one wants an unhappy superstar in their ranks. Neymar did the same to join PSG. With one difference, Spanish football has release clauses in contracts. Barça have to negotiate with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool for Dembélé and Coutinho, respectively. The French club ‘only’ had to pay the €222 million release fee.

Release clauses have come back to harm Spanish clubs. Because the sheikhs are willing to pay them. Except Real Madrid’s. Florentino Pérez inserts impossible fees in all new contracts at the club: €1,000 million for Cristiano, Bale and Benzema; €700 million for Isco; €500 million for Kroos and Modric and €350 million for Marco Asensio. No one can pay these fees. Pérez has been cleverer than his rivals and no stars can leave Madrid without having to negotiate with the club. As a result, Madrid got €80 million for Morata…

Dembélé and Coutinho are fully committed to forcing through the transfers even though both are proving more difficult than expected. The players’ mutiny is, of course, good for Barça, but sets a bad example. It’s ever clearer that there aren’t any values in football that are respected. Except the value of money.