Unusual Contract Demands of Footballers: No Space Travel, Weight Clauses, and Free Moves for Catalan Independence

Football players and clubs often negotiate contracts with various stipulations to protect their interests or allow them to pursue their hobbies. Some of the weirdest clauses added by players and clubs have been revealed, including Lionel Messi’s agreement to learn how to speak Catalan, not engage in doping, and leave on a free transfer if Catalonia became its own country. Real Madrid’s offer to Robert Lewandowski included a request that he not participate in skiing, paragliding, climbing, motorboating, or riding a motorbike. Giuseppe Reina demanded that Arminia Bielefeld build him a house for every year of his contract without specifying the size, resulting in a Lego house for three years. Fernando Redondo was excluded from Argentina’s 1998 World Cup squad because manager Daniel Passarella refused to pick players with earrings and long hair. Rolf-Christel Guie-Mien requested that Eintracht Frankfurt pay for his wife’s cooking lessons, while Sunderland told Stefan Schwarz that any potential flights into space would not be tolerated. Neil Ruddock’s contract with Crystal Palace included a 10% penalty if he exceeded the recommended weight of 99.8kg, and Keisuke Honda requested an armored vehicle when he joined Botafogo in Rio de Janeiro.