While some contract clauses include hefty bonuses for winning titles, scoring goals and making appearances, others are quite frankly downright strange
The world of football has seen its fair share of bizarre contract clauses, from Roberto Firmino’s prohibition on signing for Arsenal to Ronaldinho’s allowance to party twice a week.
While Spanish clubs are legally required to insert release clauses into every player’s contract, teams around the globe have added unique written terms to entice highly sought-after talents. Beyond the common clauses for winning titles, netting goals, or racking up appearances, some stipulations stand out as particularly unusual and, frankly, quite odd.
Here, the MEN breaks down ten of the most peculiar contractual obligations conceived by high-profile footballers and their clubs, illustrating the potential deal-breakers in transfer negotiations.
Suarez banned from Old Trafford
When he arrived in Barcelona, it is reported that Luis Suarez had a clause written into his contract that prevented Manchester United from signing him on a free, even upon the expiration of his contract at Camp Nou. Of course, the Red Devils were not the only club to suffer the consequence of the clause, with Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid also barred from signing the player, reports the Mirror. Suarez has since gone on to represent Atletico Madrid, Nacional, Gremio, and Inter Miami.
A premium for Barcelona
Speaking of Barcelona, Liverpool made a massive £142m when they sold Phillipe Coutinho to the club in 2018 – receiving a large wedge of this up front while the rest was paid in performance-related instalments. However, money was not the only thing the Reds snagged from the deal.
The terms of the bond between Liverpool and Barcelona meant that for three seasons, the Catalan giants couldn’t attempt to lure any of the Reds’ stars without shelling out an eye-watering surcharge of £89 million on top of the routine transfer fee. This strategic move by Liverpool effectively safeguarded their high-calibre players from Barcelona’s clutches.
Roberto Firmino’s Arsenal clause
One such infamous case involves Roberto Firmino being banned from playing for Arsenal. The Gunners upset Liverpool back in 2013 with their audacious £40million plus one pound offer for Suarez, attempting to exploit what they mistakenly thought was his release clause.
This prompted a memorable retort from Liverpool owner John W. Henry, who resorted to social media to suggestively ask: “What do you think they’re smoking over there at the Emirates?”. While Suarez did part ways with Liverpool in 2014 to sign for Barcelona, the Reds brought Firmino on board as a sure-fire replacement.
And determined not to see another repeat of the Suarez saga, the club wrote into his contract an agreement that any club in the world was able to trigger his £89million release clause… except Arsenal.
Spencer Prior and the sheep testicle
When Spencer Prior joined Cardiff from Manchester City in 2001, a peculiar clause was added to his contract, stipulating that he must have a “physical liaison with a sheep and eat sheep’s testicles”. At the time, Cardiff’s chairman, Sam Hammam, joked: “It’s simple. With Spencer being non-Welsh, he needs to prove to the people of Wales that he understands the place – then he can become a true leader.”
Ronaldinho the party boy
When Ronaldinho signed for Flamengo after his tenure at AC Milan in 2011, the football maestro curiously negotiated a clause into his contract sanctioning a minimum of two nightclub outings weekly. Despite the off-pitch festivities, Ronaldinho didn’t let it hamper his game, notching up 20 goals and serving up 15 assists across 49 matches for the Brazilian side.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s playing time
An odd stipulation found its way into Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s Arsenal agreement, as uncovered by Alan Gernon in his book ‘The Transfer Market: The Inside Stories’. He noted: “Following Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s move to Arsenal in 2011, Gunners fans became increasingly frustrated with the midfielder’s lack of playing time.
“He was predominantly used as a substitute, often around the 71-minute mark. After his contract details emerged, it all became clear: Arsenal were obliged to pay Southampton £10,000 every time he played 20 minutes or more.”
Razor Ruddock’s weight agreement
Upon his transfer to Crystal Palace from West Ham in 2000, Neil Ruddock had an unusual clause added to his contract by the then Eagles chairman, Simon Jordan, following advice from Harry Redknapp, the Hammers’ head at the time. The stipulation required Ruddock to maintain a ‘recommended weight’ of 99.8kg (15.7 stone) or face fines for exceeding it.
In his memoirs, Jordan recounted: “On approaching West Ham, I discovered he was a free transfer, although he did have a weighty salary – which was not the only weighty thing about him. Harry Redknapp, the West Ham manager at the time, told me to put in a weight clause.
“So I decided to put a 10 per cent penalty on the contract we were proposing to offer him if he was over the recommended weight of 99.8kg, which by the was,y was still frigging huge.” It’s reported that Ruddock faced eight fines during his stay at Crystal Palace due to this clause.
Stefan Schwarz’s dreams of outer space
As for Stefan Schwarz’s celestial ambitions, when he signed with Sunderland from Valencia in 1999 on a four-year contract valued at £4 million, a peculiar clause was written into the deal stating: “Space travel would see the contract terminated.”
John Fickling, the Black Cats’ chief executive at the time, revealed to BBC Radio 5 Live the rationale behind the clause, explaining: “One of Schwarz’s advisers has, indeed, got one of the places on the commercial flights.
“And we were worried that he may wish to take Stefan along with him. So we thought we’d better get things tied up now rather than at the time of the flight. It was a reasonable request. We would normally get insurance cover for the player throughout the length of his contract.
“And like a lot of insurance policies, there are certain exclusions, such as dangerous activities. At the end of the day, we are protecting the club, really. It was a little bit of a light-hearted moment during protracted negotiations. But one day it could become be quite acceptable to put such clauses in various contracts.” As of this writing, the now 55-year-old has still not ventured into space.
Cooking lessons
When Rolf-Christel Guie-Mien joined Eintracht Frankfurt in 1999, he reportedly insisted on a clause in his contract obliging the club to fund cooking lessons for his wife due to his dissatisfaction with her cooking skills.
No skiing for Stig Bjornebye
Stig Inge Bjornebye, who signed for Liverpool in 1992, was prohibited from skiing to avoid injuries off the pitch. Growing up in Norway, Bjornebye was an avid skier, influenced by his father’s involvement in the sport. Jo Inge’s skiing prowess was showcased at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble and the 1972 Winter Games in Japan.
Fortunately, England not being renowned for its ski slopes meant that the footballer’s time on Merseyside wasn’t hindered by his Olympic pursuits.
2025-03-09 09:30:00
