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PSG manager saves Juventus from embarrassing clerical error
With the FFO season well underway and nearing it's conclusion, news out of Turin, Italy is that in late September the Juventus board were in full meltdown mode after PSG manager Simon Clarke selflessly came to Juventus' rescue and informed them of a clause in one of their players' contracts.
The player in question is E_Smith_Rowe, formally of French outfit PSG. Smith Rowe played under Simon Clark for a number of seasons before he was sold to AS Roma after his playing time had shrunk more and more due to the arrival of other players at the club.
Juventus later signed the Englishman from fellow Italians AS Roma in a deal which saw D_Kulusevski and a sum of money leave Turin for Rome.
Smith Rowe has been in Turin for almost 2 seasons now it turns out that Smith Rowe's contract clause has followed him from PSG, to AS Roma and now to Juventus.
For this contract clause to have been missed all this time is nothing short of embarrassing for Juventus and it might even get worse.
The clause in question is that the 23 year old MUST play at least 3,000 minutes throughout the season or his contract is void and he can leave the club on a free.
At the time that Clarke selflessly informed the Juventus board of this, he'd played 2047 minutes of his 3000 needed minutes after 25 league games.
953 more minutes were required from the remaining 13 league games after Juventus' EFL Cup & Champions League campaigns had long since come to an end, could it be done?
With 13 games remaining, Smith Rowe would have had to average 73.3 minutes in the remaining games AND avoid injury or suspension. This could be done, but despite being a fan favourite and thought of as the club's best out and out midfielder, Juventus manager Andy Banks has had the habit of taking him off around 60-70 minutes in favour of 19 year old A_Rais so something had to change.
Since this news broke a few weeks ago, Smith Rowe has had full game time with Juventus to attempt to meet his contractual demands and with 7 games to go he's now played 2600 out of his minimum of 3000 minutes so if he avoids a long term injury or multiple suspensions, he should remain a Juventus player for next season.
Will Smith Rowe meet his minimum minutes or will Juventus be searching for a new midfielder? Time will tell.
We spoke to Juventus manager Andy Banks over this situation:
"What can I say, it's embarrassing that the officials at the club don't have a handle on things like this. We've scoured the remaining players' contracts for such a thing and thankfully none of the other lads have this in their contract which is good.
We'll work with Smith Rowe to get him what he wants, needs and deserves over the next few weeks but good progress is already being made and we're confident that he'll be a Juventus player come next season.
I'd like to give a special thank you to the manager of PSG, Simon Clarke as without his busy body lifestyle we'd not have known and it could likely have backfired on us in a very big way. It just goes to show you that a man who is involved in every club's business isn't all bad.
Next season we'll plan these things much better and gain Smith Rowe his minimum minutes earlier in the season. But for now, let's hope he stays fit and suspension free until the end of the season."
3144/4000 words
With the FFO season well underway and nearing it's conclusion, news out of Turin, Italy is that in late September the Juventus board were in full meltdown mode after PSG manager Simon Clarke selflessly came to Juventus' rescue and informed them of a clause in one of their players' contracts.
The player in question is E_Smith_Rowe, formally of French outfit PSG. Smith Rowe played under Simon Clark for a number of seasons before he was sold to AS Roma after his playing time had shrunk more and more due to the arrival of other players at the club.
Juventus later signed the Englishman from fellow Italians AS Roma in a deal which saw D_Kulusevski and a sum of money leave Turin for Rome.
Smith Rowe has been in Turin for almost 2 seasons now it turns out that Smith Rowe's contract clause has followed him from PSG, to AS Roma and now to Juventus.
For this contract clause to have been missed all this time is nothing short of embarrassing for Juventus and it might even get worse.
The clause in question is that the 23 year old MUST play at least 3,000 minutes throughout the season or his contract is void and he can leave the club on a free.
At the time that Clarke selflessly informed the Juventus board of this, he'd played 2047 minutes of his 3000 needed minutes after 25 league games.
953 more minutes were required from the remaining 13 league games after Juventus' EFL Cup & Champions League campaigns had long since come to an end, could it be done?
With 13 games remaining, Smith Rowe would have had to average 73.3 minutes in the remaining games AND avoid injury or suspension. This could be done, but despite being a fan favourite and thought of as the club's best out and out midfielder, Juventus manager Andy Banks has had the habit of taking him off around 60-70 minutes in favour of 19 year old A_Rais so something had to change.
Since this news broke a few weeks ago, Smith Rowe has had full game time with Juventus to attempt to meet his contractual demands and with 7 games to go he's now played 2600 out of his minimum of 3000 minutes so if he avoids a long term injury or multiple suspensions, he should remain a Juventus player for next season.
Will Smith Rowe meet his minimum minutes or will Juventus be searching for a new midfielder? Time will tell.
We spoke to Juventus manager Andy Banks over this situation:
"What can I say, it's embarrassing that the officials at the club don't have a handle on things like this. We've scoured the remaining players' contracts for such a thing and thankfully none of the other lads have this in their contract which is good.
We'll work with Smith Rowe to get him what he wants, needs and deserves over the next few weeks but good progress is already being made and we're confident that he'll be a Juventus player come next season.
I'd like to give a special thank you to the manager of PSG, Simon Clarke as without his busy body lifestyle we'd not have known and it could likely have backfired on us in a very big way. It just goes to show you that a man who is involved in every club's business isn't all bad.
Next season we'll plan these things much better and gain Smith Rowe his minimum minutes earlier in the season. But for now, let's hope he stays fit and suspension free until the end of the season."
3144/4000 words
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