The Nerazzurri refused 5 million from the green-and-whites but then freed the player to zero, risk of legal battle
The Benfica announced Joao Mario, who yesterday terminated with Inter, but from Portugal they warn: it may not be over here. The departure of the Portuguese from the Nerazzurri was troubled to say the least and now it is Sporting Lisbona, O Jogo reports, he wants to see clearly. “Why did they turn down our € 5 million offer and then let him go for free?” is the reasoning of the green-and-white club that now, as announced in an official note, is ready for the legal battle.
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To recap: last season Joao Mario played on loan at Sporting Lisbon, who tried to redeem him at the end of the season. Inter had asked for 7.5 million euros, a figure that would have avoided losses in the balance sheet, but the offer did not exceed the fixed 3 million euros plus two million bonuses linked to the goals scored. Hence the inclusion of Benfica in the negotiations with which, however, in the same way, there was no agreement on the amount to be paid to the Nerazzurri. In the end, the midfielder terminated with Inter and was able to sign at no cost with Benfica.
In all this, an additional variable must be included: in the transfer agreement to Inter stipulated in the summer of 2016, Sporting Lisbon had included a clause that prohibited the future sale of the player to other Portuguese clubs, unless Inter paid another 30 million into the company’s coffers. This is why the Lions now want to see clearly, they believe that with the termination of the contract they wanted to circumvent that clause and promise a legal battle to assert their rights.
Furthermore, according to O Jogo, Joao Mario’s agent, Federico Pastorello, had one slope of approximately 4 million euros with Inter. Slope that the prosecutor would have promised to cancel to facilitate the termination of the remaining year of the contract that Joao Mario had with the Nerazzurri in order to leave him free to go to Benfica.
SPORTING COMMUNICATION: “EXPEDIENT TO ESCAPE THE COMMITMENTS”
Sporting Lisbon clarified their position with a harsh official statement: “In 2016, at the time of the transfer of player João Mário from Sporting CP to FC Internazionale Milano, the Italian club and the player made a commitment, among other things, to make an additional payment of € 30,000,000 if and when the player has been registered in favor of Portuguese clubs, including Sport Lisboa and Benfica – explains the green-and-white club -. As is known and public, FC Internazionale Milano and João Mário they agreed to terminate, by mutual agreement, the employment contract that united them, so that the player was free to sign a new contract with Sport Lisboa and Benfica. This is the conviction of the Board of Directors of Sporting Clube de Portugal – Futebol, SAD that an expedient was used to ensure that Inter and the player João Mário failed to comply with what they signed with Sporting Clube de Portugal – Futebol, SAD in 2016. This device demonstrates that and all the parties were aware of the obligations assumed in 2016 and which, after 5 years, they intend to evade. Sporting Clube de Portugal – Futebol, SAD will not publicly feed this story, which risks diverting attention from other current affairs, but will not fail to defend the interests of Sporting Clube de Portugal and Sporting Clube de Portugal – Futebol, SAD in the venues opportune, considering the interveners responsible for the damages caused and the non-fulfillment of the obligations assumed “.
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