Roberto Firmino's Liverpool contract reveals a level of saltiness that's not been seen in these parts for quite some time.
What follows is my favorite paragraph of soccer journalism so far in 2016.
Mario Balotelli's bad reputation reportedly netted him one of the sweeter contract bonuses we've heard of.
Reportedly, a series of documents released by Football Leaks shows Balotelli had a clause in his contract that entitled him to a ￡1 million bonus each season if he was not sent off three or more times.
Balotelli was not sent off during his first season at Liverpool and spent the second season on loan at AC Milan.
Jurgen Klinsmann is no longer the head coach of the United States Men's National Team. Most USMNT fans wanted Klinsmann out even before the debacle against Costa Rica, but most assumed Klinsmann's large buyout would keep him employed at least a little while longer.
Apparently the buyout wasn't big enough to keep Klinsmann around, but it was still a massive amount of money. No one seems to know the exact amount, but most, if not all, outlets feel safe in saying it was quite large.
Cristiano Ronaldo has said he wants to finish his career at Real Madrid, and the club is giving him a chance to do just that. Ronaldo will reportedly sign a contract renewal that will keep him in white until 2021.
From Real Madrid's official website:
Andre Villas-Boas has never lasted more than two seasons at any particular club, but he’s just landed another monster paycheck out in China with Shanghai SIPG, becoming the third highest paid manager in the world.
The Chinese club will pay him almost $14 million a year for two years, and that’s following a contract with Zenit Saint Petersburg that earned him over $23 million for two years of service.
A little over a week after Neymar put pen to paper on a new five-year deal with Barcelona, Real Madrid have announced that Gareth Bale has committed his future to the club by signing an extension running until June 30, 2022.
FC Barcelona are the darlings of club football. From the imperviously well-mannered Lionel Messi to their representational standing as “more than a club” for Catalanism, their playing style and history invites adulation from all corners of the globe.
However, Barcelona is not without its insidious side. These are the 10 terrible truths that Barcelona would prefer you didn’t know about.
More so than the players themselves, this summer’s headlines seemed dominated by football’s “super agents” — the brokers of the multi-million dollar deals that have come to typify the transfer market. Rather than moving in the background of such transactions, these men have flocked to the fore. Their opinions, demands and claims have been quickly picked up by media outlets, giving them a false aura of footballing expertise.