Soccer Football - Scottish Cup Semi Final - Rangers v Celtic - Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - April 30, 2023 Celtic's Jota celebrates scoring their first goal Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Who knows what has gone wrong with Jota? Certainly not some of the morons and bottom feeders on Twitter today masquerading as Celtic fans who think that it’s some sort of service to the wider world to spread rumours and gossip. What is it with these people? They are like the assorted trailer trash across the city on the more febrile Ibrox fan chat rooms.
What is clear is that his move over there has been a disaster.
Most of us thought that it would be but none of us thought that it would unravel quite as quickly as this.
I said in a piece last week that as someone who is pretty much an employee of the Saudi government that they can do with him whatever they want. If they decide to cut him loose it’s seriously shocking.
It would rank amongst the most bizarre moments of this whole bizarre affair.
I find it astonishing that none of the media south of the border want to explore this story. Because it’s clear that the one the Saudi club is putting into the public domain makes no sense whatsoever.
It doesn’t make sense either to cut loose a player who cost you that kind of money, far less to make up his salary for the length of the contract which is what claims from Saudi suggest.
Who knows if those stories are true?
But if he’s released on a free, he should consider that a blessing, take the money and get on with the rest of his career. For all the money would have been “life changing” he would not have enjoyed that part of it.
It would also have damaged his standing in the game. Now he has a chance to pursue his career elsewhere in the game whilst also getting the money and not having to work for their government.
For him, what’s not to like? I can’t wish him well because he took that money in the first place, and was willing to do the bidding of that regime, but a player of his talents deserves a bigger stage than that backwater league, which is what it remains no matter how many top tier footballers they have there.
The real cream will stay in Europe where they belong.
Suggestions that we should move for him are almost funny.
Which part of “he went for the money?” wasn’t clear from the move itself?
Anyone who thinks he’d even contemplate returning to Celtic when there are European teams who will pay him much more than we will hasn’t been paying attention.
This guy might have kissed the badge, he might have loved the crowd and the club, but Jota is the definition of a mercenary footballer and the truth is that he’s going to go where the cash is, even though he has enough of it for several lifetimes.
But the lesson is there for every player who listens to agents and their promises of gold.
Not everything is what it seems and someone here didn’t do their due diligence.
He is a symbol of greed but he’s also a victim of it, of the sort of unscrupulous agents who simply want their own piece of the action and don’t care if they’re giving their clients good advice or not.
My recommendation to him at this stage is to get himself a decent club, enjoy the money and sack his advisors and get in some who actually care about his well-being and his career, not just leeches only interested in the quick buck.
He will be happier for it.
Using my contacts in the Arab world (Work for BeIn on the big events – World Cups, Olympics etc) I asked a few of my Journalist colleagues what the craic was. What they told me was this, Ittihad are looking to loan him out to open up a space for another foreign player to be signed, basically he wasn´t “Bling” enough which is why they are desperately trying to sign Mo Salah – reports are 100 million for Liverpool and 200 for Salah. If that was to go ahead the idea would be to loan him to another Saudi club, Slippy G´s Ettifaq is the one that has enquired. The idea that they would cut up his contract and let him go for free basically my colleague is still laughing about that (and I spoke to him about 3 hours or so ago!) is something that they are NOT contemplating. So its basically a watch this space, will Liverpool blink ? Will Salah´s agent get his commission? Will Jota stay or go?
Paul Mac: Thank you for that clarification my man.
Very helpful.
Surely Salah isn’t going to make that move tho? That would be terrible for him.
That’s the best move he could of made. Millions in the bank for 6 weeks in dessert. Now a free transfer and gets another sign on bonus
We can call Jota a mercenary and we can call him greedy but I’ll bet most players would have done exactly as he’s done. A footballers career is short and the money is not great either unless your playing your football down South in the Premiership. I’m not bitter towards Jota for doing what he did. Everyone on this planet is out for himself and he’s no different
You are 100% wrong. Not everyone.
@Michael Clark. Ffs whit utter tripe. ‘Everybody on this planet……’. !?! Glad ye’ve yer finger on the pulse of the whole world mate. Gie yer fkn brain a chance.
Every penny of that money is drenched in the blood of Yemeni innocents.
Try learning about the world as it is and not as you think it to be.
Seems to have worked out for him (if he’s being freed). Banks the dosh and moves to a respectable League without hassle.
James , we were having a discussion at the Bramalea Celtic club in Brampton ontario , Canada. Did someone make a mistake in Saudi that they thought they were getting Jota who plays at Liverpool.
Now that is why they are willing to release him
It would not be the first team that made that mistake
Enjoy you articles
Cheers
Really? A disaster.
10 million earned in 2 months is a bloody miracle and dream, and choose any club interested.
Michael Clark you don’t half Speak some crap, so everyone in the World is out for themselves. What a cynical fool you are.
I used to play highland league football back in the early eighties. When we were in the changing room and someone had moved on. The discussion was money, how much is he on,was there a signing on fee etc etc. Getting back to Jota its the same thing, just a much bigger scale. Our fireside supporter Kevan McKeown reckons I’m on another planet. He’s obviously never kicked a ball at any level of football because if he had he would know what I’m talking about. You need to educate yourself mate
@ Michael Clark. ‘fireside supporter’ no bad ! Days of travellin all over Scotland are prob in the past for good right enough. Tho ah still get tae CP occasionally, so ah don’t think ahm any more of a ‘fireside supporter’ than probably a lot of people who comment on blogs. Ffs, ye played for a Highland League, ye used tae hear guys talkin in a Highland League dressin room and that somehow makes ye an authority on the motives of every player on the planet ! And since when, did ye have tae actually play at a certain level of football tae have an opinion ? Ye need a rethink on yer own comment. Highland League changin room…fk sake man.
It’s only a matter of time before they are in all the European tournaments as money talks and the bull **** walks
Maybe spurs will get him
Disasterous how?
Gets his signing on fee, few mill. few weeks wages > £1m. Gets most of his contract paid up 4 or 5 yrs. Can pick and choose his next move and contract. What a disaster !
Word is they are in for Saha. that takes there quota over on foreigners. We are dealing with trillionaires here, £25m is pocket change.
Yes, looks like he’ll be loaned out to another Saudi club.
He could end up playing for a club, out in the sticks, well away from the Red Sea coast,
with more amateur like team mates – but still counting his money.
Like CFC loaning him out to Berwick Rangers! 🙂
He’s quickly leaning that they do things differently out there…