Friday, May 18th, 2012
Atlético Madrid. The outsiders laugh…but how does it feel on the inside? Well, we decided to get Atleti die-hard Ricardo Menéndez to guide us through what has been quite the turbulent summer even by his club’s standards, and at the centre of it all is a certain Argentinean striker.
“We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly.” – Aristotle
If everything goes as the most recent news suggests, then Sergio “Kun” Agüero is on the verge of becoming the biggest betrayal case in the history of Atlético Madrid. Most red and white supporters are going through the five phases any therapist would diagnose as a terminal illness: denial, disbelief, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance. Our ailment is an utter lack of hope, a lack of any bright future and a growing feeling deep inside that the roughest part of the storm is yet to come.
On May 23rd close to midnight, two days after the season had ended, the storm struck. So hard and so unexpectedly that most were taken by surprise. It did not come in the form of a thunder bolt, or a biblical plague, but as a mere tweet: a sort of silent bomb in 140 characters. @aguerosergiokun wrote this simple message to the whole world: “I have expressed the club my wish to leave. I have requested them to receive without conditions, any offer that any other club might make” and while some jaws were still wide open, another whiplash came through Twitter “I have always said that when I wished to leave I would express so publicly, the time has come and I keep my word.” A few hours before Kun had been at the Vicente Calderón escorted by his agents and his father. He expected to be received by the club main shareholder and General Manager, Miguel Angel Gil-Marín. Gil-Marín refused to receive them. He knew the message, the problem wasn’t new at all; the board knew since the beginning of the year what was going on, they had refused to take any action, or do anything to cover the more than probable loss of their franchise player. Everything seems to have started the season before, when the club ended a 35 year draught of international wins by bringing back to Madrid the UEFA Europa League trophy. Kun Agüero the club’s star player was offered a contract extension; the player was happy, and the team was a successful group. They also managed to win again in the summer the Super Cup against an Inter Milan already missing José Mourinho and giving the first glimpses that hiring Rafael Benítez hadn’t been a good move for either party. Kun’s contract extension though baffled rather than rejoiced supporters because while other top class players on other squads such as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo had impossible-to-pay buy-out clauses Kun’s buy-out clause was actually reduced. From an affordable €60 million to a mere €45 million (a similar move was performed by the club’s board with Fernando Torres the season before he was sold to Liverpool). Supporters knew then and there that their star player would become from that moment on, one of the most desirable players to be hired at the end of the 2010-2011 season. The clause reduction was explained by the board as a condition agents had introduced to extend the contract. The player was happy to stay and the club promised to bring more top quality players aboard to ensure that Champions League football would be played at the Vicente Calderón each season and keep the player that happy – they said to whoever was willing to listen to them. But the club never delivered.
Far from it in fact as they sold Jurado to Schalke 04 right before the transfer window had closed and bringing no one in to replace him. This last winter an ageing Simão – also not to be replaced – was given away for free to Besiktas and the trophy winning squad was already two players short and all areas needing improvements on the team had not been covered just to cut on wage expenses. The sports manager García-Pitarch had evidently not done a particularly good job and was also in the spotlight of unhappy fans. The team surpassed its embarrassing Champions League participation the previous season with an inexcusable early elimination in Europa League and a more than discreet 7th placing domestically. The board has been accused season after season of using the club as a means of getting their other businesses on their feet and using Atlético as a springboard for their own corporate interests seldom thinking in what’s best for the club.
According to Spanish journalist Iñako Díaz-Guerra, as early as January Kun informed the club that he expected to be sold at the end of the season, and that the club hadn’t kept their part of the pact. According to this information the club did nothing brushing the issue off as a fit. Agüero would have then turned to national team buddy Messi to seek a move to Barcelona. On hearing this, Real Madrid would have counterattacked offering Kun a move to the economically almighty Real Madrid though demanding he decreased his salary from €7.5 million to €6 million which would only be surpassed at Real Madrid by Cristiano Ronaldo and Iker Casillas. The chess game between the big two had once again been set and the check mate would always be for Atlético Madrid supporters.
The Agüero issue (forcing his sale at the end of the same season he extended his contract) is another piece of evidence for unsatisfied fans against the much-criticized owners unable to hold onto Atlético’s third place in Spanish football history, even though they do have the third biggest budget there is a constant struggle to end any season above 5th position. This continued mismanagement has ended supporters’ hopes for a good season before it even starts. Now, their anger is focused on the board for their latest proof of inability and on the man in question Sergio “Kun” Agüero for the manner in which he communicated his decision to leave the club, thus staining a perfect five year record sheet which would have otherwise won him a spot in golden letters in the club’s hall of fame.
I have never read as many hate tweets as I have these days against Kun. Kun’s statements from the day of the two famous tweets have been constant slaps in the face of any Atlético fan. The once King Kun has turned into Traidor (traitor), Mercenario (mercenary), or simply Judas to state the ones that are reproducible. His campaigning to be sold by all means has destroyed his reputation of loyal club player, captain and legend and he will only be remembered as a fabulous player who put his pocket way ahead of his principles. He has done practically everything that shouldn’t be done to smear ones image. While away with the Argentinean national team at the Copa América Kun has crossed all red lines. For fans, Agüero eased the way of going from unconditioned beloved one to the most hated by doing all the things a player should never do when leaving Atlético:
Firstly, hinting that far from not going to Real Madrid he wished to stay in Madrid crossing the biggest red line for any Atlético fan (go wherever you wish unless it’s to Real Madrid). He had said the opposite in the past saying he would never play for a team in white. Most red and white fans still believe the whole operation is a well planned and orchestrated move from Florentino Perez to bring him to the Real Madrid. Opposing to that Real Madrid have always publicly declared they have nothing to do with that and they would not make a hostile move against Atlético with whom they have a long time running no aggression gentlemen pact. For Atlético’s only one thing could worsen the situation, if their hunches prove right and he finally makes the move to join Real Madrid.
Secondly, saying in a not conceding tone “I’m not going back there” – “there” his home for the last 5 years, the place that has forged him a name and a reputation in world football, one of the highest earning football players in European football and in the process becoming one of the ten top scorers in 108 years of red and white history – sealed on the very last game he will ever play for Atlético against Real Mallorca
Lastly and by no means least he declared himself not an Atlético fan (when he had repeated the opposite many times, this besides kissing the badge and admitting many times he felt as if he had been born Atlético) which was the final straw to have the few remaining Agüero loyalists abandon his cause and get on the side who just want Kun gone as soon as possible.
Jose Luis Pérez Caminero, former legendary player and member of the Doblete squad (1995/96 Atlético that won both Primera Liga and Copa Del Rey tournaments), was recently appointed Sports Manager and started in his role saying he believed he could do something to retain both David De Gea and Kun. That hasn’t helped him get onto a good start with fans in terms of credibility. He was reluctant to speak to the player directly during the Copa América “so Sergio could keep his concentration” and has maintained contact with the player only through his agents. That hasn’t kept the player from bashing fan morale with each statement. Meanwhile Caminero said nothing against the player’s attitude and neither has he been straightforward about the club’s willingness to sell. It seems like Caminero has been too busy begging the agents to reconsider more than looking for a suitable replacement. Players appear as possibilities, but it comes too late and more importantly too expensive. Suddenly the price tag for any player in the market has seemed to bump up to…oh, what a surprise, 45 million.
Granada is a team that is back to the Primera 35 years after their last participation in the top flight of Spanish football. To celebrate they decided to organize a three side tournament against Atlético and Besiktas as their preseason presentation. In what is Atlético’s first serious tournament in the post-Kun era, the team was defeated by both the newbie and inexperienced Andalucían and the Turkish squad with old-friend Simão onboard proving he wasn’t that old after all. Could things get any worse? Probably Kun’s next statement can answer that.
The team is under the spotlight now (and under a great deal of pressure as well) and has to learn how to perform without its star player of the last five years. The season start is around the corner and whether the team is ready or full of doubts is something we’ll soon find out.
Kun is gone. Let’s face it, time to move on, right? Wrong. Two months after that May23rd Twitter night, everything remains more or less the same. Kun is still officially on the squad and chances of getting a proper replacement for him look grimmer every day. No reasons for hope here at the Manzanares river bench. Will someone pay the whole buy-out clause? If not, will Atleti play hardball and force to keep the player on the squad? Holding ones position has worked for quite a few teams that decided to stick up for their rights. Frank Ribery failed to move from Bayern Munich to Real Madrid, while both David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo were at least delayed from being sold to Real Madrid while Alex Ferguson had a say in anything, and both were sold at a much higher price than what was initially offered. Barcelona has also been unsuccessful so far in fishing Cesc Fàbregas back from Arsenal. It’s curious to see how the Spanish big two do seem to be bullying the rest of Europe to get their players on their squads through pure financial muscle.
In the meantime, something has indeed changed; fellow team members have definitely decided to take the gloves off and stick up for the institution (At last! At least someone does it) as Alvaro Domínguez said “If Agüero moves to Real Madrid he shows no loyalty”. Juanfran and Filipe said the dressing room is fed up and has decided to not talk about Kun, while Luis Perea recently stated it was time to move on and not think of Kun as an Atlético player. The official position though is that either a club pays the full buy-out clause (+18% VAT in the case of a Spanish club for local tax reasons) or the player will begin preseason training sessions and rejoin the squad for the next season.
Manchester City, Inter Milan, Juventus, Real Madrid, Barcelona…If Kun is to leave so be it but please may it be soon for the sake of everyone.
Quo vadis Kun?
“Though those that are betrayed do feel the treason sharply, yet the traitor stands in worse case of woe” – William Shakespeare – Cymbeline, King of England
Ricardo co-hosts the all Atleti podcast “This is Atleti” as well as the Spanish version of the show “Esto es Atleti”. He writes for www.forzaatleti.com and has contributed to www.lavidaenrojiblanco.com and our good friends at www.madridatleticos.com. If you wish to follow Ricardo via Twitter, you can do so here.
Tags: Atleti, Atletico Madrid, Sergio Aguero
Excellent analysis and a good article to follow the next steps of the club regarding this situation.
Many of us will miss the dedication, professionalism, and humility shown by David DeGea. He will be sadly missed and we wish him a succesful career with Mudscum U. But Kun? Good riddance to that Argentinian cretin. He left one of the great teams on the Earth, in one of the great cities on Earth, for a second-tier squad in a depressed English milltown.
The icing on the cake is that we actually got a “Two-For-One” deal. We not only got rid of Kun but also rid ourselves of his boorish, fat, over-opinionated, highly overrated father-in-law: Diego “Indio Pendejo” Maradona.