Western media: There are secret terms in Real Madrid player contract

The new crown epidemic has brought unprecedented challenges to world football and has also prompted major clubs to make major adjustments in operations and player management.

As a representative of European football, Real Madrid quickly adapted to the changes and added a special "secret clause" to the contract signed with the players - this is actually a legal guarantee to deal with possible emergencies in the future.

Before the outbreak, football was regarded as an "uninterruptible" sport, and all competitions were carried out strictly in accordance with the established schedule. However, the COVID-19 pandemic broke this routine, with multiple leagues being postponed, games being held in empty courts, and some seasons even spanning more than the validity period specified in the player contract.

From the summer of 2020, Real Madrid began to add an important clause to the contracts of all first-team players: "This contract covers all official events, including those held after the end of the regular season." This clause allows the club to legally extend the contract period of players when the season is extended for special reasons, thereby avoiding legal disputes and ensuring that key players do not leave the team early at critical moments. The

clause highlights its importance during the FC World Cup. This clause is particularly important at the end of the 2024/25 season, as the FIFA Club World Cup will be held after the end of the regular season. Take Lucas Vosquez, Luca Modric and Jessus Vallejo as examples. Although their contract was originally scheduled to expire on June 30, due to the existence of this clause, they can still represent Real Madrid in the Club World Cup without having to renew their contract separately for another month as rumors outside.

For Real Madrid, this clause not only effectively avoids the risk of losing the main player at critical moments, but also helps the stability of the team's lineup. For players, this also clarifies their rights and obligations in the context of schedule changes and reduces uncertainty.

However, this clause also brings certain troubles to other clubs that intend to introduce Real Madrid players. Since these players need to represent Real Madrid in the Club World Cup and cannot transfer officially until the event ends on July 14, the early operating space of the summer transfer window has been compressed.

It can be said that it is this forward-looking contract design that once again reflects Real Madrid's outstanding management and strategic vision in global football.