Amid the constant flow of transfer rumours this week, you may have missed that West Ham have found themselves in trouble with FIFA.
The story is that back in May they failed to pay Eintracht Frankfurt one of the instalments that they owe for striker Sebastien Haller.
The German club complained to FIFA, and there was a secret, behind closed doors meeting about the issue this week, with West Ham facing a transfer ban if they don’t pay up.
The story has been widely covered in Germany over the last weeks, with it explained yesterday that Frankfurt are even considering selling the debt on to wash their hands of the issue.
Either way, the Hammers have not come out of it looking good and today sees them receiving plenty of criticism from Frankfurter Neue Press and journalist Nico Scheck.
‘The Londoners make themselves look ridiculous’ he writes, stating that those in charge at the club must have missed the lesson from their parents where it’s explained ‘if you can’t afford something, you can’t buy it.’
West Ham, a ‘proud club’ seemed to have not been taught this and as a result ‘are making a fool of themselves’ over Haller.
As far as he’s concerned, this sort of behaviour is ‘unworthy’ for a Premier League club, particularly one with grand ambitions who have spent a fortune on signings in recent years.
Not that that has worked out, Scheck explains, given they’ve finished 11th, 13th, 10th and 16th in the last few years.
In fact, as far as he’s concerned that’s something which has turned the club into ‘a laughing stock instead of a summit conqueror’.
The fact they can’t pay for Haller ’fits the picture’ and perhaps a transfer ban from FIFA ‘wouldn’t be so bad after-all’.
At least then, Scheck argues, West Ham ‘wouldn’t be able to spend any more money they don’t have’ and force other clubs into a situation like this one.
Harsh words, maybe, but ones it’s hard to disagree with at the same time.
