Really the story of a record transfer fee creates pressure on the players
In 1979, Trevor Francis became the first football player in the UK with a transfer fee of up to £ 1 million. Even so, his new coach – legendary Brian Clough – is not always ready to admit it.
Brian Clough, at that time, was leading Nottingham Forest, and Jim Smith – the head coach of Birmingham City, the team that Francis left – agreed to announce the fee of 999,999 pounds, despite the fact that more than £ 1 million was transferred.
This decision on the one hand helps Clough – the mastery of psychology – can “poke” the ego of the new striker, but on the other hand also aims to reduce the pressure related to the record number that will weigh on Francis.
More than 40 years later, it is not surprising that clubs often deliberately lower or hide the amount of money spent on a certain deal – through private disclosure, nods.