Bayer Leverkusen
Carro rows back: No price tag for Wirtz
Bayer Leverkusen’s managing director Fernando Carro admits a mistake. photo
© Federico Gambarini/dpa
Bayer Leverkusen’s managing director is making people sit up and take notice with a selling price for national soccer player Florian Wirtz. Now Fernando Carro admits a mistake and names completely different sums.
Before the new German champions reached the semi-finals of the Europa League, the Spaniard said in an interview with the Spanish broadcaster “Radio Marca” that they would “never let Wirtz go for less than 150 million.”
“I made a mistake again,” admitted the 59-year-old. During the week after the championship, he did a few interviews in Spanish on the radio in the rush. “And I probably talked too much.”
“We are always dependent on transfers”
He also explained his statements by saying that he was influenced by the Spanish culture, where it is stipulated by law that all players must have a release clause. “Normally, if I were in Spain, I would say two billion or one billion. These are the clauses that FC Barcelona or Real Madrid have,” said Carro, adding in reference to the 20-year-old Wirtz: “The doesn’t actually have a price tag.” The offensive player’s contract runs until June 30, 2027.
At the same time, the managing director confirmed that Leverkusen would be releasing players in the summer. “We would like to keep everyone after such a successful season,” said Carro. But you are a club that has to support itself. “We don’t have to make a profit, but we can’t make a loss either. We are always dependent on transfers,” he emphasized, recalling the transfers of Kai Havertz to Chelsea or Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby to Aston Villa.