Fernando Morientes, known as ‘The Moor’, He was one of the most prominent forwards in Spanish football during the late 90s and early 2000s. After starting his career at Albacete and standing out at Zaragoza, he achieved worldwide fame as a player for Real Madrid, where he won multiple titles, including three Champions League trophies.
What many do not know is that Morientes was very close to signing for Atlético de Madrid at the beginning of his career. This was recently revealed in a talk for the Offsiders podcast, where he shared an anecdote about the characteristic negotiation style of the then president of Atlético, Jesús Gil. According to him, Atlético’s offer not only included money, but also a rather peculiar incentive.
“Three interested teams arrived: Atlético de Madrid, Zaragoza and Betis,” Morientes recalled about that time. «They wanted to pay almost 400 million of pesetas for me. And of course, I was in Sonseca, Toledo, very close to Madrid, and my girlfriend was also there. I thought: ‘Uff, the Atletico thing could turn out well.'”
«Jesús Gil offered me a car and apartments in Marbella»
However, it was in the negotiations with Jesús Gil where the situation took a turn. «I start talking about money and I think: ‘Well, it might help me buy a car. I had just gotten my license, I was 18 years old.’ Then he asks me: ‘What car do you like?’ And I told him: ‘A Volkswagen Golf.’ The next day, he tells me: ‘You have a Volkswagen Golf at the door of the Calderón if you sign the contract tomorrow.’
Although the proposal seemed attractive to an 18-year-old young man, Morientes discovered a detail that made him doubt. «When I was already convinced, Jesús Gil told me: ‘There is only one small problem.’ And I: ‘What’s happening?'” he said, laughing. What came next left everyone speechless. «He tells me: ‘What we are going to pay you financially is in kind… in apartments in Marbella.’ And I thought: ‘How?’
After that, the forward would end up signing for Zaragoza, where he began to build the brilliant career that would take him to the elite of world football.
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