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Agent reveals that Newcastle rejected Zinedine Zidane


Kitman
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Football agent Barry Silkman has revealed in an exclusive interview with sport.co.uk that Newcastle United could have signed former World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane when he was looking to leave Ligue 1 side Bordeaux in 1996...but rejected the opportunity.

 

The legendary French midfielder instead secured a move to Serie A giants Juventus for a fee believed to be £3.2 million; a move that secured his reputation as one of Europe’s greats and led to him making a record-breaking €75 million transfer to Real Madrid in 2001. The news of Zidane’s rejection by Newcastle United adds to the growing list of clubs that turned down the player with former Blackburn Rovers owner Jack Walker supposedly remarking in 1995, "Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?"

 

Newcastle United under Kevin Keegan’s stewardship in the mid nineties saw the club promoted from the old second division to the Premier League and become serious title challengers to Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United. Geordies will no doubt be asking themselves what could have been had the Magpies secured Zidane’s signature in 1996 and had him play alongside the likes of David Ginola, Alan Shearer, Les Ferdinand and Philippe Albert.

 

Speaking to sport.co.uk, agent Silkman reminisced on the deal that never was:

 

“I have missed out on players. I suppose the biggest player I missed out on was Zinedine Zidane.

 

“I offered him to Newcastle at the beginning of the 1996 season for £1.2million. And they watched him and said that he wasn’t good enough to play in the First Division which is the Championship now.

“Three months later he went to Juventus for £1.2million and two years later he went for £48million. So I think the people at Newcastle got it slightly wrong.”

 

By the end of his first season with Juventus, Zidane had led the team to victory in the UEFA Cup, the European Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. He went on to win two consecutive Serie A titles before leading France to World Cup glory on home turf in 1998. Following his move to Real Madrid the talismanic all-rounder added the Primera Division medal to his collection before scoring that volley in the 2002 Champions League final (see picture above) before helping the Bernabeu outfit to World Club Cup glory.

 

Newcastle United have not won major silverware since their 1955 FA Cup win. They currently top the Championship

 

 

http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/35533...ine_Zidane.aspx

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shock horror

 

sort of thing happens all the time, arsenal turned down c.ronaldo etc

 

The thing that made me laugh was the suggestion he wasn't good enough for the first division. Strange as he was pretty good with his head :yes

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Just working out the dates - he signed for Juventus on 01/08/1996 which means, if this agent is accurate with his dates, he was offered to us on or around 01/05/1996 - i.e. just about when we were concentrating all our efforts on trying to win the Premiership.

 

What's more, Keegan evidently had his sights on a much bigger signing whos capture was going to swallow up any transfer budget we would have had that summer - and some!

 

At that point Zidane was unproven and as he never played in the Premiership, it's impossible to say that we missed out. It's certainly not comparable to us telling Schmeichel's agent to fuck off back in 1987.

 

Smacks of an agent who's still pissed he missed out on the opportunity of a massive pay day AND reputation IYAM.

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This sort of shit makes me feel sick. Like when we could have had Rui Costa as well!

 

Add to the list Luis Enrique and Ronaldinho and in recent times Modric.

 

Not quite the same standard but didnt we also have Brad Freidel and Olef Mellberg on trial too?

 

Makes you wonder like.

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We actually attempted to sign Zidane and Dugarry in a double deal with Bordeuax around that time. For some reason Zidane turned us down for Juventus.......................

 

It was black and white stripes or nothing, and he went for the second best available :yes

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that Silkman

 

link

 

Scumbag Agent Barry Silkman Caught On Tape Wishing Bobby Robson's Cancer Spreads

by Marc Kaveh Senior Analyst

 

In 2001, Silkman sued Newcastle United over the transfer of Chilean striker Clarence Acuna.

 

"I got f***ed by Newcastle and I ended up taking them to court. I settled for 25 grand when they owed me 100 grand.

 

"I took a player (Acuna) there (Newcastle) on trial. His club wanted $2.5m but I said don't pay it because they have got to sell the player.

 

"He ended up signing for 900 grand and yet they (Newcastle) still f****d me. Bobby Robson was my first manager at Fulham. I'd always kept in contact and I said ‘Bob how could you let them f*** me?'

 

"You know what he said? ‘You don't count. I'm the only one that counts. That's your hard luck."

 

"So you know what I said to him? I said: ‘I have a wife and a young daughter and a f*****g mortgage and you've turned round and said that to me.

 

"I said: ‘See that cancer on your nose? I hope it spreads all over your face and that you live a f*****g long, long, long life because the longer you live the more you will f*****g suffer.

 

"‘There's only one God and he's looking down at us two now and he's saying ‘Whose side am I on?' And let me tell you, Bob, it ain't f*****g yours because I have never f****d anyone in my life. F*** knows how many people you have f****d', and I walked out.'"

 

Silkman negotiated with then Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd over his commission on the Acuna deal.

 

"Freddy Shepherd came on the phone to me and went over the deal with me. I said: ‘Do I get it in writing?' and he said, ‘Yes, you will have it in writing.'

 

"When I went to the lawyer... I had it all on tape. I sent the tape to a journalist, 17 minutes and 18 seconds of him (Shepherd) saying to me: ‘I will never do you up, I will always look after you, I'm not that type of person. If we are going to sign the player I promise you, I guarantee you you will get paid.'

 

"I had the conversation on the Saturday morning and they signed him (Acuna) on the Tuesday. I took him there on trial, I paid for everything but they (Newcastle) never even offered me the money I had laid out."

written on July 14, 2008

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that Silkman

 

link

 

Scumbag Agent Barry Silkman Caught On Tape Wishing Bobby Robson's Cancer Spreads

by Marc Kaveh Senior Analyst

 

In 2001, Silkman sued Newcastle United over the transfer of Chilean striker Clarence Acuna.

 

"I got f***ed by Newcastle and I ended up taking them to court. I settled for 25 grand when they owed me 100 grand.

 

"I took a player (Acuna) there (Newcastle) on trial. His club wanted $2.5m but I said don't pay it because they have got to sell the player.

 

"He ended up signing for 900 grand and yet they (Newcastle) still f****d me. Bobby Robson was my first manager at Fulham. I'd always kept in contact and I said ‘Bob how could you let them f*** me?'

 

"You know what he said? ‘You don't count. I'm the only one that counts. That's your hard luck."

 

"So you know what I said to him? I said: ‘I have a wife and a young daughter and a f*****g mortgage and you've turned round and said that to me.

 

"I said: ‘See that cancer on your nose? I hope it spreads all over your face and that you live a f*****g long, long, long life because the longer you live the more you will f*****g suffer.

 

"‘There's only one God and he's looking down at us two now and he's saying ‘Whose side am I on?' And let me tell you, Bob, it ain't f*****g yours because I have never f****d anyone in my life. F*** knows how many people you have f****d', and I walked out.'"

 

Silkman negotiated with then Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd over his commission on the Acuna deal.

 

"Freddy Shepherd came on the phone to me and went over the deal with me. I said: ‘Do I get it in writing?' and he said, ‘Yes, you will have it in writing.'

 

"When I went to the lawyer... I had it all on tape. I sent the tape to a journalist, 17 minutes and 18 seconds of him (Shepherd) saying to me: ‘I will never do you up, I will always look after you, I'm not that type of person. If we are going to sign the player I promise you, I guarantee you you will get paid.'

 

"I had the conversation on the Saturday morning and they signed him (Acuna) on the Tuesday. I took him there on trial, I paid for everything but they (Newcastle) never even offered me the money I had laid out."

written on July 14, 2008

 

Nice... so it's not like he's got anything against things related to NUFC is it? :yes

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that Silkman

 

link

 

Scumbag Agent Barry Silkman Caught On Tape Wishing Bobby Robson's Cancer Spreads

by Marc Kaveh Senior Analyst

 

In 2001, Silkman sued Newcastle United over the transfer of Chilean striker Clarence Acuna.

 

"I got f***ed by Newcastle and I ended up taking them to court. I settled for 25 grand when they owed me 100 grand.

 

"I took a player (Acuna) there (Newcastle) on trial. His club wanted $2.5m but I said don't pay it because they have got to sell the player.

 

"He ended up signing for 900 grand and yet they (Newcastle) still f****d me. Bobby Robson was my first manager at Fulham. I'd always kept in contact and I said ‘Bob how could you let them f*** me?'

 

"You know what he said? ‘You don't count. I'm the only one that counts. That's your hard luck."

 

"So you know what I said to him? I said: ‘I have a wife and a young daughter and a f*****g mortgage and you've turned round and said that to me.

 

"I said: ‘See that cancer on your nose? I hope it spreads all over your face and that you live a f*****g long, long, long life because the longer you live the more you will f*****g suffer.

 

"‘There's only one God and he's looking down at us two now and he's saying ‘Whose side am I on?' And let me tell you, Bob, it ain't f*****g yours because I have never f****d anyone in my life. F*** knows how many people you have f****d', and I walked out.'"

 

Silkman negotiated with then Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd over his commission on the Acuna deal.

 

"Freddy Shepherd came on the phone to me and went over the deal with me. I said: ‘Do I get it in writing?' and he said, ‘Yes, you will have it in writing.'

 

"When I went to the lawyer... I had it all on tape. I sent the tape to a journalist, 17 minutes and 18 seconds of him (Shepherd) saying to me: ‘I will never do you up, I will always look after you, I'm not that type of person. If we are going to sign the player I promise you, I guarantee you you will get paid.'

 

"I had the conversation on the Saturday morning and they signed him (Acuna) on the Tuesday. I took him there on trial, I paid for everything but they (Newcastle) never even offered me the money I had laid out."

written on July 14, 2008

 

Nice... so it's not like he's got anything against things related to NUFC is it? :yes

 

Scum doesn't even begin to describe Silkman

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