Blatter 'slave' row

Join the Sky Sports debate on the Fifa president's comments

Last updated: 10th July 2008  

Blatter 'slave' row

Blatter: Do you agree with his comments?

Also see

Sepp Blatter believes Cristiano Ronaldo should be allowed to quit Manchester United for Real Madrid if he so desires - but what do you think about his comments?

The Fifa president also believes there is a trend towards "modern slavery" in football. Do you think players are given the freedom they deserve to move clubs?

In a Sky News interview, Blatter insists players should be allowed to leave with impunity when they want to move clubs. Is he right?

Regarding the Ronaldo situation, Blatter believes if a player wants to play somewhere else "then a solution should be found". What do you think of his views? Should players be able to move when and where they want?

Is enough done to protect players rights?

Join the Sky Sports debate using the form below.

Comments (76)

Robert Duckworth (Arsenal fan) says...

Slaves? Footballers slaves? After being payed hundreds of thousands of pounds a week how can they say that?? Don't get me wrong, football is my life but i can't see how any man who simply kicks a ball around every week can claim that. Think of all the civil services, the fire department, police department, hospitals, etc who save lives and what do they get payed? Exactly, footballers should think themselves lucky that they have such a great talent. All Ronaldo is doing is pushing his luck, he like all other players, are trying to make as much money in their short career a possible. So Ronnie, if you are earning 6 digits a week, keep quiet and don't tell the world. As for Blatter, well he always makes dodgy statements, and that was one of them. Atleast the Arsenal players don't get in the press for the WRONG reasons!

Posted 11:27 17th July 2008

Graeme Tarran says...

Does a slave earn money?!? Does a slave do a job that he or she loves?!? Do footballers know how lucky they really are?!? I think the answer to these is NO!! Perhaps Blatter and Ronaldo should count their chickens abit more... Ronaldo certainly needs to let the football do the talking hopefully at Madrid coz he's burnt his bridges with the vast majority of True United fans!

Posted 02:17 16th July 2008

James Reardon (Manchester United fan) says...

This whole saga is just turning ridiculous, Blatter comparing a man that earns £100,000 a week to a slave is disgusting, I also think that Blatter & Platini should keep there noses out of Uniteds business, ever since english teams started dominating europe Platini has stuck his nose where it's not wanted to try and get one over on english football and if i was Blatter i would just step down myself after a comment like that !

Posted 18:06 15th July 2008

Shovaan Pillay (Manchester United fan) says...

The most upsetting thing about Mr Blatter comments is that I dont think he understands the real meaning of a slave. Does he know what its like to be a slave, does Ronaldo know what its like to be a slave. Why dont think about the millions of people who been affected in a life long struggle from slavery that doesnt earn millions of pounds. I dont think its fair you take that away from the real people that got hurt because of slavery. All you want Ronaldo is to earn a higher salary while earning a high salary.

Posted 07:40 14th July 2008

Mark Peters (Rangers fan) says...

To liken Ronaldo to a slave is simply ridiculous. How can anyone who wilingly signed a contract for 100,000 a week be suggested a slave. As for the transfer saga, i wish Ronaldo would just say he wants to leave... "only god knows" doesn't quite cut it! Man United are a massive club and Ronaldo if he wants to leave should, as if he stays it will not be good for the team and he will underperform. He's too big for his boots.. who would have thought Ronaldinho - last years best in the world would be unpopular now, so Ronaldo is just another star that will fade.

Posted 22:25 13th July 2008

Terry Woods says...

Once Again Sepp Blatter takes it upon himself to give us his views on football and tell us how he is going to strive to try and impliment them.The fact that they , as so many of his comments are ,way off beam with anyone elses views,does not deter him.How he holds his position is beyond me.He shows himself to be just a clown ,but unfortunately for all of us fans that love the game ,he hold such a top position.CAN THIS MAN BE STOPPED ?

Posted 20:47 13th July 2008

John Orr (Luton Town fan) says...

Contracts are binding when signed by all parties (even by us mortals) so unless United are willing to sell him he'll have to stay. Slaves, on his money, sign me up I'll take the pain! Blatter hasn't made any sense since he was given the job and certtainly doesn't understand reality.....If it was my decision for the reported £50-70 million I'd let him go with the exception of the top handful of clubs in the Premiership you could buy a team or two!

Posted 19:03 13th July 2008

Osei Bonsu (Manchester United fan) says...

As a united fan i am getting fed up with Ronaldo , i wish Fergie will let him go , because it looks like Blatter is either his agent or a fan of real madrid. And to think he says Ronaldo is treated like a slave , i have never heard of slave siging contacts and getting much money than most normal people will make in two years. Sepp Blatter should step down as FIFA president , he is not clever to hold such an Office.

Posted 15:29 11th July 2008

Stephen Madziwa says...

I think Sep should just shut it! He has been trying to facilitate Ronaldo's move to Real ever since the whole saga started. As a ManU fan i wouldnt want to see someone of Ronaldo's class go, but the FIFA boss should concentrate on running football not try and create a dream-team at Madrid. Ronaldo signed an extension of contract last season, which means in any contract each part of the signatories has their side of the contract to honour, and we cannot say its a win-win situation for players always, the club offers him such a high salary which they are obliged to pay for some period into the future as stated on the contract even if he is injured or languishing in the reserves should his form take a nose-dive. On the player's side as well he has a duty to the club until that contract expires. As long as contract is binding the FIFA boss should stay out of these "individual" cases, if he feels there is wrong doing by either party he should concentrate on correcting the rules concerning these contracts not isolated cases. Remember the John Obi Mikeal case, he signed and was not allowed to play for Chelsea because he is the one who had signed for United.

Posted 15:24 11th July 2008

Nole Malesh says...

There is nothing wrong if Sepp Blatter gives his views about Christiano, because there is freedom of speech. I support Sepp and I wish that Christiano moves to Real

Posted 15:01 11th July 2008

James Frost (Leicester City fan) says...

I seriously cannot believe how Blatter can say such a comment. It's ridiculous. He should be more concerned about introducing a wage cap before wages completely spiral out of control.

Posted 14:41 11th July 2008

Barrie Jackson says...

As a Man Utd fan I'm getting fed up with Ronaldo as I'm sure many fans are. Maybe Blatter is Ronaldo's agent so he wants a nice cut of the transfer fee. Whatever happened to loyalty with excellent examples in the shape of Ryan Giggs, proud to be a Utd player, winning everything with them. Now we've seen Ronaldo's true colours. Let him go, make a fortune on the transfer and let him make a fool of himself. No player can hold a club to ransom, the club made him what he is, they pay him a fortune. Sheer greed. A disgrace to any sport. I'm sure some of the fans will boo him if he appears at Old Trafford for the new season. His team mates can't be too pleased either.

Posted 11:27 11th July 2008

Chris Law says...

I think that Sepp Blatter should keep his nose out of manchester uniteds business. He has no right to tell man utd to sell Ronaldo as he has nothing to do with this ronaldo affair although i do agree with a lot of other manchester united fans that ronaldo should leave as he obviosly isn't committed enough to united otherwise he would of said right from the start that he will not leave united. Ronaldo has also been leading Real Madrid on by telling them that he wouldn't mind a move and for saying this i think Fergie should let him go get the money and bring in more money to spend on more honourable players who will commit themselves to the club.

Posted 11:19 11th July 2008

Mary Cowan says...

OK so Sepp Blatter thinks contracts equal enslavement for players and should not be binding and that players should be free to move on a whim. Does that mean not binding on the part of the clubs either and could this lead to the following hypothetical situations: Golden boy Ronaldo (was a fan but think he could be doing with getting his ego back into its box) stops scoring goals so does that mean Alex can stop paying him his £130,000 a week, because he is not meeting the expectations the club had of him when the contract was signed. If a contract is not binding anything goes so you could have players not getting paid when they are injured etc etc. A contract is a legally binding agreement and without them football would descend into anarchy.

Posted 11:07 11th July 2008

Paul Mack says...

Blatter is a joke. Calling players slaves is stupid how many slaves get 100,000 pound a week. if you sign a contract you have to honour it we just can't cancel contracts with banks like loans and mortgages so they shouldn't be able to cancel there contract

Posted 10:53 11th July 2008

Jamie Williams says...

Blatter and Platini are just tryin to ruin the english game!they both should concentrate on tryin to improve football, not destroy it, and do something about teams like Real Madrid who behave in a disrespectful way by coming out and tryin to cause unrest at rival clubs, if english clubs behaved in this way then FIFA and UEFA would throw the book at them...the whole Ronaldo situation is unbelievable, Ronaldo should realise that the reason he is "the best player in world" is because he plays for the biggest club in the world and has the greatest manager of all time who has made him the player he is(not even Mourinho could of done what Ferguson has for Ronaldo).Blatter should realise how much players get payed (i'd love to be a "slave" and get 100 grand plus a week, wouldn't you?) Jamie (Stoke fan)

Posted 10:40 11th July 2008

Lisa Kennedy says...

I feel I have to contact you about Sepp Blatter's comments on the Ronaldo move. I am not a Man United suporter so I did not have bias oppinions on this. I just feel for the "Presedent " of world football to compare todays football players to slaves is outrages. How many more people is this man going to be allowed to offend before he is removed from his post. His latest comment is little short of disgusting and I am sure a large proportion of todays people (football fans or not) will also be outraged and offended this.

Posted 10:39 11th July 2008

Nigel Humphriss (Manchester United fan) says...

This guy is a disgrace. How he has the audacity to use the word slavery when referring to professional footballers who are earning obscene amounts of money and living in fantastic mansions is beyond me. The fact is that these pampered prima donnas are happy to sign a contract committing them to a club for a minimum time to enable them to take a fantastic living from that club and then they feel they can walk away whenever they feel lie it having sucked as much from the club as they possibly can. For the main man of football to endorse this behaviour is nothing short of appalling!!

Posted 10:36 11th July 2008

Chibuzor Nwaezeapu (Manchester United fan) says...

Blatter seems to spurt out nonsense and not realise it. Its only asking for anarchy when players sign high paying contracts, and then at their own fancy choose to renege on them and moved to the next high bidder just months after. I personally would like to see the back of ronaldo as i believe he over-estimates his contribution to the team.On a business side i would take record deal money as promised by calderon(say $125 million) and sell.But for the sake of sanity in football i would ask that the contract be respected or there would be no end of this type of shenanigans, after all there are already laws protecting players and their freedoms to moved within reasonable limits

Posted 07:51 11th July 2008

Kip Sid (Manchester United fan) says...

Since when do people earning millions per year are considered slaves? To my knowledge before slavery was abolished, slaves were lucky to get half a dish of food. Blatter is way off. Footballers get astronomical amounts of money and should be content with their contracts. If Ronaldo wants to go he should do so with a huge impunity. Utd have invested in him and have helped him to rise to fame - he should pay the price for leaving. his mentors. Players should be thankful for their salaries and not act like they are above their club.

Posted 07:50 11th July 2008

Add Comment*

Send us your views

Are you a Sky Sports subscriber?

*All fields required, your email address will be kept private