Former NYCFC II & Academy Players

[FredMertz]

CFG did not recruit Gio
Gio had other opportunities outside of Dortmund
Gio chose the Dortmund First Team route over other first team others, one in particular in England
If CFG really wanted the kid, they would have offered him something
Signing Gio only to sell him is a disgusting idea. It would have HURT Gio and his prospects and put us and MLS in a bad light
Anyone that thinks a conflict of interest exists is delusional. You think Gio owes the Club anything? GTFO.

There was a huge conflict of interest because Claudio’s best interest as a father (getting his some to where his son in the best position) conflicted with what was best for the club (getting professional services from Gio or getting maximum compensation for him).
At any other club, the GM would have done anything within their power to convince Gio to sign. It is IMPOSSIBLE for Claudio to represent both parties properly.
He couldn’t recuse himself from negotiations with other clubs because NYCFC were not involved in those negotiations, because they never signed him.
How can you say that signing him just to sell him is disgusting? Was signing Scally to sell him disgusting? It is literally what every club does with every top Academy prospect. Sign them to either play or be sold.

 

[Kjbert]

There was a huge conflict of interest because Claudio’s best interest as a father (getting his some to where his son in the best position) conflicted with what was best for the club (getting professional services from Gio or getting maximum compensation for him).
At any other club, the GM would have done anything within their power to convince Gio to sign. It is IMPOSSIBLE for Claudio to represent both parties properly.
He couldn’t recuse himself from negotiations with other clubs because NYCFC were not involved in those negotiations, because they never signed him.
How can you say that signing him just to sell him is disgusting? Was signing Scally to sell him disgusting? It is literally what every club does with every top Academy prospect. Sign them to either play or be sold.

I’m going to prove your theory wrong very easily here.

Not once in your post did you mention what was in Gio’s best interest. That’s all that matters. Unless you can convince me that signing for nycfc was in Gio’s best interest, there is nothing to talk about. How do you know that Claudio didn’t recruit his son?

 

[Fantazma]

There was a huge conflict of interest because Claudio’s best interest as a father (getting his some to where his son in the best position) conflicted with what was best for the club (getting professional services from Gio or getting maximum compensation for him).
At any other club, the GM would have done anything within their power to convince Gio to sign. It is IMPOSSIBLE for Claudio to represent both parties properly.
He couldn’t recuse himself from negotiations with other clubs because NYCFC were not involved in those negotiations, because they never signed him.
How can you say that signing him just to sell him is disgusting? Was signing Scally to sell him disgusting? It is literally what every club does with every top Academy prospect. Sign them to either play or be sold.

i dont think this happens all the time in MLS. mckennie rejected a homegrown contract with dallas to go to schalke

 

[Ulrich]

But didn’t the academy help them get a college scholarship? Those scholarships are worth close to $100,000 in college soccer. Why shouldn’t we be compensated for that?

It goes back to the Amateur status of a university/scholar athlete.That $100k number is ethereal in nature, no money is changing hands. Your hypothetical, if correct/valid *but it isn’t*, would also stipulate that every college academic scholarship would also have to direct funds toward the students’ pre-college educational institutions (elementary, middle, HS) for the mental training that got the student there - and we know that doesn’t fly.

 

[FredMertz]

I’m going to prove your theory wrong very easily here.

Not once in your post did you mention what was in Gio’s best interest. That’s all that matters. Unless you can convince me that signing for nycfc was in Gio’s best interest, there is nothing to talk about. How do you know that Claudio didn’t recruit his son?

Huh? The club is a private, profit-making corporation. They’re supposed to act against their own financial interests to do what’s “best” for Gio? He owes them nothing, but they owe him financial sacrifice for his best interests? And anyway, had he signed a homegrown contract, how would all of this ended differently, other than NYCFC collecting a fee? Dortmund wouldn’t have paid a fee for him? He was only rated on a free?
I don’t know that Claudio didn’t recruit him for sure, but if he did, I’m betting he would have been able to successfully negotiate a deal with...himself.
I have no idea what really happened, but it’s called “Conflict of Interest” not “Conflict of Outcome”.

 

[FredMertz]

i dont think this happens all the time in MLS. mckennie rejected a homegrown contract with dallas to go to schalke

I never said the outcome would have been different, just that the setup as it was put Claudio in a position where his own best personal outcome (making Gio as attractive as possible for European clubs) stood in conflict with the team’s (making Gio as expensive as possible for European clubs).

 

[Fantazma]

I never said the outcome would have been different, just that the setup as it was put Claudio in a position where his own best personal outcome (making Gio as attractive as possible for European clubs) stood in conflict with the team’s (making Gio as expensive as possible for European clubs).

true, im just not going to shit on him for it. if CFG really thought very highly of gio ( not as a loan player to sell on later) I feel like CFG could of been more proactive and go to claudio and talk to him as the parent not as the GM. and who knows maybe they did do that and still said no.

 

[Ulrich]

Huh? The club is a private, profit-making corporation. They’re supposed to act against their own financial interests to do what’s “best” for Gio? He owes them nothing, but they owe him financial sacrifice for his best interests? And anyway, had he signed a homegrown contract, how would all of this ended differently, other than NYCFC collecting a fee? Dortmund wouldn’t have paid a fee for him? He was only rated on a free?
I don’t know that Claudio didn’t recruit him for sure, but if he did, I’m betting he would have been able to successfully negotiate a deal with...himself.
I have no idea what really happened, but it’s called “Conflict of Interest” not “Conflict of Outcome”.

Pretty sure that when a player goes to a club on a transfer, the player gets a percentage of the transfer. When a player goes to a club on a free, they get the entire “transfer,” ie a signing bonus, which is typically a lot more than what they get on a standard transfer percentage, but less than what the signing club would pay the selling club. That’s one reason why some players hold out agreeing to a transfer until their contract ends.

In this case, Gio very likely banked way more up front than he would have as a percentage of a transfer from club/club.

 

[Kjbert]

Either we’ve helped get the player to the next level or we have not. The US Soccer infrastructure and amateur issues of the ncaa in this country are flat out dumb.

If Claudio wrote NYCFC’s Academy a check to cover the training costs, would you guys feel better?

 

[Kjbert]

Pretty sure that when a player goes to a club on a transfer, the player gets a percentage of the transfer. When a player goes to a club on a free, they get the entire “transfer,” ie a signing bonus, which is typically a lot more than what they get on a standard transfer percentage, but less than what the signing club would pay the selling club. That’s one reason why some players hold out agreeing to a transfer until their contract ends.

In this case, Gio very likely banked way more up front than he would have as a percentage of a transfer from club/club.

So you’re telling me it was in Gio’s best interest, financially, to leave on a free and take 100% of any signing bonus?

 

[FredMertz]

So you’re telling me it was in Gio’s best interest, financially, to leave on a free and take 100% of any signing bonus?

If you enter a dumb argument contest and your dad is the judge of the dumb argument contest, is it not a conflict of interest just because you actually have the dumbest argument?
Would a different GM have been able to sign Gio? Probably not. Does that mean it wasn’t a conflict of interest? Absolutely not.

 

[Kjbert]

If you enter a dumb argument contest and your dad is the judge of the dumb argument contest, is it not a conflict of interest just because you actually have the dumbest argument?
Would a different GM have been able to sign Gio? Probably not. Does that mean it wasn’t a conflict of interest? Absolutely not.

So then what is your complaint here? Don’t hire any mothers or fathers in our front office? I met David Lee’s kid. How long until Dave Lee needs to step away.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Yes it was a conflict of interest, but what did you want each side to do about that?

It’s easy to call out the conflict, but meaningless unless you suggest the appropriate way to handle it. And it’s impossible to know whether they handled it appropriately given the lack of transparency.

 

[CCMore]

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/04/18/faqs-about-training-compensation-and-solidarity-payments

I don't know if this link has been mentioned before but I do know we have discussed how teams are compensated for non-signed academy players. Matt Doyle posted this link in an RSL article when a poster on MLSsoccer.com questioned how a team is compensated for poached academy players.

 

[FredMertz]

Yes it was a conflict of interest, but what did you want each side to do about that?

It’s easy to call out the conflict, but meaningless unless you suggest the appropriate way to handle it. And it’s impossible to know whether they handled it appropriately given the lack of transparency.

Oy vey! If there is an appearance of conflict and your solution to it is not public -- POOF! -- you have done nothing to change the appearance of conflict.

 

[FredMertz]

So then what is your complaint here? Don’t hire any mothers or fathers in our front office? I met David Lee’s kid. How long until Dave Lee needs to step away.

Great pivot from "there was no conflict" to "what can you do about it"?

Similar to "there was no quid pro quo" to "what's wrong with quid pro quo"?

 

[Kjbert]

Great pivot from "there was no conflict" to "what can you do about it"?

Similar to "there was no quid pro quo" to "what's wrong with quid pro quo"?

How is this a conflict? A conflict would be giving your 15 year old son a contract.

I’m still looking for the first poster to tell me they would have their kid sign with nycfc just so nycfc could sell his rights.

He’s a human. Not a FIFA character. Jesus Christ.

 

[LionNYC]

How is this a conflict? A conflict would be giving your 15 year old son a contract.

I’m still looking for the first poster to tell me they would have their kid sign with nycfc just so nycfc could sell his rights.

He’s a human. Not a FIFA character. Jesus Christ.

Gio Reyna isn't in FIFA yet? WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR?

 

[Ulrich]

How is this a conflict? A conflict would be giving your 15 year old son a contract.

I’m still looking for the first poster to tell me they would have their kid sign with nycfc just so nycfc could sell his rights.

He’s a human. Not a FIFA character. Jesus Christ.

How is it a conflict???

The person in charge of the Academy and signing players doesn’t put the full court press on the best player because it’s his son, and in not doing so shirks his role/duty for the club. He had a fiduciary responsibility to the club which he failed at the expense of his duty as a father. That’s absolutely the definition of a conflict of interest.

 

[Kjbert]

How is it a conflict???

The person in charge of the Academy and signing players doesn’t put the full court press on the best player because it’s his son, and in not doing so shirks his role/duty for the club. He had a fiduciary responsibility to the club which he failed at the expense of his duty as a father. That’s absolutely the definition of a conflict of interest.

I can promise you that NYCFC put on a full court press.

Has it once crossed your mind that maybe we were not the best option for him?