Page 98 - Soccer360 - Issue 103

MAKE OR
BREAK
DECISIONS
THE ERUPTION OF THE SAUDI PRO LEAGUE ONTO THE TRANSFER MARKET HAS MADE IT EVEN TRICKIER FOR PLAYERS TO CHOOSE AMBITION AND LOVE OVER HARD WCASH, WRITES SUSY CAMPANALE.
hen players or coaches sign for a new club, the word they always bring out in their interviews is ‘ambition’ - their desire to win silverware and be part
of a winning project. Regardless of the difficulty of the challenge or the pressure they’ll face, those are the reasons for making this particular choice and they all have the self-belief that they’ll be a success. It then becomes a little trickier to say all that with a straight face when leaving one of Europe’s top five divisions to join the Saudi Pro League, but it has taken over from MLS and the short-lived Chinese attempt at buying credibility with huge salaries. Whereas those two largely focused on former
stars nearing retirement and players who never quite cut the mustard in the first place, the Saudi clubs are confident they can purchase figures
still in their prime, like Karim Benzema, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, N’Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marcelo Brozovic. Of all
these players, Milinkovic-Savic was the most desperately disappointing and frankly, confusing. He faced down accusations of not being ambitious enough by sticking with Lazio for so long, then they finally qualify for the Champions League and he leaves them not for one of the sides challenging for silverware in Europe, but for a glorified showcase used for sportswashing. To make that step at the age of 28 is like waving the white flag on your career. So much promise; now he will never really test himself.
If you do not choose a club for ambition, at least do it for love. Gianluigi Buffon hung up his gloves this summer at the age of 45 and will always be considered a legend. Not only was he the greatest goalkeeper of all time, but weeks after winning the World Cup with Italy in 2006, he decided to stick with Juventus and drop down to Serie B following their demotion as a result of the Calciopoli scandal. His example prompted quite a few others to
follow that lead, including those who were initially unconvinced at sacrificing at least two seasons of their own careers for the club, especially when it was through no fault of the players that they had been stripped of two Serie A titles. Even in the final years, Buffon snubbed the Saudi millions to return where it had all begun at Parma in Serie B.
Of course, sometimes people want to have it both ways and end up irritating everybody. Take Kylian Mbappé, who it seems every summer has to create some sort of drama that leaves nobody happy
at the end of it. Last time, he let his Paris Saint- Germain contract run down only to then sign a new deal and infuriate Real Madrid. Now he is trying to repeat the trick largely to squeeze every last cent
out of the Ligue 1 side while also making it clear he sees them as little more than a stepping stone to the Merengues. Admittedly, few can expect any kind of loyalty to a club like PSG, but to be so brazen about his intentions doesn’t show Mbappe in a positive light.
If he’s not careful, he will get the same reputation as Romelu Lukaku, a man who in the last few years has systematically destroyed all goodwill towards him from any club. Inter revived him with Antonio Conte and he rewarded them by forcing a move to Chelsea. When Stamford Bridge provided a frosty reception, he returned to San Siro and they were prepared to make a big financial sacrifice to keep him, only for the Belgian to suddenly turn around and talk to their bitter rivals Juventus instead. It resulted in him becoming a pariah at Chelsea, Inter and Juve; all of that damage self-inflicted. Lukaku wasn’t fuelled by money, because then he’d have accepted the Saudi Pro League straight away, and it wasn’t about ambition after Inter reached the Champions League Final, or lifestyle choice when he kept the apartment in Milan even after moving to London. Like Milinkovic-Savic, an inexplicable course of action.
In contrast, Harry Kane can confidently say he gave Tottenham Hotspur the best years of his career and stuck with the club far longer than they probably had any right to expect. Even Spurs fans must acknowledge the move to Bayern Munich made
perfect sense, as just turning 30, this is the time
to start finally winning silverware and that was not going to happen in London. He did not try to force the issue, he allowed Tottenham to be in complete control of negotiations and to pocket €100m that can be used to revitalise the squad. That is how you deal with a life-changing transfer, chasing ambition and showing love for the club that got you there.
“IF YOU DO NOT CHOOSE A CLUB FOR AMBITION, AT LEAST DO IT FOR LOVE.”
Harry Kane showed Tottenham and Bayern Munich how to make a move with class
Kylian Mbappé seems addicted to transfer drama every summer
98 SOCCER360 MAGAZINE
Karim Benzema of Al Ittihad during the Arab Club Champions Cup match between Esperance Tunis and Al Ittihad
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