The Strange World of Food Transfers in Football
In the world of football, transfer fees are usually calculated in terms of millions of dollars. However, there have been some bizarre cases where players were bought for something other than money. One such case involves former footballer Marius Cioara, who had to retire from embarrassment due to a unique transfer he made.
Cioara, a former defender, made a move from Romanian fourth division side UT Arad to second division outfit Regal Hornia. What stood out about this transfer was the “fee” that was paid. Instead of money, Cioara was bought by Hornia for 15 kilograms of pork sausages in 2006.
This unusual transfer fee is certainly a far cry from the hundreds of millions that top football stars are sold for these days. However, it seems that the sausage taunts became too much for Cioara to handle. He retired from football the very next day, stating that the jokes about the sausages were a huge insult to him. He decided to leave Romania and go to Spain, where he found a job on a farm.
Interestingly enough, Hornia then asked to be refunded the sausages from UT Arad. It’s unclear whether they actually received their sausages back, but it’s safe to say that this transfer will go down in history as one of the most unusual.
But Cioara is not the only player to have had a transfer fee paid for with food. In Norway during the 2000/01 season, Kenneth Kristiansen moved between third-tier teams Vindbjart and Flekkeroy. His fee was calculated based on his weight, which was 75 kilograms, and the currency used was shrimp.
When the transfer took place, Flekkeroy chairman Rolf Guttormsen admitted that he had no idea if it was a joke or deadly serious. The chairman of Vindbjart said it was a bit of both, but they wanted the shrimp. Fortunately for Flekkeroy, they had enough shrimp to fulfill the transfer fee.
These strange cases of food transfers in football highlight the unique and sometimes absurd nature of the sport. While most transfers involve large sums of money and negotiations between clubs, these instances show that sometimes a more unconventional approach is taken.
It’s worth noting that these food transfers are rare occurrences and are not the norm in the football world. The majority of transfers involve financial transactions and are governed by strict regulations and guidelines set by football governing bodies.
In conclusion, the world of football has seen its fair share of unusual transfers, but few can compare to the cases where players were bought for food. Marius Cioara’s transfer for 15 kilograms of sausages and Kenneth Kristiansen’s transfer for shrimp are certainly unique and memorable. While these transfers may seem bizarre, they serve as a reminder that football is a sport that can sometimes defy expectations and take unexpected turns.