samharris said:
What actually happens if Robinho flatly refuses to come back...Do City have any say on the matter and can we fuck him big time if it comes to it. ??
I think we have to look at this from the perspective of Manchester City rather than that adopted by Robinho.
To start with, I don't think there is actually a precedent for this. Then again, I'm not as young as I was and possibly others might beg to differ.
From our perspective, the club has to make a decision (I'm pretty sure a decision will have been made) as to what legal action it will pursue if it wants to allege a break of contract by the Brazilian, taking into account whatever agreement was signed with Santos in connexion with his
temporary loan transfer till the end of the season.
As has already been stated earlier in this thread, he is a Manchester City player. So, by moving to another club - irrespective of where that club is - it doesn't mean that gives him a right to prepare the ground to leave the club he is registered with by selling all his material possessions and stating that he has no desire to return to Manchester City.
The club will now be forced into issuing a statement to the media as to how it intends to react to this report. Remember, it may not be true. Firstly, it will have to state whether they acknowledge that Robinho has confirmed this directly, i.e. he has told the club he is selling up and has no desire or intention of returning. Clearly, if he states that he has no
intention of returning, which is almost certainly the case, then he is would normally be in breach of his contract.
So, the choice is :-
1. Pursuing a legal case to recover compensation. Doubtless this would interest and involve FIFA, Eufa and the Premier League. The Mutu case with Chelsea, though different, inasmuch as the club itself sacked the player due to drug abuse and thereby construed that Mutu himself was fully responsible for breaking his contract, has some tangiential considerations.
2. Taking the first acceptable bid from a club which meets our market valuation. This of course is not striaghtforward either. As we know Brazilian clubs are not wealthy and Santos have alrady stated that they cannot afford say €25m.
Any club willing to part with the kind of fee that we deem accepatable, not to mention the fact that the club offering the cash will have to measure up to Robinho's lofty and some would say unrealistic expectations, are probably few and far between. Barcelona is one such club, but I rather thought they have subsequently indicated that they ended their interest in him.
Personally, I would opt for the former. It carries a lot of negative publicity risks though. However, I would be prepared to take those risks.