Had to stay at HSV in 2011
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Transfer negotiations can be tough, lengthy and full of stumbling blocks. Professionals sometimes want to force their move to their dream club and in doing so they risk a lot of trouble with their current employer, lose credit with the fans or cause astonishment among their superiors. Transfermarkt looks at transfers that were characterized by loud background noise. Or failed in the last few meters. This time the focus is on the failed loan move of former HSV striker Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting to 1. FC Köln during the 2010/11 season.
Part 1 | Niko Kovacs moved from HSV to FC Bayern in 2001
Part 2 | Heiko Herrlich’s transfer from Borussia M’gladbach to BVB in 1995
Part 3 | Andreas Möller’s courageous path from BVB to Schalke 2000
Part 4 | The smaller França’s move to Hannover 96 in the winter of 2013
Once almost all formalities have been completed and the signatures have been signed, nothing can stand in the way of a transfer. Actually. Attacker Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting definitely thought so too when he was supposed to move from Hamburger SV to 1. FC Köln at the beginning of 2011. A backup for Milivoje Novakovic and Lukas Podolski was sought. “We have a lot of competition on offense, he would only be used a little,” said Hamburg’s new sports director Bastian Reinhardt. The parties involved therefore agreed and everything seemed to be on track – until the technology failed and Choupo-Moting & Co. thwarted the plan on the home straight.
“The DFL informed us that the documents did not arrive on time and the transfer would not take place,” said the then managing director of 1. FC Cologne, Claus Horstmann, to the “Express”.
“The application for an exemption was rejected. The deadlines set out in the league statutes are binding for all clubs and serve to ensure the proper conduct of game operations and to protect the integrity of the competition. This applies in particular to the deadline up to which player transfers can be made in the two change periods of a season,” explained the German Football League in its press release on February 3, 2011.
Things went back and forth, then we were through.
So Choupo-Moting had to stay in his hometown of Hamburg, where his contract was due to end the following summer. And on top of that, at the behest of coach Armin Veh, he also had to go to the U23 in the Regionalliga Nord instead of fighting for Bundesliga points with the professionals. How could this mess happen?
In one sentence: There were serious problems when sending the transfer documents by fax to Cologne. A loan deal for the then 21-year-old striker was negotiated shortly before the winter deadline, and at 5:30 p.m. the signs were clear. “The time window was very tight, but still within reason. Things went back and forth, then we were through,” said Cologne boss Horstmann. Small but important problem: The complete fax from father and advisor Just Choupo-Moting did not find its way to the 1. FC Köln office in time. The papers were forwarded to the DFL a few minutes too late – after the changeover deadline had expired at 6 p.m. What people in the cathedral city initially didn’t want to swallow. “We have taken note of the judgment and will have it examined by our lawyers,” Horstmann said.
In Cologne, technical difficulties were pointed out. The fax machine that was the focus of the transfer drama “only showed black lines” from page three of the documents onwards, revealed sports director Volker Finke. The “Kicker” wrote that initially only one page of the signed player contract arrived. This happened at 5:49 p.m. Eleven minutes left. However, Choupo-Moting’s all-important signature was only received after the deadline. According to reports, 1. FC Köln was only able to send the document to the DFL at 6:06 p.m. FC spokesman Christopher Lymberopoulos told “Spiegel”: “The problem was a fax jam. The fax didn’t reach us until 6:03 p.m..” The time devil wasn’t just breathing down our necks, it had even taken on threatening proportions. “At 6:14 p.m. all the documents were in Frankfurt.” And the following note from Lymberopoulos: “We can prove everything based on the times on the fax, Eric Maxim’s father can do it too. Now it’s up to the DFL.”
DFL rejected Cologne’s application – Choupo-Moting turned down West Bromwich
They dealt with the transfer breakdown and quickly gave hope for a happy ending: “After receiving the more detailed explanation of the circumstances announced by 1. FC Köln, the DFL will deal with the application and make a decision by the end of the week at the latest,” said one speaker with. Cologne sports director Finke was counting on “a positive result” from Choupo-Moting. “Their point of view is: We can’t help with technical problems. But neither do we. We have lodged an appeal against the decision,” said managing director Horstmann with “low” hope. As is well known, there was no happy ending. “I spoke to the DFL, no chance. Fate would have it that way – he has to stay in Hamburg,” stated Just Choupo-Moting. He told “Bild”: “We had already canceled at West Bromwich, there was now no option there either. Maxim stays at HSV. Life goes on.”
The failed transfer was preceded by back and forth at Hamburger SV. And the hustle and bustle surrounding world star Ruud van Nistelrooy, who – now in the late autumn of his career – absolutely wanted to go back to Real Madrid, but to his great annoyance he was not allowed to do so. In addition to Cologne and West Bromwich Albion, interested parties TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and VfL Wolfsburg were also linked to Choupo-Moting. On the last transfer day, January 31st, the HSV officials around sports director Reinhardt faced the urgent question of whether the youngster’s soon-to-end contract should be extended by one year with double salary – or not.
Most games for Bayern Choupo-Moting’s career in numbers This way! HSV actually wanted to exercise the option of an extension until 2012, but Just Choupo-Moting received “command back” when he was already on his way to Cologne. In the Hanseatic city, they suddenly no longer wanted to retain home-grown Choupo-Moting because that would obviously have meant a significant salary increase from the summer onwards. However, a loan to FC was still considered possible, the father and player agent told the “Kicker” because there was a solution “that is good for HSV and for Eric”. The final result was not good for any of those involved: 1. FC Köln, HSV and, above all, Choupo-Moting, who played no role at all in the second half of the season and was released on a free transfer in the 2011/12 season and for three years on the 1st team FSV Mainz 05 went. A belated happy ending.
“Eric is a player with exceptional potential. He combines many characteristics that make a very good offensive player. “Thanks to his diverse qualities, he can be used in all positions in the attack or in the offensive line in midfield and thus significantly increases the potential of our squad,” said Mainz head coach Thomas Tuchel, praising the 22-year-old newcomer. For Choupo-Moting, the zero fives were a successful step on the way to his later positions at Schalke, Stoke City, Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern. The incorrect fax did not cause any lasting damage to the Cameroon international striker’s career.
