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Iñigo Martínez signs for Athletic Bilbao from Real Sociedad for €32m


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30 minutes ago, The Rebel CRS said:

Looks like Iñigo Martínez is going to Athletic. @Cicero @SirBalon

 Both Athletic and La Real have a really weird rivalry to be honest.  Pre-90s they were always at each other’s throats and it was a volatile derby where they’d have to call for police forces from outside the region so as to boost the numbers, much like the Sevilla v Betis clash.   But unlike the Sevilla derby, there’s been many many players that have played for both Athletic  Bilbao and Real Sociedad. In that sense there’s never been many issues, at least none I can recall and haven’t ever read about anything major from the distant past with that.

As for Iñigo Martínez moving to Athletic... Well to be honest I find it all odd.  He is a top top quality defender, one of the best Spanish defenders in my personal view, but he’s never really had the big big status that is required to even become a regular for Spain.  It’s strange because there’s not better Spanish defenders than him for me and yet even when Marc Bartra wasn’t playing for Barcelona, he’d be picked before Iñigo.  Maybe there’s something I’m not seeing that coaches do but then again he’s always getting top marks from the pundits in the sports pages and Barcelona were hours away from making the signing official this summer and even done the medical only for Barça to pull out in the final minute and instead wait for the moment to sign the Colombian Yerry Mina.

If it’s true that Iñigo Martínez has indeed gone to Athletic Club, then they’ve more than adequately replaced Aymeric Laporte.  Infact for me right now Iñigo is superior to Laporte in various important facets although I would say that Laporte has the scope to become one of the best defenders in the world as he has so much to his game, but he ain’t there yet!

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17 hours ago, Cicero said:

Yeah just saw that. Strange sociedad will accept it.

Needs a bigger move but this lad is basque through and through. Shame. 

They have no choice mate. Every player in la liga has a clause and if it's bought out, the selling club can do nothing. This is the reason why so many players leave Spain and why it's too easy, for a big league, to buy players from. If Athletic had the choice for example, then Laporte wouldn't have been going anywhere until his contract ran out. The clause was actually outdated now as it was only 57 million and that for me is below his worth if Van Dijk went for 75. Athletic will have wanted atleast 100 probably. They wanted 100 million for Llorente, and that was 10 years ago, around the time C.Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid xD.

Personally I think this is cuntish on Martinez' behalf though as it's all about money. He's going for more money and while there is nothing wrong with that itself(money talks, we all want more money!), going to a rival is.

This is actually a massive shock as I would have thought he'd have turned them down like Illarramendi did, this was even when he was at Real Madrid. He chose to go back to Real Sociedad over going to Athletic Bilbao or the Premier league.

 

 

 

17 hours ago, SirBalon said:

 Both Athletic and La Real have a really weird rivalry to be honest.  Pre-90s they were always at each other’s throats and it was a volatile derby where they’d have to call for police forces from outside the region so as to boost the numbers, much like the Sevilla v Betis clash.   But unlike the Sevilla derby, there’s been many many players that have played for both Athletic  Bilbao and Real Sociedad. In that sense there’s never been many issues, at least none I can recall and haven’t ever read about anything major from the distant past with that.

As for Iñigo Martínez moving to Athletic... Well to be honest I find it all odd.  He is a top top quality defender, one of the best Spanish defenders in my personal view, but he’s never really had the big big status that is required to even become a regular for Spain.  It’s strange because there’s not better Spanish defenders than him for me and yet even when Marc Bartra wasn’t playing for Barcelona, he’d be picked before Iñigo.  Maybe there’s something I’m not seeing that coaches do but then again he’s always getting top marks from the pundits in the sports pages and Barcelona were hours away from making the signing official this summer and even done the medical only for Barça to pull out in the final minute and instead wait for the moment to sign the Colombian Yerry Mina.

If it’s true that Iñigo Martínez has indeed gone to Athletic Club, then they’ve more than adequately replaced Aymeric Laporte.  Infact for me right now Iñigo is superior to Laporte in various important facets although I would say that Laporte has the scope to become one of the best defenders in the world as he has so much to his game, but he ain’t there yet!

 

As I said in the other thread, if it wasn't for English clubs(well a couple of them) and Guardiola, Athletic wouldn't have lost a single player during this golden generation of theirs and had they attracted some of Real Sociedad's players on top of that, there is no telling what they could have achieved in recent years. Their downfall is a lack of depth, but if they never lost these players and bought the likes of Martinez on top of that, then that would almost make them complete.

We can't underlook their potential future mind as they have some very good young players coming through. Who knows, they may even end up with Griezmann at some point one day. You can't rule it out.

Speaking of Barta, he's going to Sevilla. Good move for him.

Iñigo should certainly have been in the Spanish set up more, but I have noticed that a lot of inform and talented Basques don't seem to get the run that others do. I remember Munir getting called up around a time he was doing nothing, while players like Iñaki were on fire.

 

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Even though it's been discussed in the off-topic section, this one deserves its own thread as a player leaving to a rival isn't something you see in every transfer window, he's also obviously a quality player as he's been one of the best defenders in la liga for years. I'm genuinely surprised that he accepted the offer, albeit it being for a much higher wage.

He's also now the most expensive Spanish defender ever, ahead of Ramos, who signed for Real from Sevilla in 2005.

 

Crazy transfer window.

 

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Just now, The Rebel CRS said:

@SirBalon maybe you could move the 4 or so posts(by yourself, Cicero and myself) from the Spanish off topic section into here?

he's too busy taking pictures in the mirror of his naked self so I've deputised. How he was made staff member I do not know. 

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8 minutes ago, Stan said:

he's too busy taking pictures in the mirror of his naked self so I've deputised. How he was made staff member I do not know. 

That wouldn't surprise me, being the narcissist that he is.

 

 

It's a shame Martinez didn't go to Barcelona in the summer(as that fee is a steal in this current market when you look at Van Dijk and Laporte), although he would have been third choice and a player like him should be playing every week.

1 minute ago, SirBalon said:

That price on the headline though... I’m sure I’ve been reading it’s €80m which is his buy-out clause. O.o

That's his new clause at Athletic. His clause at Real Sociedad was only 32 million euros.

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Just now, The Rebel CRS said:

That's his new clause at Athletic. His clause at Real Sociedad was only 32 million euros.

Yeah, rectified it in the following post.  The reason I said that was because of an alert I saw while I was out on my iPhone.  Mistook that for the signing fee.

What a steal that is at €32m. Absolutely ridiculous and it shows how bad transfer work is done in our Premier League. How can Liverpool justify £75m for Van Dijk?

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2 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

Yeah, rectified it in the following post.  The reason I said that was because of an alert I saw while I was out on my iPhone.  Mistook that for the signing fee.

What a steal that is at €32m. Absolutely ridiculous and it shows how bad transfer work is done in our Premier League. How can Liverpool justify £75m for Van Dijk?

Even though Barcelona are paying overboard fees right now for the likes of Coutinho and Dembele, there have also been some bargains along the way recently. Umtiti for 20 million sounds ridiculous now and it was only a year ago.

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5 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Imagine what Bilbao could of been. 

 

 

Griezmann

Asensio

Muniain---------------------------------Williams

Javi Martinez-----Benat

Balenziaga---Laporte---Inigo Martinez----Azpilicueta

Kepa

Would Asensio be eligible to play for them?

 

I always forget about Azpilicueta. They have actually tried to sign him from Chelsea before I think. Speaking of right backs though, since they have recently bought a Real Sociedad player, what is to stop them buying another? Odriozola is currently one of the top young right backs in La Liga and would be a cracking signing that would set them up for years.

Problem is though, most do turn them down when playing for Real Sociedad as seen recently with Oyarzabal and Illarramendi, and also Griezmann in the past.

Their problem is a top goalscorer. Literally one top quality 25 goal a season would completely change them. The rest of their  team looks strong enough, but Aduriz is starting to decline now.

 

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5 minutes ago, The Rebel CRS said:

Would Asensio be eligible to play for them?

 

I always forget about Azpilicueta. They have actually tried to sign him from Chelsea before I think. Speaking of right backs though, since they have recently bought a Real Sociedad player, what is to stop them buying another? Odriozola is currently one of the top young right backs in La Liga and would be a cracking signing that would set them up for years.

Problem is though, most do turn them down when playing for Real Sociedad as seen recently with Oyarzabal and Illarramendi, and also Griezmann in the past.

Their problem is a top goalscorer. Literally one top quality 25 goal a season would completely change them. The rest of their  team looks strong enough, but Aduriz is starting to decline now.

 

Asensio would be eligile by blood wouldn't he? As his father is basque 

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Honestly... Sometimes players are a bit thick when it comes to dominating the bull and holding him well by the horns.  The bull of course being the press because in Spain if you have 30 journalists in front of you, you can be damned sure they’re all after the same thing, the identical headline and that they want YOU to say it and not them having to misplace any words so as to make it seem you meant what they’ve headlined.

So, Iñigo Martínez said this, and this has been taken as the headline.

”My time at La Real had finished and I’ve come to a very big club”

”I understand that La Real fans are upset, but it’s my decision and there comes a time when somebody needs a change”

“I feel that my decision is the correct one and people make decisions to grow and become better.  Some people may like my decision and some may not.  It’s my decision and that’s all there is to it.”

Now, I understand that any press conference where you’re moving from one eternal rival to the other is always going to be difficult.  You know the press are going to be hunting in packs for the same thing and the question is, what do you say?  You’ve got to say something!  You can’t just sit there in silence and have a pre-written script that you deliver and then say “goodnight all, that’s all there is and I’m off home to catch the latest episode of Hawaii Five-0”.  Although in truth it would be best in these circumstances to take the criticism and really do just deliver a premeditated script and piss off home.  Especially if words and knowing how to express emotions isn’t your thing.

 

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On 30/01/2018 at 00:53, SirBalon said:

 Both Athletic and La Real have a really weird rivalry to be honest.  Pre-90s they were always at each other’s throats and it was a volatile derby where they’d have to call for police forces from outside the region so as to boost the numbers, much like the Sevilla v Betis clash.   But unlike the Sevilla derby, there’s been many many players that have played for both Athletic  Bilbao and Real Sociedad. In that sense there’s never been many issues, at least none I can recall and haven’t ever read about anything major from the distant past with that.

This is also why Real Sociedad scrapped their policy, which was originally the same as Athletic's now, as they couldn't compete with their more powerful neighbour.

But key players in their prime don't tend to move between clubs these days and this one is a big shock that nobody would have predicted.

Funnily enough he was part of a campaign not so long back about players sticking by their parent clubs and being one club players. Then he not only leaves, but goes to a rival xD.

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34 minutes ago, The Rebel CRS said:

This is also why Real Sociedad scrapped their policy, which was originally the same as Athletic's now, as they couldn't compete with their more powerful neighbour.

But key players in their prime don't tend to move between clubs these days and this one is a big shock that nobody would have predicted.

Funnily enough he was part of a campaign not so long back about players sticking by their parent clubs and being one club players. Then he not only leaves, but goes to a rival xD.

Wow! I didn’t know he was part of that campaign!  No wonder there’s quite a bit being made of this which I found unusual due to the fact that historically there have been many players that have switched between the two. 

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2 hours ago, The Rebel CRS said:

15173107302121.jpg

 

He also said " "Una pasión no se puede medir a medias. Del mismo modo que no tenemos dos corazones, no tenemos dos camisetas"

Flippin eck!  I expect that to not have been forgotten and to be used against him. This is why players have to be smart when the press try to get headlines off them as that could come back to haunt them in the future.

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1 minute ago, Spike said:

I thought activating a release clause meant that the tax payed to the Spanish government is 100%? @SirBalon @Kowabunga

That’s over now mate, the law changed and it’s in the new tax year.  They’ve paid €32m and that’s that!  From now on in Spain whatever the buy-out clause stipulates is what should be paid.  In reality the one who should pay it is the actual player which is to buy out his actual contract but the fiscal department turns a blind eye to all of this by not checking on the player’s financial position.

The bit that gets me in all of these types of things is that the Spanish fiscal department then goes he’ll for leather on these other tax issues surrounding players.

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1 minute ago, SirBalon said:

That’s over now mate, the law changed and it’s in the new tax year.  They’ve paid €32m and that’s that!  From now on in Spain whatever the buy-out clause stipulates is what should be paid.  In reality the one who should pay it is the actual player which is to buy out his actual contract but the fiscal department turns a blind eye to all of this by not checking on the player’s financial position.

The bit that gets me in all of these types of things is that the Spanish fiscal department then goes he’ll for leather on these other tax issues surrounding players.

It'd just be circumvented somehow by the club giving a 'loan' to the player to activate the release clause then writing the 'loan' off the books. I'm actually surprised the tax happy Spanish government did away with that ruling. 

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