Comments on: It’s Over

By: Will

Will — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:23:52 +0000

Your implication of Fifa’s mistake is right on the money. It seems to me that the decision of going to play for the country is largely up to the player and is beneficial to the club to release him. Let’s face it, not releasing will leave a frustrated and resentful player. Everybody benefits.

Fifa’s failure to allow schedules for the fixtures and leave a void of information up until a few weeks before the games is rediculous. Bremen obviously wants their player to do well and all the drama seems to come from them not wanting to be jerked around. Fair play to all parties, club and player. Fifa really screwed the pooch here.

By: Arturo

Arturo — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:57:00 +0000

What can you do? Hopefully he gets back quickly to work his magic!

By: diana

diana — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:59:41 +0000

Something like this – http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=560748&cc=4716

Blatter has vowed to ensure that come the London 2012 Olympics, ‘clubs will be obliged to release under-23 players’. The IOC President Jacques Rogge actually raised something which I think kind of made sense (quoting what he said) – ‘The solution is very easy – if FIFA would put the Olympic men’s tournament on the combined programme then it’s solved because then clubs would be under obligation to release their players.’

By: Jan

Jan — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:44:01 +0000

“He arrives back in Bremen full of confidence from his play and gratitude for the opportunity.”

So your employer goes to court because he wouldn’t let you go in the first place, and you come back full of gratitude? I think Werder and Diego maintain a very professional relationship and thus there won’t be much bad blood, but that is it IMHO.

But, I’m full of gratitude to Bremen for forcing FIFA to confront their own hypocrisy. Now we’ll have proper rules next time and FIFA have to decide to what extent they can accept an Olympic football tournament competing with their FIFA World Cup brand.