Friday 13 July 2007

The Gauntlet

Despite recent complications Kia Joorabchian remains confident all the necessary paper work will be completed in good time for Carlos Tevez to start the new season with Manchester United. The Iranian businessman, who was yesterday issued with an arrest warrant from a federal judge in Brazil in relation to his business dealings with Media Sports Investments (MIA), told Sky Sports News: "Carlos is going to come on Tuesday to do a medical on Wednesday at Manchester United. Hopefully we'll get all the administrative issues sorted next week and I hope everything will be okay, we don't foresee any problems. We spoke to Manchester United tonight (Thursday), they are quite confident we can have him registered by next week." According to his agent, Tevez will leave West Ham United with fond memories. "Carlos is a little bit sad because, in terms of West Ham, he felt very attached to the club last year," he said. " He loved his time there and it was kind of mutually agreed he would be there for a year and he was there for a year. He served his year. He's a sportsman, he doesn't really understand all the administrative bits and pieces, but he knows he's not in any way fighting with West Ham or demanding anything," said Joorabchian.

Chris Glendinning, writing in The Independent, states the gauntlet has been thrown down to the Premier League with this latest showing of bravado. Joorabchian stated: "It is our understanding that all parties involved in the transfer are now satisfied the administrative issues will be settled in the next few days," but, claims Glendinning, it remains unclear exactly which 'parties' are being referred to. Any deal must still be approved by the Premier League and last night they warned Joorabchian that Tevez's registration would not be transferred unless they were satisfied that West Ham conducted the transfer. A spokesman said: "Any deal for
Carlos Tevez has to be done directly with West Ham United. They hold the registration and we will not transfer the registration unless a deal is done directly with the club."


BBC Sport's Jonathan Legard says West Ham are bewildered by Joorabchian's claims and have labelled them "irresponsible". The London club released a statement last night restating their position that no agreement has been reached and have confirmed again today that there has been no contact from Manchester United. Legard understands that any Tevez deal could now depend on Sheffield United's High Court date today. The Blades are trying to win back their place in the Premiership by saying West Ham should have been deducted points over the signings of Tevez and Javier Mascherano. They hope documentation from Kia Joorabchian, the duo's representative, can help their cause. "West Ham insist there has been no direct bid for Tevez and therefore the Premier League would not sanction the deal without confirmation that the club - not Joorabchian's management company - would receive the money," added Legard. "I'm told, however, that the result of Sheffield United's High Court appearance could decide the next stage of this saga. Joorabchian has been asked by the Yorkshire club to provide details of Tevez's contract and that could help unravel the contractual wrangle with Manchester United."

An article in the Express states it is a tough bargaining position being adopted by Kia Joorabchian on behalf of third-party owners MSI as the Hammers continue to stall on releasing the player’s registration. Behind the hard-line posturing is a threat to sue West Ham, with the Premier League also being dragged into any such action. According to the Express, MSI are banking on neither the Hammers, nor the Premier League, being prepared to go to court, especially as MSI claim to have further documentation, so far unseen by the League, to back up their claim to have full economic control of the player. Meanwhile the Premier League are set to come under pressure from their own member clubs to clarify claims that Joorabchian holds these secret documents – said to be “explosive” – that will shed new light on the Tevez affair. It is claimed there is a groundswell of opinion among clubs that Joorabchian should be asked to divulge paperwork he claims to hold, and a concern that the ugly saga is staining the image of English football world-wide.

Harry Harris insists Carlos Tevez ( a man who Joorabchian says doesn't really understand all the administrative bits and pieces) has told the Hammers he considers himself free of any contractual obligations to them and will sign for Sir Alex Ferguson’s United, who want him on a two-year loan deal with a view to a permanent £20million transfer. Harris also states that Premier League chiefs are desperately trying to find a solution, with who holds Tevez’s registration the key. Clearly, according to the timetable set out by MSI last night, that solution needs to be found quickly.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nearly three months ago, West Ham very publicly tore up the agreement with Joorabchian.

Why in that time has he not gone to court?

Could it be that he thinks he will lose - which was the judgement of the West Ham lawyers.

Anonymous said...

This fiasco, in my opinion, has entered the realm of the absurd. I feel West Ham has been pushing their luck and know it. Then again, there is so much we don’t know and may never. The powers that be are fearful this case will open a Pandora’s Box, which will, in turn, open more boxes… and many of these powerbrokers within the league could be affected personally.

 

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