12 Aug 2023 20:35:28
According to Romano, Caicedo agreed (through his representatives) an 8 year contract with Chelsea in May with the option of a 1 year extension.

9 year deal will be the longest offered under Boehly’s tenure.

1.) 12 Aug 2023
12 Aug 2023 21:05:46
So it’s not that he wants to join Chelsea for any other reason than money…. 9 year contract yet one bad injury and his career could be over. Mercenary good luck getting him sold to real in 2 years.

2.) 12 Aug 2023
12 Aug 2023 21:30:10
Football is crazy ATM.

3.) 12 Aug 2023
12 Aug 2023 21:57:08
No wonder Caicedo was so keen to join them
Be interesting to see what the agents fees are too.
Boehly has an interesting way of operating.
I've never known anything like it for throughput of players.
He's presenting Poch, a new manager himself, with almost another all-change new team.
Two British record signings in midfield now.

4.) 12 Aug 2023
12 Aug 2023 22:17:12
There’s a reason why teams don’t give players long contracts.

Where’s the motivation for them to work for their next contract?

You’re basically giving these kids obscene amounts of money and guaranteeing they will get it for their entire 20s. Yes you’ll get the odd one with the right mentality to work for trophies but most of these kids just want the money and they’ll get that regardless of what they do.

Newcastle tried it years ago and got relegated. I see Chelsea going the same way.

5.) 12 Aug 2023
12 Aug 2023 22:19:57
Chelsea are no different under bohley other than the new “long term” contracts. He will sack poch by Christmas being in another manager another whole new team of over priced players until he runs out of funds. His pockets are limitless and he will soon realises this.

6.) 12 Aug 2023
12 Aug 2023 22:26:31
Chelsea are not going to get relegated lol they also have enough money to just replace these players if they don’t perform so can take the risk.

They are building a quality side and with enzo and Caicedo in the middle will be a real force this/ next season.

7.) 12 Aug 2023
12 Aug 2023 22:37:09
That’s the problem Brummy, if they give everyone 8-9 year contracts they could be left with a very unmotivated squad that they can’t get rid of. The margins at the top level are fractions so a 5% drop off in effort can lead to disaster.

They might have money but even they can’t keep signing players whilst keeping all of their existing players who are not contributing.

If it worked then everyone would be doing it. Boehly is not some genius that’s just reinvented the wheel. It’s been tried before and failed so most sane people know that it’s not the right way to go.

8.) 12 Aug 2023
12 Aug 2023 21:16:33
I thought this length of contract was banned or have I mis-interpreted the rules?

9.) 12 Aug 2023
12 Aug 2023 21:16:35
Right it’s done move on get the Lavia deal done if he will still come to us.

10.) 12 Aug 2023
12 Aug 2023 21:59:30
Hi Ed002,

Thanks for all your info and patience re Caicedo. Just wondering as a point of interest, I thought fifa or uefa had banned contracts for over 5 years starting this summer? ThNks!

{Ed002's Note - OK, thanks.}

11.) 12 Aug 2023
12 Aug 2023 22:32:04
A force? Under whos guidance? They have a manager known to be to lax with players he won’t develop them. And they have money for now. So did plenty other teams and look what happened.

12.) 13 Aug 2023
12 Aug 2023 23:57:05
6times red, a club can give a player any length of contract they want, how could you stop them? Jesus it's how employment works. What fifa banned or reports they banned I'm not sure how accurate is paying tgw fee over longer that 5 years, helping clubs around ffp.

13.) 13 Aug 2023
13 Aug 2023 01:52:15
Contract length is not restricted, but using extremely long contracts as a ploy to work around FFP is rooted out by stipulating that costs of purchases are recognised in financial accounts over no more than 5 years.

In typical accounting the cost of something is recognised over its useful life (e. g. cost of a 20k car which lasts 10 years is 2k per year) . Longer the useful life, smaller the per-year cost. UEFA have cracked down on spreading the cost of *transfers* over more than 5 years so to not artificially lower the per-year cost of transfers. Contracts can be as long as you want.

14.) 13 Aug 2023
13 Aug 2023 05:11:13
Nailed it hani

There’s a bug difference between
- the length of the players contract (which isn’t restricted)
- the timing and payment terms of any transfer fees (which aren’t restricted and can be set however the two clubs agree)
- the accounting policy of the contract value (which as you describe above stipulates the ‘value’ of a player contract cannot be amortised over more than 5yrs)

FFP is based on the accounting rather than the payment terms, but most people on the planet (or this site) don’t know much about accounting rules, hence why Ed02 keeps saying don’t focus on the financials as it just confuses everyone.

Wise advice that we should all listen to! (And hopefully I didn’t get this wrong ?)

{Ed001's Note - the timing and payment terms of transfer fees are restricted - there is a limit to the length of time you have to pay up in transfers between English clubs. After the debacle at Portsmouth, the FA tried to ensure that didn't happen again where a club ends up in trouble due to outstanding payments owed for years into the future. I think, iirc, it is 5 years maximum, but that maybe wrong.}

15.) 13 Aug 2023
13 Aug 2023 07:10:39
It is also worth mentioning that although we aren't used to seeing footballers get contracts of this length, it is common practice in US sports such a baseball and American football.

I know people will say football over here is different, but it is what the Americans are used to.

16.) 13 Aug 2023
13 Aug 2023 10:11:15
In baseball maybe. Don’t see NGL and NBA players getting 8 year contracts these days haha.

17.) 13 Aug 2023
13 Aug 2023 10:13:37
FIFA updated their rules regarding contracts. IFA, football's governing body, outlines that contracts should be no longer than five years. Jan 18, 2023. A quick google search would help you.

18.) 13 Aug 2023
13 Aug 2023 12:55:23
I knew I would - thanks Ed01 for the correction :)

Main point I was trying to make is player contracts and accounting a two different things and most don't understand accounting so it's best to ignore the financials and FFP as it just confuses everyone!

{Ed001's Note - it is so difficult to keep track of it all I really wish the papers would stop spreading crap about it. Almost everything In the media about FFP and football finances is utter nonsense. Only Swiss Ramble that I know of is worth taking notice of.}

19.) 13 Aug 2023
13 Aug 2023 13:07:40
Rosenthal, I believe it is the case that FIFA says player contracts should be no longer than 5yrs, unless they are permissible under local country rules, and the UK allows contracts of more than 5yrs, but as Ed mentioned there may be some restrictions on payment terms in the UK.

Accounting is definitely restricted to 5yrs by UEFA to level the playing field on FFP calculations.