Real Madrid paid Barcelona 200 million pesetas in installments for a penalty clause | Relief

Three decades have passed since Ramon Mendoza, president of Real Madrid, publicly announced the signing of Michael Laudrup for the next two seasons for an economic amount of 200 million pesetas for each of them. The Denmark international arrived at the Bernabeu after signing a contract with Barcelona, ​​where he spent the previous five football years under Johan Cruyff. And it was the non-existent relationship with the Dutch coach that became the main reason for his departure. ““I can’t stand him anymore,” he said publicly, explaining his farewell. His reward: a European Cup, four leagues, a Cup, two Spanish Super Cups and a European Super Cup.

In the previous months, a situation had occurred that could, at the very least, be considered curious. The leak, whether interested or uninterested, by Inocencio Arias, who was Real Madrid’s CEO at the time, announced that Laudrup would play for Real Madrid next season, forced President Mendoza to publicly deny the news. Barcelona went on the warpath, accusing the white club of negotiating with a player who had a valid contract with them. However, this possibility has already been discussed in Barcelona circles, since the Barça club did not offer the footballer an extension.

Laudrup has always denied that he signed for Real Madrid while he was still a Barcelona player. “Never in my life would I sign a pre-contract with anyone else, especially with Madrid, who were our direct rivals. Cruyff believed all this and suddenly I started playing less in some important matches. In the Classic 5:0 I was a substitute., although I left the entire second part. He started not playing in the Champions League, and I didn’t appear for a minute in the final in Athens. In fact, it was during those months that I decided it was time for a change. At Christmas I didn’t know what to do.. “When the rumors started spreading and Johan took me, I hadn’t decided anything yet.”

Although at that time, in the summer of 1994, it was tacitly understood that the footballer would move to Real Madrid for free as soon as his commitment to the Barça club ended. The reality was that the white club had to pay 200 million pesetas to cover the compensation clause that the player had signed with Barcelona in the event that after his stay at the Camp Nou he transferred directly to another Spanish club. Ramon Mendoza was of course aware of this situation, as he began negotiations with Finn Laudrup, the player’s father and representative, at the end of March.

In fact, this compensation was the main reason why negotiations dragged on for several months. The club intended to pay the player half the fine, and Laudrup Sr. flatly refused to pay the peseta, considering that it was similar to a transfer clause for non-payment of the transfer fee. The same case is what is happening now with Mbappe, who moved to PSG without a contract. On the other hand, Real Madrid did not want to pay this amount directly to Barcelona, ​​and after difficult discussions, both clubs agreed that the payment would be made in installments and through the Professional League. in which both organizations had open accounts for making relevant payments.

From liquidity shortage to embargo

Barça’s outrage at the footballer was in a crescendo as they looked closely at a photograph of Laudrup dressed in white. President José Luis Nuñez did not bite his tongue. “If his departure is confirmed, this club will become our subsidiary after the transfers of Schuster, Milla and Nando.” At the July meeting of the club, Vice President Gaspard had to calm the public masses who demanded the immediate payment of 200 million. “The other team is buying players in a marginal and disruptive way. The player, even before the end of his contract with us, had already reached an agreement with that other team, which agreed to take on the payment of 200 million. If they don’t do this, pay immediately, we will turn to the Federation and demand even the relevant interests.”

In September 1996, two years and two months after Laudrup signed for Real Madrid, and even after the player had left for Japanese club Kobe, compensation was still strong. Barcelona told the media they were unable to meet the August 30 deadline because the Professional League had seized Real Madrid’s account. Both the white club and the employers came forward to look into this complaint and explained that the white organization’s problem was a lack of liquidity, not a seizure, and that was why it had not paid the 70 million that were still outstanding. In Real Madrid there was no longer even Ramon Mendoza as president, but Lorenzo Sanz with Juan Onieva Vice President for Economics, who was the one who had to show his face in public.

Michael Laudrup’s move from the Camp Nou to the Santiago Bernabeu worsened relations between the two clubs, which were already not very good. In this case, the player was the one who marked the stages of the transfer. His increasingly frosty relationship with Cruyff; the arrival of Romario in the second season, which increased the list of foreigners (Koman, Stoichkov, Laudrup) in the squad to four, and only three were able to play; leaks from his own club that he had been given an offer to continue his career, which the player rejected, and Real Madrid’s appearance on the stage… created a hellish situation that could only end with the Dane’s departure.

Some quotes from a coach in a Dutch magazine Voetbal They could be the final trigger. “Laudrup entertains the audience, but even I at my age could do it. Everyone thinks he’s a brilliant player. I know because I bought it. However, this season he is playing much worse than before. It’s all about the combination of quality and performance. He scores few goals and his assist percentage is quite low. It has to do with the way he plays. When he gets the ball, you already know enough. This is too far from the goal. I’m not saying he’s hiding, but I just see that he’s not as connected to the goals as he used to be. Lately, it’s unlikely that Michael is involved when we score a goal.”

The player also did not hide to express everything he thought about his coach, but he gave the most explanations at his farewell. “I don’t think it will surprise anyone, my time at Barcelona has come to an end. The reasons for my leaving are also not a mystery. My teammates and fans are admirable, but the problems I had with Cruyff over those five years were decisive. I’ve thought about this a lot, and it’s hard for me to talk about the coach. On the one hand, I have to thank him for allowing me to enjoy football again at a great club. But I can’t stand it anymore. This is pure reality.”

“Relations with Cruyff have always been bad. The last time I talked to him was in January. “I think in football the human element is fundamental and if the group in the dressing room hadn’t been impressive I don’t know where it would have come from.” The group has saved many things and also won titles through their resilience. What he did to Zubizarreta is unacceptable. You can’t treat a person like that. It’s something unprecedented when he tells him he’s not interested the day after losing the European Cup final.. “At least I was able to decide my future, but Zubi doesn’t have that opportunity.”

Camp Nou Banners

Michael spent only two seasons at Real Madrid. He warned that he did not want to extend his career beyond 30 years. In fact, he accepted the offer of Japanese football to gradually, sip by sip, cleanse himself from football. He had a good year and a less successful one at the Bernabeu. On the first occasion they won the championship with Jorge Valdano on the bench. His first visit to the Camp Nou in the white shirt was one of the worst of the season, and that continued until the penultimate round of the League. This did not mean that the Blaugrana fans forgot what they considered a betrayal. Banners in the stands. “Kuman, this is your home; Laudrup doesn’t matter here.” “Laudrup, Judas.” “Laudrup, traitor.” “Slag Laudrup; Epi, history”. Instead, two Danish flags carried by two compatriots, and a more rational one from the Küle: “Laudrup, we will always love you here.”

Real Madrid arrived at the Camp Nou with the opportunity to celebrate, but Barca, 11 points behind, prevented this. Barça’s victory with Nadal’s goal, it was Michael’s shadow throughout the match. The fight was loud when his image appeared on the video board, and already during the game his former teammate barely allowed him to touch the ball, but every time the Dane entered the fight, he was whistled and booed. The climax came when Valdano replaced him, replacing Raúl. The Camp Nou then exploded against a player they had welcomed a year earlier and demanded a continuation of their career. Laudrup was elegant. He raised his hand in greeting and even applauded the spectators as a sign of gratitude rather than rejection, his look, his whistles and his whistles speaking for him.

At the post-match press conference, Cruyff hesitated for several seconds when asked whether he too had the desire to whistle for Laudrup. “The truth is I wouldn’t do it. I can’t hate him, although as a competitor I now have to do everything possible to prevent him from succeeding. However, I understand the public’s reaction.” Jorge Valdano, for his part, wanted to side with his player. “He received two marks: from Nadal and from his fans. “Those who loved him the most whistled to him the most.”

The next day, the penultimate day of the championship, Real were declared league champions after beating Deportivo at the Bernabeu (2–1). Laudrup played his fifth match in a row after four previous ones for Barça. He also enjoyed the 5-0 on the other side, a year after experiencing it as a Barça player. It was one of his best days as a white player.

In his second season, Laudrup was unable to isolate himself from the team’s negative dynamics. Along with bad results came personal problems. The Danish player was sanctioned by the club for traveling to his country to attend a personal matter, and his relationship with the coach completely deteriorated, including outside the dressing room. Michael said in his country that he felt humiliated by Real Madrid’s treatment. In those days, clubs kept the passports of players and coaches to avoid exactly these 24-hour journeys, and also to ensure that they were not forgotten at home on international match days, as it was not customary to travel with them. on the. “I don’t want to be treated like a slave” sentenced when he was denied a passport. Shuster was also responsible for a similar situation in the offices of white clubs, when they also did not want to leave his passport.

Laudrup’s white farewell was not what he wanted. Valdano was replaced in the middle of the season, and after a short transfer of Del Bosque (0:5 in San Mamés), Arsenio took over the team. His last game was against Merida (4-0) at the Bernabeu on the penultimate matchday, the same day Michel said goodbye to his team.