Hello Again!
If you're a true fan of Goalkeeping, and we assume that since you are reading this, you ARE! You might be asking, "Hey! What's up with all of the transfers going on in Europe right now?"
Well, it's a little bit different than you will find in the MLS.
European players (GKs included) sign contracts similar to what we have in professional sports here in the US. However, during the transfer “windows” in Summer and late Winter, players can be "moved" to different Clubs in Europe or South America.
For instance, reusch goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was “bought” for $21M from Lyon of the French League 1 by Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League in 2012 and has lifted several trophies for both Club & Country as Captain of both! https://soccer.reuschusa.com/collections/pure-contact-ii
Or, they can go “on loan” to another club, where they keep the player under contract but they would like to see him get real match experience at the highest level possible. The loaner retains the rights to pull the player back, the loanee gets a player they usually could not afford and the player gets real match experience. It’s a Win-Win-Win for all and something we should do more of here in the USA!
The difference between US sports and European football (soccer) is that generally there are no "trades" like we are familiar with here. Generally, a player gets 10% of the transfer fee, his agent gets a % and the selling club keeps the rest. When a player goes to another Club “on loan”, the new Club pays the players salary, but the original Club keeps his contract. i.e., ownership rights.
Now, sometimes a player (usually older players in the twilight of their careers) gets a "Free Transfer" which basically means that they are an unrestricted free agent (in US parlance). Free Transfer players are usually bought for much less - or no fee at all - and have a much shorter term contract. Italy legend Gigi Buffon just did this and will back up reusch custodian Wojciech Szczesny at Juventus of Italy this fall. https://soccer.reuschusa.com/collections/fit-control-series
Sometimes free transfers are granted when a player--even in their 'prime' is unhappy where they are, and the Club just want to get rid of them and "get them off of their books". In other words, 'save some money, and save the locker room'.
You can follow some of the transfer and loan drama right now by looking up the Real Madrid situation with Gareth Bale....and there always seem to be rumors about David DeGea going back to Spain but Manchester United don’t want him to leave since he is the best player on a struggling Club.
Anyway, just as in the US, transfer and trade rumors are always rampant and serve to stoke the fires of football (soccer) pundits when there's not much else to talk about. Similar to trade deadline days in our major sports.
Some notable GK transfers in Europe this Summer are Buffon back to Juventus, and Fahrmann from Schalke 04 to Norwich City in the English Premier League.
Let me know your thoughts on European football and GKs, and be sure to enter our new contest for great prize drawings! And you can always ask me a question about training or product on social media.
May the ground beneath your dive be soft. May your goalposts be 3 feet wide. And may the opposition hit every ball right at you/!
All the Best--EV
@reuschusa
#askEVreuschGK
