José Antonio Reyes might not be the most reliable person when it comes to loyalty and love but he is certainly the one who is most rocking the Bernabéu. Not because he is still loved for his performance against Real Mallorca on the last day of last season that ended the Spanish club’s three year trophy drought, not because he has been playing well for cross-city rivals Atletico Madrid, but because he has brought a ruthless allegation against his former employers.
Reyes has accused Real Madrid of not paying his wage for 8 of the 10 months that he played for Real Madrid last season as an on-loan player from Arsenal. He has also proclaimed that he wasn’t paid the promised title bonus and has threatened to lodge a complaint and take the matter to formal proceedings should the club not pay him soon.
The allegation is a serious one and one that could impede Real Madrid’s progress in the winter transfer market this season. Should Reyes indeed lodge a formal complaint against Real Madrid, then the club wouldn’t be able to make any transactions in January and that would severely dampen the high hopes of president Ramon Calderon who is looking forward to a couple of swap deals and a big signing next month. Not only that, the complaint would also deal a blow to Real Madrid’s reputation.
The question at the moment is whether Reyes’ accusations can be taken at face value. His loyalty to his clubs are not something that he can flaunt to his grandchildren later on and it is a surprise indeed that the Spanish international midfielder decided to come of the blocks now, more than two months after the new season started.
Suspicious also is the fact that he is trying the allegations just when the winter transfer window is about to open. For anyone with sense could see this as a greedy and carefully measured move since should Real Madrid somehow not be able to convince Reyes not to lodge a formal complaint (and by this it implies shutting Reyes’ mouth with cash), then the los Merengues would be barred from the transfer window until the matter is resolved.
Reyes’ allegation against Real Madrid resonates with that brought on by Diego Tristán recently. The former Spanish international striker who has been struggling for clubs of late (and is now playing for Livorno in Serie A) has accused his former club ad the one he had the most success with, Deportivo la Coruna, of not paying him for several months. He could also ascertain that relegation threatened Depor are unable to make any signings in January by scripting a formal complaint against the club.
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