Alberto Brignoli faithfully followed his agent's orders, the timeline he chose, the many things he gave away, but the final credits, which took many times over from the Panathinaikos and the “clover” above the faces. Kostas Koulis writes.
I fully understand all this suppressed and confused “anger” that surrounds Panathinaikos since Saturday afternoon (13/1), after it was first finalized in a statement that Alberto Brignoli will not renew, then manifested in the “green” PAE announcement of the Chronicle of the last months.
Today climaxes in the Italian's conversation with Fatih Terim and Yiannis Papadimitriou in Korobi. Some curse Brignoli, others curse Alafuso's administration, others attack both …
My personal opinion is that there is no need for anger, shame, or “listings” (any kind of latter). Everyone, but everyone is judged for their actions, their decisions and their talent. Time will tell who is “justified” and who is not for their preferences.
Panathinaikos made only one mistake in this entire trip, drawing on Brignoli's problem in the last months. He should have “finished” it sooner.
From August. Since he decided that he was a player he wanted to have in his team for the next few years, he should have been offered a December offer of 800k plus bonuses from last August, before the matches with Marseille. . He didn't do it for his own reasons, he saw it right in front of him.
And this should be a lesson for the future, because not all cases are “the same”. Every renewal case and every negotiation is different. The shorter time you have to maneuver makes your position in negotiations more difficult. More so, if you have an agent in front of you, his first concern (his job) is his own pocket and commission. I personally see this…
Since then, it has done what Panathinayak was supposed to do in the case of Brignoli – when discussions began in early October. While it is now clear that the case has taken the turn that “others” want, it may be more than it should be.
He gave much, but he received more…
Want to look a little more cool and sleazy, away from sentimentality and fantasy? Voted Serie B's best goalkeeper for the 2020/21 season, Brignoli was signed by Empoli in August 2021 as a free agent. And with a 350k contract with bonuses, that's more than 100k he's been getting in Italy for years.
opportunity; The biggest. A wonderful win-win situation. And, in the last 2.5 years, Panathinaikos has returned to a more normal level of competitiveness as the Italian has been a mainstay of the team.
Brignoli helped Panathinaikos a lot, but he got many things from “Clover”. A chance to claim and win titles (Cup 2022, Championship until the end of 2023), to play in Europe, where he had never played until last year, his name became a chant from the stands. Circumstances and conditions he has not experienced anywhere and probably would not have experienced had he stayed in Italy in the minor and middle teams at the age of 29.
He also helped a lot, but with the work he did every day with the other goalkeepers at Korobi and Giorgos Mountakis, he had the opportunity to improve a lot at Panathinaikos, and he was the best goalkeeper in the last two years in the Super League. I didn't change my opinion because he made a different choice. He is probably the best goalkeeper Panathinaikos has had since the Wasik era. And I write this with great feeling.
He let his agent play his own “ball”.
But there are some “buts” based on his own manipulations. It is his absolute right to decide what he thinks is best for his future, his bank account and his career. The first “but” is about how he handled it.
Because he allowed his agent to threaten Panathinaikos. Then when his representative saw the “light” from where he looked, he moved to ensure his own interest and a solid commission – which reached 400 thousand – in his pocket first.
Everything is acceptable and legal, in a free market everything moves and in football, but if the other person treats you right in everything, during your first contact (the agent… has been missing since November), your team offers you more than double your salary – and “let's find out, Baby” with a clear attitude – it's wise to say from the beginning, “Guys, it looks like we found something else”, and not let the situation drag on for weeks. Refusing to answer or take responsibility for your choice and decision in 4-for-4.
And let that come on Saturday (13/1), a day before a very important game for Panathinaikos and… Turkey, selling Fatih Terim (don't get the coach wrong) as “crazy” and you stay. , say you didn't… you understand the President's proposal, and when they repeatedly tell you “yes to everything,” turn it around by saying you have no intention of renewing. I mean somewhere… oops! You are Brignoli, you are not the vice-president of Edessaigos.
I would be more than happy to hear Alberto's position and his side of the story. I would like to find him personally or a colleague to find him or talk to him. However, my opinion of the case and what actually happened will not change, because now we have learned (from different sources) five more things…
History judges them all…
Regardless of what happened or did not happen in the case of the Italian goalkeeper, what every friend of “Glover” should bear in mind is that Panathinaikos was, is, and will be above any Brignoli, above any Alafuso, above every Papadimitrio. Above each person. Law! In the century of centuries.
When Michalis Konstantinou left Panathinaikos to join arch-rivals Olympiacos in the summer of 2005, half of my generation at Panathinaikos squealed and rolled one cigarette after another at the moment of announcement.
Clover is always at the end when the group's holy monsters go elsewhere, and vice versa. What does this brand stand for? only that…
Brignoli made a different decision, choosing not to be in the final where Panathinaikos should have been. Everyone, himself, management, those who were and those who are to come are determined by history. End credits now, take two puffs from the cigarette left in the middle and get busy with the rest, because tomorrow night (14/1) he has a very important game at the OPAP Arena…
