When purchasing Hanover 96, França was six centimeters too small

Spotted only by video

Transfer negotiations can be difficult, lengthy and fraught with pitfalls. Professionals sometimes want to force their transfer to the club of their dreams and, in doing so, they risk getting into trouble with their current employer, losing credit with supporters or causing astonishment among their superiors. (Site notre blog d’information) looks at past transfers characterized by loud background noise. The transfer of Niko Kovac from Hamburger SV to FC Bayern in the summer of 2001 is an example of this, as is the transfer of Heiko Herrlich from Borussia Mönchengladbach to Borussia Dortmund in 1995 and the courageous transfer of Andreas Möller from BVB to Schalke in 2000 . This time the focus is on the transfer of Brazilian França to Hannover 96 during the 2012/13 winter break.

Hannover 96 finished the first half of the 2012/13 season in eleventh place. Lower Saxony successfully finished the previous seasons in seventh and fourth place and competed in the Europa League at international level for the second time in a row. Glorious moments with coach Mirko Slomka and top players like Mame Diouf (25), Ron-Robert Zieler (24), Lars Stindl (24), Mohammed Abdellaoue (27) and Didier Ya Konan ( 29 years old). Because it had to stay that way, more were added in the winter. Sports director Jörg Schmadtke had already secured the commitments of central defender Johan Djourou (25 years old, FC Arsenal) and defender Andre Hoffmann (19 years old, MSV Duisburg). Among other things, they still lacked a strong man for the defensive midfielder. The solution was called Wellington Wildhy Muniz dos Santos, or França for short. What could go wrong?

The No.96 put 1.3 million euros on the table for the Brazilian in January 2013. He was released from Coritiba FC and given a contract until 2016. Coach Rodrigo Pastanam of the second division club Criciúma Esporte Clube, where França previously played on loan, announced: “The offer from Germany is very good. We wish him much success. » And the young person was welcomed with open arms in Germany. “I am looking forward to França and I am sure that he will seek his opportunity with us with motivation and with great ambition. I have had great experiences with South Americans and learned to appreciate their commitment and enthusiasm. I am confident that France will also show the same,” said 96th head coach Slomka.

There was only one thing he hadn’t expected, as it soon turned out. According to the club’s press release, sports director Schmadtke said: “At 1.90 meters tall and weighing 88 kilograms, França has physical qualities that he brings to his game with great passion. He’s a tough type of player who I think will make his mark with us. » It’s just stupid that França’s measurements were obviously a bit fudged. And coach Slomka, at 1.87 meters tall, unintentionally dominated the warmly welcomed newcomer It all started with the subtraction of two centimeters from the initial 1.90 meters The first act of a curious damage limitation “Unfortunately, this was misquoted. said he was 1.88 meters tall. The press office then wrote 1.90 meters A small oversight « But this is not a major problem », clarified Schmadtke in the « Süddeutsche Zeitung ». , Yes.

Hannover 96: new recruit França had to be measured

So 1.88 meters instead of 1.90 meters. A thought. But it wasn’t like that. Because Slomka called his assistant and asked França to take action. “What can I say? I was surprised, » he said when asked by « Bild ». In reality, the Brazilian newcomer was only 1.81 meters tall. « That’s not true. We measured,” Schmadtke then corrected. Very good then. After careful consideration, the “new” length was officially set at 1.82 meters. As a result, França was at least six centimeters shorter than expected. What a fiasco! Or maybe not?

The manager tried to explain: “França was an unusual transfer because we hadn’t seen him live before. All the publications said he was 1.88 meters tall. But it doesn’t matter that he’s a little smaller now. We do not require you to measure in centimeters. Otherwise, I would only hang out in the basketball halls. That would be such a good thing. In an interview with Schmadtke, the “SZ” said that the stated 88 kilos were not so minimal given that he was only 1.82 meters tall. Response from the sports director: “I didn’t have it on the scale with me. The fact is that he has just returned from vacation and it will be a few weeks before he is ready for the Bundesliga. But we knew that in advance. » Then everything would be clarified. Schmadtke concluded by joking: « We briefly considered sending the player home. It is not known whether França was able to laugh at the hullabaloo that broke out around him. »

Either way, his stay in Hanover is no fun. For the Reds, the South American, who – at the end of 2024 – occupies 39th place in the ranking of record purchases, has not played a single competitive match. He went down in club history as a transfer failure. First, talk of his height dominated events, then França suffered a knee injury in the first Test match and the bacterial infectious disease tuberculosis (TBD). “I am incredibly sorry for França. The most important thing now is that he recovers. We wish him the best recovery and know that he is in good hands with the doctors who are treating him, » Schmadtke said, pledging his support. Slomka added: « I got to know him during the first weeks in as a player with a good attitude and will recover from this setback. The defensive professional spent 33 days in the isolation room at the hospital.

The following summer, when Hannover crossed the line in ninth place, everything finally improved for the Brazilian. Unlike some of his compatriots in Bundesliga history, França returned home a week before training began and took his wife and daughter with him. “Everything is easier now with both of them here. It’s like a new start for me, » he said hopefully. « I hope to be able to train with the team soon. I want to fight for my place in the team.

Unfortunately, the good intentions will remain the same. At the start of 2014, Hannover 96 França was assigned to newly promoted first division team Palmeiras São Paulo until the end of the year. “What is important for France now is training for the match. I wish him better luck at Palmeiras than at home in recent months,” said 96 sporting director Dirk Dufner, who took over from Schmadtke in April 2013. Via Palmeiras we continued to Brazil to Figueirense FC. From then on, França was not expected to return to his parent club Hannover 96, which continued to cover part of the salary Two years after the purchase, a transfer fee was incurred. utopian for Lower Saxony. “Unfortunately, no one will buy it. Economically, for us it is about damage control we will end the contract at 96 and then he will sign a new contract in Brazil,” said. club boss Martin Kind to “Bild”. At least a severance package wasn’t necessary. “We don’t want to do that. That’s enough. »

Shortly after the turmoil, the CEO announced the consequences as part of the obligation. Recruit a player without seeing him live? Not with him. “This won’t happen again. Personal observation and discussion should be the norm for transfers. In some cases, we have now done things differently. Schmadtke and coach Slomka saw the player on videos and both said: « It’s him! » Kind said in late January 2013. His comments were not associated with a direct accusation against the management duo sportsmen. “Our four winter transfers represented an incredible workload. A flight to South America was not possible. » Meanwhile, Schmadkte and Slomka got along less and less and hardly spoke to each other in the spring of 2013. “The relationship between the two is essential, as many know,” President Kind revealed.

In addition to the noise around France: there were also problems at Hannover 96 because of Wszolek

Speaking of winter transfers. In addition to França, 20-year-old Pole Pawel Wszolek was also expected to join the Bundesliga club as a replacement for the injured Lars Stindl, with the changeable midfielder’s transfer from Polonia Warsaw imminent. Until Wszolek canceled the agreement without further delay, failed to show up for the medical examination and was apparently no longer reachable by phone. A transfer fee of up to 1.5 million euros was in question. 96 manager Schmadtke personally flew to Warsaw after the player asked him for time to think about it: « The boy probably got a little cold feet. »

All efforts were in vain, although, according to Schmadtkte, “a transfer agreement and the annex to his employment contract were signed”. The manager was angry and said he had never experienced anything like this. “There are growing signs that he doesn’t think he has to come. We will take legal action and involve UEFA. He lied to us. » And further: “I consider this behavior questionable and unacceptable. Even a 20-year-old should know what he’s signing, what he’s doing and what he’s not doing.” Wszolek said several years later regarding the incidents that he never signed with Hannover and was simply surprised. Regardless, January 2013 was a decidedly wild and eventful month at 96 years old. Although, at least in one case, it was only a matter of centimeters. Regardless, this did not improve the strained relations between Schmadtke and Slomka.