Monthly Archives: November 2011

More than that, though, it also throws some light on what players go through when they move abroad. Argentina’s tradition of mismanaging its own riches, sending them abroad and somehow ending up empty-handed, if it’s under threat politically, is very much alive and well in don Julio Grondona’s sphere of influence. The players leave early and haphazardly, even against their wishes. They are not just going to the big leagues either: more and more they move to leagues that heretofore were worse than the Argentine league. Odd; everyone loses. One could dismiss this as just ‘weird’ China stuff, as Pupi would no doubt say, but we suspect that Salmerón’s experiences are not unique. For even the biggest clubs in the wealthiest leagues still seem remarkably careless when it comes to – whatever about their transfer ‘policy’ – helping players acclimatise. You make a sandwich, someone buys it off you, the money magically disappears and you see the bastard leave it in the sun, the mayonnaise curdling, the ham turning green, the lettuce brown and the bread harder than a coal-shoveller. Continue reading →