Florentino Perez called a press conference yesterday to announce the termination of Manuel Pellegrini and the hiring of Jose Mourinho.
Mou was supposed to be presented at the Bernabeu tomorrow but it is not happening.
There is a small problem of €16 million Inter is demanding for his release. Oops!
The clause was actually inserted by Mourinho last year when he renewed his contract with Inter and Massimo Moratti, extending it to 2012. Mourinho for all the fanfare of leaving the San Siro, is still an employee of Inter and bound by its contractual obligations.
The funny part is that Mourinho believed that Inter was going to waive that payment of his release clause in gratitude for winning the Champions League. Oops again!
In fact, both clubs seem to have dug their heels on this issue.
“We won’t be paying any part of the release clause, it has nothing to do with us,” Perez said. “There’s not much we can do, it’s down to Mourinho and Inter to work things out.”
The two clubs conducted meetings all day long between Jorge Mendez, Mourinho’s agent; Jose Angel Sanchez, Real’s representative; Rinaldo Ghelfi, Inter’s VP of financial affairs; and Marco Branca, Inter’s sporting director but they proved unsuccessful.
Branca was of the opinion that these negotiations between all concerned parties were going to drag on.
“Inter are in no hurry” and that his club “will not yield on the payment of the clause.”
Mourinho will either show up at the Bernabeu €16 million lighter unless he gets Real to pay off his release or Inter relents. That coronation at the Bernabeu will have to wait. But add one more story to the tone deaf Perez era.