Not entirely true. As with everything you still need to have a case to succeed.
Plus, if there is a contract then you are entitled to hold someone to it.
The reality in all of this is that football is as much about politics and asset trading as it is contracts, which is why it's distinctly different from a standard employment situation. Mad Yid was right in so far as we could, in theory, hold players to their contracts. If they entirely refused to perform, which is unlikely, then it would allow us to fine the player his wages for the continued striking period and, possibly, allow us to declare breach of contract. Where or not this, in turn, would allow us to sue the player in due course for the value of his contract if the non-performance persisted is something you'd have to ask a sports lawyer experienced in this field. But, suffice it to say, legally we could hold a player to the contract.
But football is a business. Players know this, agents know this and clubs know this. The value of a contract has to balanced against transfer value. When offered an amount of money that far exceeds the value of the contract a club has to weigh up the cost of retaining a potentially unhappy player over a set number of years, during which loss of form and injury could occur, against the interests of the club and how the club would benefit from such a huge influx of funds, especially in an unprecedented situation like Bale's.
On top of this is the political game in which, despite not having the final say, players and agents can use the press to pile the pressure on clubs to give over to their desired wish.
So, yes the final decision may lay with the club, but it is not nearly as simple as holding someone to their contract and walking away. In my opinion, Levy saw an absurdly high transfer fee for a player at the top of his game, and took the view that the money would better reinvested in players who wanted to play for the club (as it stood at the time) than trying to risk keeping a player whose value, form and fitness might drop. Not an easy decision to make and very convenient for fans and the likes of Sherwood to claim in hindsight that it was a mistake, but had even half those seven new players come good last year I don't think anybody would be moaning about Bale. Instead they would be hailing Levy's wise move.
Definitely.
Two words - Adrian Mutu.
How much does he owe Chelsea? £10-15m? Went to court and Mutu got stung badly.
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serves me right for trying to be cool - I can spell, honest!
