That's what some say about Udinese year after year, when we sell 2-3 of the "veteran" players. Yet last season we almost didn't sell anyone at it was our worst season in latest years. Having our transfer window judged as "totally miserable" by journos is now considered as a "good luck charm" by many fans. When players have completed their "cycle" and have big wage offers from big teams, it's pointless to keep them against their will. Better to find good replacements. And I see from http://www.transfermarkt.com/granada-cf/startseite/verein/16795 Granada has several new players this year, so hopefully they'll be good.
During a chase for promotion it's not bad to have a team considered strong. When trying to stay up, it may be nice to give some surprises. If our scouting network continues to work well (e.g. in 2010: http://www.caracol.com.co/noticias/...por-james-rodriguez/20100215/nota/953948.aspx, unfortunately slightly too expensive) if would be nice to: 1) gain promotion 2) sell Deeney and Abdi for huge fees 3) buy a few perfectly unknown young players 4) see Betfair and similars point WFC as most likely candidate to relegation 5) surprise a few people
Still waiting for international clearance. No doubt if this was a United or Liverpool player he would have been approved by now.
No, it's because they have to check that he's played 5 games for a top 70 nation, that involves sending delegates on far flung trips to exotic places where they have a reliable Wiki in a foreign language that they must translate by hand. Anyone can edit the World Cup.
I think West Ham are having problems with their Ecuador signing, Enner Valencia. Not sure if that is visa related or an "international clearance" issue.
No it would be the home office. But he should be filling his forms out in his country of residence, which if Ecuador means the paperwork gets sent to the South American regional office for the UK Border Agency which is in either Sao Paolo or Rio de Janiero (I can't remember which) where it will be in a backlog.
'International clearance' is a football thing isn't it? ie. A process by which FIFA act as intermediary between the Ecuadorian, Spanish and English FAs to ensure his registration is legit and transferred correctly in return for whatever funds have been agreed.
Would the clubs have anything to do with this process as well? If that's true, I've got a sneaky feeling that Barcelona SC are slowing down the process because of the way that he supposedly left the club.
That would probably be part of the process but I know from personal experience that the time to get a visitor visa is 3 weeks. Whereas this would be a working professional type visa, so I have no idea whether the wait time is any different, plus the application couldn't be made until a firm job offer by WFC had been made in the first place. So once we've passed 3 weeks from the announced signing the clearance should be granted.
Has he been cleared to play yet? On a note of Phil Collin songs: "I can hear them swearing in the air tonight."
My mate is the captain of the Ecuador team, apparently the embassy were about to offer him clearance and Paredes said "don't bother mate, the manager is an idiot"
You're forgetting the genesis song "she wheeled a wheelbarrow" or the Collins B-side "You're gonna get your f*****g heads kicked in"
Seeing as I know almost nothing about Paredes, I had a chat with an Ecuadorian football journalist the other day about him. I feel a little bit more informed now, but it's still completely unknown whether he can adapt to the Championship and play a big part. The article following our conversation is here: http://www.watford.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=365061 The fact that he's supposed to be fast and very fit are big, obvious positives, and he sounds like a quiet and hard working guy. I hope he plays a part on Saturday, but I've heard nothing about the international clearance situation having changed at all.
International Rules The player in question must have played 75 per cent of his nation’s competitive games – excluding friendlies – in the two years prior to the date of application. - Played all 3 final games and all qualifying games - scoring an own goal against Chile! The country the player is coming from must be in the top 70 of Fifa’s rankings. Failure to meet these requirements, unless it can be proven a player was unavailable for selection for a period of time, results in an automatic rejection - Ecuador are 21st as at July. So what is the delay - a more open and shut case is hard to imagine - i can understand us not playing him - if he broke his leg and then permission was refused it would be like dropping a vase in Trewins!
If you mean match fit then Sannino said he's fit and ready to play. Not ideal that he's going into the season having never played a game with his team mates though, can't see him being cleared before tomorrow. Maybe he'll be cleared in time for a run out against Hemel.
As I said earlier in the thread I believe this is less to do with Home Office work permit/visa rules and more to do with the football authorities transferring his registration and scrutinising the deal. SC Barcelona > Granada > Watford in less than a week was always likely to make them wonder.
