A secret pact of the major European football powers.
Agreed to bring the flow of money under control in the transfer markets. And with a direct influence on the alternating crime novels about the superstars Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, David Alaba.
It sounds spectacular what that Brand this week reported on an ominous agreement in which Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus Turin and FC Bayern Munich are said to be involved.
But does it also have substance? SPORT1 has asked around behind the scenes of the industry and classified.
The CHECK24 one-two with Schalke’s sports director Jochen Schneider and player advisor Volker Struth on Sunday from 11 a.m. on TV on SPORT1
Pact is said to have affected Lionel Messi and David Alaba
Around 18 months ago, the Spaniards report, the top clubs signed a “non-aggression pact” aimed at preventing player poaching from one another.
The aim of the deal is to curb secret transfer moves that would strain the relationships of the elite clubs – and to curb the transfer madness, which had peaked in 2017 with the 222 million euro change from Neymar to PSG.
The pact played a role in the mud fight between Lionel Messi and Barca in the summer – it was the reason ManCity and PSG did not get in the way of Barca when the Catalans insisted on his contract in the dispute with the superstar.
In the case of Alaba, the pact would have moderated those interested: Real Madrid only approached Alaba when Bavaria officially gave up efforts to extend the contract. The case is similar now with Reals Ramos, whose deal expires in the summer and who is now under discussion at PSG, among others.
“Total nonsense”
But is it really a secret pact that is behind these events? Officially wanted to SPORT1-Do not express a German club representative.
However, the tenor came from several directions: There was no such agreement, a high-ranking decision-maker from a top club even spoke of “complete nonsense”.
In advisory circles, none of them believe either SPORT1 contacted player agents on a pact.
The report of the Brand meets with general astonishment – even though it has at least one true essence.
FC Bayern and Co. attach great importance to maintaining relationships
In fact, all of the clubs mentioned try to maintain a good relationship with one another: They share common goals in terms of transfer and TV funds and other political issues, and are also linked through the European Club Association (ECA), which has been Bayern boss for many years Karl-Heinz Rummenigge represented the interests of the associations.
Bayern, Real, PSG and Co. are in the same boat in many ways – and therefore usually avoid throwing stones at each other.
Rumors of change and wishes of certain players to change are therefore usually discussed openly between the big clubs, and conflicts are avoided. The relationship between Bayern and Real, for example, is considered particularly good.
“Non-aggression pacts” have pitfalls
The industry is also familiar with the stylistic device of a “non-aggression pact”: In Germany, for example, the western clubs Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Mönchengladbach and 1. FC Köln agreed not to poach any youth players from each other – although there was only a dispute last winter over whether Florian Wirtz ‘Moving from Cologne to Leverkusen was a breach of that agreement.
So “non-aggression pacts” have their pitfalls – which is why scene connoisseurs find a deal like that Brand has sketched it, consider it difficult to imagine in the future as well: the club leaders did not want to be restricted too much.
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