The Mendes Brotherhood

[Trips]

Its really high. Raiola is no example. Most of our signings were on a free transfer: zivkovic, carrillo. Or really low values: permanent deal on Mitroglou for 7M, Fernando Augusto for around 3...

The result is the second highest debt in europe. A club that in this decade won 5 national leagues, reached Europa league final twice and reached champions league quarter finals twice. Where is the money going?

Is it to Jorge Mendes by any chance?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

The problem for Benfica (as far as I can see) is that your turnover for League rights is not that big. Obviously a nice slice of the European tv money but the Portuguese league doesn't generate rights even close to the Premier League deal. If we get promoted then we get absolutely ridiculous money. So huge agents fees won't be a massive issue.

Plus, don't forget we get 5% of whatever Gestifute generates as part of the ownership (well FOSUN do). So if Ronaldo moves for stupid millions and Jorge gets his cut, so do we.

 

[Londonwolf]

An interesting read;

Valencia, an Often Unsteady Club, Teeters Toward Disaster
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/sports/soccer/valencia-la-liga-spain.html

"In 2012, with Deportivo in severe financial trouble, Mendes helped Lendoiro acquire, mostly on loan, a number of his many clients at favorable rates: not the superstars but the more unremarkable likes of Silvio, Roderick Miranda and Nélson Oliveira. Deportivo might have struggled to build a squad otherwise, so desperate was the club’s situation. 'He was doing Lendoiro a favor,' Yordi said. 'He was repaying the debt and using players who needed a stage to build their careers to do it.'...[Later] Mendes moved those players on, for the most part, replacing them on the club with other clients who helped Deportivo win promotion the following year. [But] that business is not always good for the clubs that seek to benefit from a connection to him. André Gomes, Valencia’s star, left for Barcelona last summer; so did Paco Alcácer, the club’s top striker."

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Interesting for sure. But what everyone keeps missing is that Valencia were financially unstable. And Lim wasn't exactly Abramovic.

Fosun are the opposite. Financially, they make Croesus look like a poor house tenant. Nobody seems to be able to twig that in the media. Mendes is an agent for the mega rich clubs, and we are now mega rich.

 

[SLB]

Spanish link with the investigations related to Valencia transfers:

http://www.elmundo.es/comunidad-valenciana/2016/05/22/5740a2cc22601d5b458b45d1.html

 

[Londonwolf]

Interesting for sure. But what everyone keeps missing is that Valencia were financially unstable. And Lim wasn't exactly Abramovic.

Fosun are the opposite. Financially, they make Croesus look like a poor house tenant. Nobody seems to be able to twig that in the media. Mendes is an agent for the mega rich clubs, and we are now mega rich.

Decent point, I agree. What I was referring to by "interesting" was more in terms of the insights into the Mendes favour system, and the merry-go-round. Or 'Mendes-Go-Round', if you'll excuse the pun

 

[Londonwolf]

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/sports/soccer/wolverhampton-jorge-mendes.html

 

[YoungWolf]

A good article, Rory Smith is a good writer and makes some good points. Fosun are no mugs though and they will be aware of these key questions. If/when we get to the Premoer League we will a) have a better chances of signing better Mendes players (or Jota permanently for example) andy) just better players in general with Fosun's resources. It's a good way to help get us promoted and then establish ourselves.

 

[Tony Towner]

I think that's fairly balanced. Overall excitement with nagging concerns.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Dele Alli close to signing with Gestifute. Clearly set to move here next season.

 

[Kenny]

Dele Alli close to signing with Gestifute. Clearly set to move here next season.

Next season? On loan in January please Jorgey

 

[visage]

He'd be useful to have on the bench, yup.

 

[Quirkafleeg]

SLB will be here in a bit stirring his dick in the pot.

 

[Alan]

Ew.

 

[jdrodrigues]

Benfica has failed badly, this year. Some Mendes only players, such as Felipe Augusto are a pure disgrace, while good players such as André Horta were loaned off without any good reason. Rumour has it that it is because he refused to sign for Mendes.