If there was ever a way for all parties to look a twat, this is it.
Adrian Silva: arrives at Leicester 14 seconds too late
- Thread starter horsechoker
- Start date
It's the footballer who Leicester were 14 seconds too late to register.
FIFA is exactly like English shopkeepers used to be at 5pm.
Serves everyone involved right (except Silva, little more he could have done) Have 2 months to sort things out, tough.
This isn't a punitive process. They're not 'sending a message', nor is the goal to educate or anything like it. They're enforcing a hard and fast deadline within which they accept registrations. Registration windows aren't negotiable, or open to interpretation. And the very reason they take that position is because they leave themselves open to legal actions if they don't (e.g. from a club who Leicester beat to European qualification).
Sure, it's a horrible situation for the player, but it's a deal that could have been done earlier. If he needs someone to blame, the clubs involved would be a good place to start. So the idea of arbitrarily extending the deadline or penalising them in future windows makes no sense. It's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. And it opens the door to, for example, other clubs doing deals after the deadline knowing that they'll be punished with a slightly reduced transfer window next time around.
Fwiw, I'm not suggesting that transfer windows are perfect, or that the rules can't lead to ridiculous situations (the rule that precludes players being registered by more than two clubs in a season is particularly absurd and, quite plainly, a restraint of trade) but, in this instance, it seems to me that people are latching on to the 14s thing because it's an insignificant amount of time. I don't really understand where you draw the line with that, though.
I'm South American and work with clients all over Latin America. What do you think?
It's still incredibly stupid.
So Leicester owns the player, have to pay his wages but can't play him till Jan. Shit luck that.
Had this gone through, we wouldn't even be aware of it, much less having a discussing about it; which is why the whole Pandora's box argument is absurd.
I have a real hard time deciding if I find the righteousness in this thread more comical, or the idea of Fifa doing something strictly by the book.
I have a real hard time deciding if I find the righteousness in this thread more comical, or the idea of Fifa doing something strictly by the book.
Need to forget it was only 14 seconds (which sounds irrelevant) and think more of "it was past a pre-set deadline".... one that every club is aware of months in advance.
Various reasons already posted, mainly (1) next window, some club is 35 seconds (yay or nay?) then next time it's 62 seconds (yay or nay?) and (2) that guy scores a goal to give LCFC a last min winner against Brighton and Brighton end up relegated on goal difference..... cue appeal to CAS?
Yes it sounds pedantic, yes it's amazing the authorities sticking to a rule (that they'd probably flex if it was Barca), yes it's shit on the player. Agree with all that.
Various reasons already posted, mainly (1) next window, some club is 35 seconds (yay or nay?) then next time it's 62 seconds (yay or nay?) and (2) that guy scores a goal to give LCFC a last min winner against Brighton and Brighton end up relegated on goal difference..... cue appeal to CAS?
Yes it sounds pedantic, yes it's amazing the authorities sticking to a rule (that they'd probably flex if it was Barca), yes it's shit on the player. Agree with all that.
How late were Madrid with the whole De Gea thing? Strange to think if some bloke at Madrid had done his job you'd have someone like Joe Hart in goal.
We would have Navas in goal.
Of course. Poor bloke was at the airport or something when it all fell apart if I remember rightly.
Did someone just change the title so that his first name is incorrect or am I imagining things?
I doubt he's very lachrymose about it these days.
Screw Leicester. They missed the cut-off and that's that. It's not like Fifa moved the goalposts at the last minute. Everyone knows when the deadline is.
What I don't understand though, is why he's a Leicester player now. Did the transfer go through but they didn't register him as a member of the playing squad in time?
What I don't understand though, is why he's a Leicester player now. Did the transfer go through but they didn't register him as a member of the playing squad in time?
Seems like another way for big clubs to screw little clubs to me.
For everyone who says Leicester could have secured the deal earlier if they'd managed the situation better, they probably had no intention of signing the player if Drinkwater hadn't left.
That could have been down to various reasons, from responsible management of their finances to the managers preference for squad size and options.
Then Chelsea come in late and the player wants to go. They accept an offer of his worth with minutes left to go and then pull the trigger on the replacement.
It's entirely feasible that they did everything as quickly as they possibly could have once Chelsea had signed Drinkwater but still fell 14 seconds short. That seems totally unfair on a small club who were left in a no win situation - either refuse the late deal and be stuck with a sulky player with a turned head, or approve the transfer and risk weakening your squad because of some arbitrary deadline you're now up against through no fault of your own.
That's before we even mention the player who is now going to waste 6 months of his playing career.
For everyone who says Leicester could have secured the deal earlier if they'd managed the situation better, they probably had no intention of signing the player if Drinkwater hadn't left.
That could have been down to various reasons, from responsible management of their finances to the managers preference for squad size and options.
Then Chelsea come in late and the player wants to go. They accept an offer of his worth with minutes left to go and then pull the trigger on the replacement.
It's entirely feasible that they did everything as quickly as they possibly could have once Chelsea had signed Drinkwater but still fell 14 seconds short. That seems totally unfair on a small club who were left in a no win situation - either refuse the late deal and be stuck with a sulky player with a turned head, or approve the transfer and risk weakening your squad because of some arbitrary deadline you're now up against through no fault of your own.
That's before we even mention the player who is now going to waste 6 months of his playing career.
I acquiesce to your aphorism.
Why does he have to do that? Worst case scenario is that Leicester register him on January 1st.
Last time I did a story and had to deliver it to my editor.
Ok. Half a season if we're going to get our abacuses out.
He knows. Wasting people's time isnt something that makes you popular.
You sound like my wife!
Yeah I bet he cries to sleep next to those CL winners medals
They had nearly 3 months to sign him. Their own fault.
Just let him play, I highly doubt the consequences will be dire.
They couldn't finish this transfer a day earlier? I don't blame FIFA at all.
Clubs have all summer and so does the player and his agent to get these deals earlier. To leave it until the last day you always run that risk.
It's not like the deadline has been broken before, was it Jermaine Defoe who signed on loan at Pompey but was unveiled as a full signing the day later?
Maybe I'm wrong though!
Maybe I'm wrong though!
I keep thinking of the guy charged with sending off the email to FIFA to register the player. Him casting an eye on the clock, furiously typing away. To think correcting one misspelled word could have been the difference in finalising the transfer. Would love to have seen his eyes looking across the room when he realised it was 14 seconds past the deadline. "Im sure it will be fine 
"
"I don't think Leicester should be allowed to register him until January. If permitted for whatever reason, it sets a precedent for clubs in future.
Can't blame fifa. With all the computers time stamp will be time stamp.
If he's already a Leicester player, just let him play. Fine the club as well if you want. Makes zero sense to make a player waste 4 months without kicking a ball.
But then deadlines are really meaningless...
What's more meaningless is having a player sign and not able to play. Should make the transfer void if they are absolutely hellbent on the deadline then. One can make an exception under rarest occurrences. It's hardly something clubs can knowingly take an advantage of. The mass hysteria about how one should suffer being 14 seconds late is also rather amusing.
In instances like that, I'm sure the clubs have submitted all the documentation on time and just need to finalise the finer details, or been given special dispensation for one reason or another. Like Arshavin's deal to Arsenal, which was held up by the weather.
In this case though, Leicester didn't submit the proper documentation in time.
I'm still confused about who owns his registration now. If it's Sporting, he can surely still play for them and sign for Leicester in January. If it's Leicester, can't they loan him out until January?
haven't read the entire thread but apparently we emailed them in time and an IT delay meant they got it late, if so, we appeal and show then the proof they then say he can be registered and play, but knowing FIFA the appeal will be held in March anyway
And refuse 35 mil for Drinkwater? No sane man would do that. The risk was worth it, the way I see it.Agreed. Without deadline day, the transfer muppets would die.
But in all seriousness, if they weren't confident of completing the deal in time, they simply shouldn't have sold Drinkwater, ala Wenger with Sanchez/Lemar.
But 14 seconds is a bit ridiculous.
Adrien Silva is the one to feel sorry for here.
Rules are rules. You can't break them and expect the authorities to be okay with that
Yes! Never use brain or common sense, just apply the rules EXACTLY as they are and let them suffer. People who are late should IMO be killed and there is no difference what they are late for and by how much.
except apparently we didn't break them, by all accounts we sent them in time and a server delay got it to FIFA 14 seconds late