Proud ‘Rooster’ Etxeberria will play for free

Before Barça’s spectacular 6-1 dismantling of supposed title rivals Atletico Madrid hit the back pages, it was an extraordinary gesture by veteran Athletic Bilbao winger Joseba Etxeberria which had hogged the week’s football headlines in Spain.

By signing up to a year-long contract, for which he will be remunerated with precisely nothing, El Gallo (‘the Rooster’ – due to his long neck) shocked and delighted football fans wearied by tales of the greedy modern pro. Exteberria, it emerged, will not receive one single euro for his services during the 2009/10 season; the final one of a long, often illustrious career.

“My dream was to play for 15 years with Athletic, which is a lifetime,” said the 31-year-old earlier this week. He continued: “In my last year as a professional I will play without pay.”

“This is a thank-you to the behaviour of the club towards me and the love I have received from so many people.”

Keen to ensure his contract wouldn’t undermine the worth of his fellow pros, he added: “I do not intend to establish a precedent. This is a professional world and everyone is entitled to defend their rights and contracts.”

By taking this extraordinary step, Etxeberria hopes to prolong his career to reach the landmark of 500 senior club appearances before he retires. It is most likely not, as Athletic president Fernando Garcia Macau claims, a “football first” – and Etxeberria is hardly a Primera División pauper now is he? – still, it’s a gesture which throws the likes of Ashley Cole’s infamous strop about Arsenal’s ‘failure’ to offer him an extra five grand-a-week into an even harsher light than before.

"From the club's standpoint there are not words to thank such a gesture," Garcia Macau said of the deal.

From a cynic’s standpoint, it’s not all that surprising that a club chairman would be so enamoured by the offer of free labour. They would also question just why, if he is still so valued, was the player not offered a full contract by the club?

But that is to underestimate the true worth of ‘Etxe’ to the proud Basque side, who have remained stoutly entrenched in the Spanish top flight since its inception in 1928 – this despite their restrictive Basques-only policy.

Admittedly his star is now fading, but as captain of Athletic, Etxeberria joins the likes of Carles Puyol and Francesco Totti as symbolic standard bearers for both their club and their region. Such players define the character and nature of their people and will be fondly remembered as loyal heroes when they finally hang up their boots.

As with all fairy tales though, there is a twist. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this rare modern day story of nobility and loyalty is somewhat confused by the controversial nature of Etxeberria’s arrival at San Mamés back in 1995.

Athletic splashed out a record €3m+ fee on acquiring the 17-year-old from the cantera (youth set-up) of local rivals Real Sociedad, against their will. As a result, Etxeberria was ordered to pay compensation to La Real for breaking his contract and bad feeling resulted between the neighbouring clubs. The move was seen as a betrayal by bitter fans in San Sebastián.

The Bilbao club’s unique principles inevitably mean that they must dip into the talent pool of their Basque rivals (Sociedad, Osasuna, Alavés, et al) from time-to-time, which understandably creates resentment. Yet, it would be unfair to let that storm-in-a-teacup colour the actions, earlier this week, of the boy from Elgoibar.

The industrious culture and proud heritage of the Euskadi club has always stood as a template of football club as community. Athletic are a unique club; one admired and revered worldwide. The remarkable gesture of one Joseba Andoni Etxeberria Lizardi only serves to enhance that reputation.

Pioneer Tévez could still face Premier League exit

English clubs have traditionally harboured a deep-seated suspicion of stylish Latin stars. To the conservative coach, such players have always represented a big gamble. A gamble which many Premier League clubs, unlike their Spanish and Italian counterparts, have long been unwilling to take. After all, for every Ossie Ardiles there’s been a Mirandinha. For every Juninho; a Kléberson.

Sure, they might turn it on for glamour ties in the early-season sunshine, but what of wet, windy Wednesday nights in Hull or Wigan? They’d go missing, it was said, when the pitches muddied and the temperatures dropped (i.e. by early October). They’re over-elaborate, ‘luxury’ players, who could never adapt to the frenetic demands of our hundred-miles-an-hour football.

Yet it’s clubs such as high-flying Hull and battling Wigan which have, in fact, owed a significant chunk of their recent successes to exotic imports from as far and wide as Brazil, Honduras and Ecuador. Ex-Barcelona midfielder Geovanni has enjoyed an electrifying start to his time by the Humber; Wilson Palacios, Maynor Figueroa and, particularly, Luis Antonio Valencia have each added a dash of élan to Steve Bruce’s pragmatic side.

Elsewhere, Chilean winger Carlos Villanueva has settled well alongside Roque Santa Cruz at Blackburn; Lucas and Fábio Aurélio impress intermittently for Liverpool; and, of course, Elano and Jô were followed to Eastlands by record-breaker Robinho. Chelsea, who boast Juliano Belletti, Alex, and Brazilian-born Deco amongst their ranks, have even gone so far as to hire a South American boss, for goodness sake.

Several of these players did not even arrive at their current home via another European club; which is considered the safety-first method of filtering out those without the mentality to adapt to the unique challenges of top-flight English football.

It’s arguable of course, but the impact of one man has done much to lay the foundations for fellow Latin imports. That man is Manchester United’s Carlos Tévez.

The arrival of Tévez at West Ham – in somewhat shady circumstances – from Brazilian club Corinthians was greeted, initially, by astonishment. When the dust had settled on his and Javier Mascherano’s bolt-from-the-blue switch to East London, the early excitement turned to scepticism. Boss Alan Pardew – clearly not enamoured with the high-profile Argentinean duo being foisted upon him – was reluctant to give Tévez a regular first team slot. Still, who needs a world-class attacking talent like ‘Carlitos’ when you’ve got Marlon Harewood working the channels?

As any Sheffield United fan will tell you, with the appointment of Alan Curbishley to the Upton Park hot-seat came a dramatic upturn in Tévez’s fortunes. Much has already been said about the issue, but there is little doubt that the stocky striker’s improved input was the critical factor in West Ham’s survival at the Blades’ expense. He’d proved entirely that – despite the cynicism which still surrounds such signings – flamboyant South American stars can adapt to life in English football.

Last year – his first at Manchester United – could hardly have gone much better for the boy from downtown Buenos Aires. Domestic and continental success came on the back of a season in which his relentless work-rate and telepathic understanding with Wayne Rooney illuminated the Premier League.

But Dimitar Berbatov’s impressive integration into the United line-up has disrupted the serene progress 24-year-old Tévez has enjoyed at Old Trafford. As Sir Alex Ferguson recently said: three into two won’t go.

He also said: “He (Tévez) has not started as many games as he would like but he is just as important to us as the guys who have hogged the headlines of late. I stressed to him last week that our faith in him remains absolute.”

That may be the case, but speculation persists that Tévez could be on his way to sunnier climes come the end of the season and, subsequently, the end of his two-year loan from (nominally) West Ham. The Rooney/Berba partnership is clearly now the first choice one. Can Sir Alex really justify a transfer fee reckoned to be in the region of £30m being lavished on a third-choice forward? If not, Tévez will, sadly, be lost to the Premier League.

Post-Tévez, the trickle of Latin players into the country has turned to a flood. Now, with a larger support network surrounding them, players from South and Central America are in a better position to make a lasting impact.

The hurdles of an alien culture, cuisine and style of football are significant ones, it’s true. But in the days of Brazilians in Uzbekistan (see Rivaldo) and Ivorians in Romania (see multi-national CFR Cluj), it’s not so hard to accept that – given the right backing – Latin stars can succeed over here.

If once they were considered a luxurious accessory; now few self-respecting Premier League clubs take to the field without one. The next generation – that of Rafael da Silva and Franco di Santo – are already making their presence felt. It’d be a shame if pioneer ‘Carlitos’ wasn’t here to enjoy their success.

Landon's landing - but where?

Landon Donovan. Remember him?

Long before the emergence of Freddy Adu (remember him?) the LA Galaxy forward was vaunted as the great hope of US football. He was destined, it was said, to be the first American to crack the higher echelons of the European game. Nearly a decade since he first surfaced, for a number of reasons, it simply hasn’t happened.

Even at the relatively tender age of 26, it seems like Donovan has been around for an age. Starting out at Bayer Leverkusen as a 16-year-old, the diminutive Californian found it hard to adapt to life on the banks of the Rhine. While his club career in Europe singularly failed to launch, Donovan impressed at the 1999 U-17 World Championship, winning the Golden Ball awarded to the tournament’s star player.

A return to the States in 2001, initially on loan, came as a welcome respite from the disillusionment engendered by his failure to impact on the Leverkusen first team. At MLS club San Jose Earthquakes, the young striker found his feet in the professional game – and spectacularly so. Goals, assists and headlines galore saw Donovan established as the biggest ‘name’ in US football.

Naturally, Leverkusen monitored his progress closely and, impressed by his development, invited their great young American hope back to the club in the summer of 2004. Again, Donovan’s impression on the Bundesliga was negligible – no goals and only two starts – and pretty soon he was on a flight home to the safe sanctuary of MLS; this time with Los Angeles Galaxy.

During the past four years, Donovan has cemented his place as the biggest fish in what is, to be frank, a footballing backwater. Galaxy may have endured more downs than ups of late – they finished rock bottom of the ‘regular season’ table – but Donovan finished as the League’s top scorer with 20 goals in 25 games; striking up an intuitive understanding with David Beckham in the process.

But, with the recent departures of Alexi Lalas, Ruud Gullit and now Milan-bound Becks symptomatic of a faltering franchise, Donovan has decided to cut and run.

Donovan clearly needs a new challenge on the back of his most productive season to date in La-La Land. He’s done and won everything in MLS and is already the all-time leading scorer for the US (with 37 goals).

“Nothing against our guys (in MLS), but in a lot of situations where you're making 12, 15 thousand a year, you're worrying about other things other than training the next day or getting ready for the game,” he said recently.

His conclusion: “Mentally, I'm ready (to play in Europe) and I wasn't ready before in any way. I want to make the most of that. I've only got one career and I want to make sure that I give myself a chance.''

So, Donovan wants to swap the LA beach-house for a luxury penthouse apartment in one of Europe’s myriad cultural hotspots. Or Middlesbrough.

But where should he go?

Despite the forward’s previous travails in the Bundesliga with Leverkusen, there have been strong rumours linking him with ex-California resident Jurgen Klinsmann’s Bayern Munich. Donovan, though, has plainly intimated he’d prefer a shot at England or Spain this time around.

“I'd love to play in the Premiership or in Spain, I think that would be incredible,” Donovan said, earlier this week.

“I watch games every weekend and I think I could contribute on a lot of teams.”

He added, when asked about a move to England: “It would be a much easier fit than most places, for sure,”

“In my situation I can't be super-picky, but if it’s the right offer with the right team...there's a lot of ifs.”

He’s right; there are a lot of ‘ifs’. But, available at what will surely be a reasonable price tag – given the MLS’ centrally-controlled contract policy – Donovan represents a gamble worth taking for many clubs.

The smart money would probably be on the US no.10 rocking up at ‘Fulhamerica’ sometime during the January transfer window. Several other teams in the mid-to-lower reaches of the Premier League could certainly be interested in Donovan’s services too. A player of craft and significant natural ability, he would considerably augment the attacking options of many an English side.

Whichever club Donovan does end up at, they might well be glad they were brave enough to give the Californian star another shot at European success.