Gus Til / Photo: © Oleg Bukharev / Match TV
Surprisingly, the sale of Thiel is not the most disastrous deal in the history of the Red-Whites.
Problems with legionnaires from RPL clubs no longer shock anyone, but their details are still surprising. For example, Chidera Ejuke suspended the contract with CSKA a week after he confessed his love to the “army team”, and Spartak midfielder Victor Moses did not silently return to the team after the vacation. Agree, it’s kind of ugly.
Against the background of such news, the sale of Dutch midfielder Guus Thiel for three million euros (according to Transfermarkt) looks like a success. Yes, Til is the most expensive purchase of Spartak in the history of the club, in 2019 AZ received 18 million euros for Gus, although the market then estimated him at 6 million. But Til could leave for free, but here at least some benefit. As they say, a black sheep has at least a tuft of wool.
The transfers of the “red-whites” in recent years generally raise many questions. The scourge of modern Spartak is inadequate overpayments for mediocre players.
Alex Kral. Fashionable hair for huge money
The Slavia Prague midfielder was another young talent who saw Spartak as a springboard to a great European career. This happened only in part. Last season, Alex was on loan at West Ham, although he played only one match in the Premier League.
Of course, the “hammerers” did not buy the Czech, but he did not return to Moscow either. Kral suspended the contract with the Red-Whites until the end of the 2022/23 season, using the FIFA option. Spartak again got burned on the transfer, it is unlikely that Kral will now play for the Red-Whites, and they paid as much as 12 million euros for him.
Pedro Rocha. One of the few Brazilians who did not adapt in Russia
Spartak paid for Pedro Rosa as much as for Kral – 12 million euros. Now club leaders can only dream of such amounts for transfers, and in 2017, all sorts of illiquid assets like this Brazilian were imported into Russia without any problems. Rocha played 12 matches for the Red-Whites and scored one goal.
Surprisingly, this player still belongs to Spartak. Moreover, in 2019, the contract was extended with him, although even then it was clear that the Brazilian was absolutely not able to play in Russia. In the summer of 2023, the agreement with the club ends, which means that his permanent leases will come to an end.
Sofyan Hanni / Photo: Vasily Ponomarev / Edgar Breshchanov / Sportbox.ru
Sophian Hanni. Was involved in a corruption scandal
Algerian midfielder Sofiane Hanni joined Spartak in 2017 for 8 million euros. Great hopes were placed on him. At that time, the team was in dire need of a “top ten”, there was not enough player on the field who could give the last pass. But in fact, she got Hanni, who, firstly, did not really play, and secondly, was involved in a corruption scandal.
Agent Mogi Bayat, who was actively involved in the deal between Spartak and Anderlecht, was arrested on suspicion of money laundering on transfers. Hanni was a victim, not a defendant, but the Red-Whites, without thinking twice, got rid of the Algerian, selling him to the Qatari Al-Gharafa for 3.5 million euros. Sofyan performs there until now.
Araz Ozbiliz. Suffered due to discrimination
The unsuccessful performances of Araz Ozbiliz for Spartak are more related to football-related reasons. Despite the impressive 8 million euros, it was certainly a good transfer. The Armenian scored crazy goals in the Russian Championship for Kuban, everyone was waiting for the same in Moscow. But the extravaganza did not happen – two operations on the cruciate ligaments severely crippled Araz, and Murat Yakin, who came to Spartak, closed his sad story.
The Swiss coach sent Araz to the second team, citing his health problems, although the midfielder was 100% ready. Ozbiliz later linked this to his nationality. Araz is an Armenian, Yakin is an ethnic Turk. The football player claimed that the coach sent him to the second team just on the day of the centenary of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire. It’s funny that Ozbiliz then left to play in the Turkish Besiktas, Spartak sold him for some 1.3 million euros.
Of course, it is impossible to lump together all the expensive transfers of the Red-Whites, because there were also successful deals. For example, Fernando, the master of free kicks, has definitely worked out his 12.5 million euros. Defenders Samuel Gigot (8m) and Ayrton (7m) also did not lose face. Promes came from Twente for 11.5 million, Spartak made decent money on it and, in principle, continues to do so until now. Now is a different time, now Muscovites will definitely count money.
