Contracts are concrete, ex-Sepp in Blatter's world

Excuse the horrible pun in the headline, I was trying to think of a way to phase FIFA president Sepp Blatter's name into it... I did my best, dammit.

As a follow-up to my post on contractual obligations of a player and team, I absolutely cannot believe this - Sepp Blatter, head of the 'impartial' governing body of football, FIFA, has said that Manchester United should allow Christiano Ronaldo to go to Real Madrid.

From an email sent by Journal compadre Mike, "Why does Sepp have to open his goddamn mouth?" (who says Mike doesn't have a potty-mouth too? He's putting on an act I tell ya!!)

The move is absolutely asinine!!! Who, exactly, does Sepp Blatter think he is? The man has made some gaffes in his time, but this one - unjustly, unfairly and uninvitedly (I don't think that's a word) interfering in club business - is truly absurd.

Blatter declared that respecting one's amiably and mutually signed contract is a form of "slavery" (I shit you not). And that a player should be able to leave and sign somewhere else at his time of choosing.

Here I was, thinking at least one body should understand and force respect of signed contracts, but the highest body in world football has essentially told the world "contracts don't matter - do whatever the fuck you like". In order to save any respectability and parity in club football, Blatter will have to gs further than simply rescinding his comments, FIFA (UEFA especially) needs to pass some form of legislation removing the player buy-out clause, and forcing teams and players to respect the contracts they have agreed to.

Otherwise, we're going to see even further dominance of the big clubs in every country as the few players they can't have due to contractual obligations won't really be held down by anything anymore. It's just a piece of paper, after all, and I'm sure Amnesty International can be appealed to in order to help remove the poor want-away footballers from their states of "slavery".