Niculae Court Case

[Soma]

http://www.ictfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News...1825815,00.html

Where are we going to get the money from?

[AJS]

It's not like he has sponged enough cash of us already. How petty this is.

[Yngwie]

I'm pleasantly surprised that the club have proactively made an announcement on this.

[Jay_7]

I'm pleasantly surprised that the club have proactively made an announcement on this.

As am I. Surely if we were to fail with our appeal there would be sufficient grounds to sue the SPL for this?

[Johnboy]

Isn't there a danger that taking this matter to a higher court will cost the club even more money?

[Jay_7]

Isn't there a danger that taking this matter to a higher court will cost the club even more money?

All the more reason to present the SPL with the bill for making a "rule" that FIFA does not recognise.

[Council Juice]

I have a funny feeling that this might harm the guys legend status here

[Yngwie]

Surely if we were to fail with our appeal there would be sufficient grounds to sue the SPL for this?

Don't think it's anything to do with the SPL.

I think the issue is that ICT cannot prove that Niculae wanted and instigated the transfer.

My suspicion is that Niculae was meant to sign something confirming this, as a pre-condition of being allowed to go to Dinamo. But he didn't, and this is why Dinamo were unveiling documents on their website showing that they had a deal with ICT, when ICT were denying that the transfer had been completed.

But FIFA obviously believed that the Euro 2008 player wanted to remain in the bottom half of one of Europe's diddy leagues whilst his international teammates were earning many times what we were paying him.

[Caley Stan]

That's an interesting explanation of events. Does anyone want to come out and offer an alternative one?

For me, although this whole situation has been shrouded in mystery, i have always just assumed incompetence on the part of the muppets. Am i cynical (always assuming the worst from our board) or gullible (swallowing every word of IHE's colourful hyperbole)? I don't know. Maybe i'm just confused. Where is stevico?

[CaleyD]

Isn't there a danger that taking this matter to a higher court will cost the club even more money?

Probably looking at a minimum fee of around 15,000 Euros just to lodge the case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

I have a funny feeling that this might harm the guys legend status here

Why would that be?

The club are claiming he instigated his own transfer, yet we were told (was certainly my understanding from club statements and press comments at the time) that the club were moving him on because we couldn't afford him.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t..._ct/7364125.stm

[Johnboy]

The club are claiming he instigated his own transfer, yet we were told (was certainly my understanding from club statements and press comments at the time) that the club were moving him on because we couldn't afford him.

That is the key point....

Did the club request that Niculae put his request in writing?

[Alex MacLeod]

I think it's difficult to comment without knowing the grounds for FIFA's decision.

142,500 Euro = ?132,810 at todays exchange rate. Nearly ?120,000 less than was claimed at the time.

Edited October 14, 2009 by Alex MacLeod

[Yngwie]

I think it's difficult to comment without knowing the grounds for FIFA's decision.

142,500 Euro = ?132,810 at todays exchange rate. Nearly ?120,000 less than was claimed at the time.

We're always happy to comment on arbiter's decisions every Saturday without knowing the reasons behind them!

Alex,, this is just one of 2 claims made against the club. The other is for part 2 of his signing on fee, which is currently a local court case.

BTW, the info in the announcement confirms that the transfer fee was 475,000 Euros.

[starchief]

Reading between the lines, it seems to be ICT didn't want Niculae for another year. But Marius, rather than the club, arranged the transfer. If, in my completely ignorant opinion based on sheer presumption, that is the case, then the court probably got it right. Pretty poor business management that in this day and age, we can't even do a transfer - the liefeblood of football - properly.

[Yngwie]

The reality is that Niculae was very eager to move on to bigger things, and ICT were more than happy to sell him for the sums that were on offer.

[stevico1]

Marius called me to inform me of the decision this morning but he knows as much as the club as in that the ruling was in his favour which to be honest he fully expected

As somebody else stated there is also another claim ongoing for the 100,000 Euros for the part of the signing on fee that is still owed.

Edited October 14, 2009 by stevico1

[stevico1]

It's not like he has sponged enough cash of us already. How petty this is.

If you had a contract that said you were owed a sum of money from your employer and it was not paid would you go after it or just leave it as you would consider it petty?

Edited October 14, 2009 by stevico1

[Yngwie]

Steve, could you kindly suggest to Marius that 10% of his "winnings" get donated to the ICT Supporters Club? His gripe was never with the fans, who were extremely supportive of him in his time here (well, apart from IHE!)

[stevico1]

Steve, could you kindly suggest to Marius that 10% of his "winnings" get donated to the ICT Supporters Club? His gripe was never with the fans, who were extremely supportive of him in his time here (well, apart from IHE!)

Yngwie, I will pass on your request.

[Yngwie]

Cool!

In my capacity as "agent" for this proposed transaction, can I claim 10% too? :)

Edited October 14, 2009 by Yngwie

[stevico1]

Cool!

In my capacity as "agent" for this proposed transaction, can I claim 10% too? :)

B)

[Scotty]

and as it was suggested on here, we will also claim 10% as "media fees" or "consultancy" or whatever :)

At the end of the day, most of us will never know the full story of what went on but it is clear that somewhere along the line there was an almighty cluster**** in the administration of this deal on the ICT side.

Were we naive about the clauses built in when we signed him initially? Was it ineptitude on our part caused by his higher than normal profile for an ICT player? Was it too much trust (on either side) to not get all the i's dotted and t's crossed? did we balls up the transfer at the end and baulk when we were reminded of the clauses we were happy to agree to initially? did we (try to) shaft Marius or did he (try to) shaft us? or is it just the rightful conclusion to a deal that was clear to all of those in the know .... all this and more in the next episode .....

Bottom line, we got a year out of a player who in the end cost us more than we ever thought he would and most of us enjoyed that year. If we do owe him more money, lets just get it paid so we can draw a line under it... Those who are "in the know" know who screwed up, so lets just learn some (expensive) lessons from this debacle and move on ... (Lesson 1 - be aware of the difference between ? and ?.)

[TheKnowledge]

From what I can gather, this is mad management on the part if the board, and Niculae just claiming what he's due. I can't really see any reason to bad mouth the guy.

[TheKnowledge]

(Lesson 1 - be aware of the difference between ? and ?.)

Would it be done at the present exchange rate, or last summers rate?

[CaleyD]

If the deal was done in Euro's then we'll have to make good what is due in Euro's at the current exchange rate.