The incredibly stressful day that Uli Hoeneß infamously condemned
Transfer Blunders Galore will once again cause a stir in the footballing community this Friday, but not all deals finalize under the deadline pressure. We've compiled five amusing mishaps from previous transfer windows, including a flustered fax fiasco.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting: The striker found himself at the center of one of Bundesliga's most humiliating transfer blunders. Cologne and Hamburg agreed on a winter transfer in 2010/11, pens were signed, but a malfunctioning fax postponed the move to the cathedral city at the eleventh hour. Choupo-Moting's father, Just, dispatched the contract to Cologne just before the deadline, but the essential paperwork featuring the player's signature arrived seconds too late. In the end, merely 13 minutes made the difference.
Joao Palhinha: The rugged midfielder had already completed his medical with Bayern Munich, donned their jersey for photos, and was spotted at Säbener Straße on transfer deadline day in August 2023. Contracts and transfer fees were agreed upon, but the deal crumbled at the final hurdle. Fulham couldn't source a suitable replacement in time and opted to retain him. Fortunately, it turned out to be a win-win situation in the summer. Uli Hoeneß expressed his annoyance after the botched first attempt, stating, "Except for extraordinary circumstances, we should steer clear of last-minute drama on deadline day in the future," before adding, "We used to chuckle about this deadline day!"
Kevin Großkreutz: The World Cup champion bid farewell to Borussia Dortmund for Galatasaray Istanbul during the summer of 2015 but experienced a transfer fiasco. FIFA refused the transfer due to missing signatures on crucial documents. Following months of waiting, Großkreutz returned to Germany without playing a single match in Turkey, joining VfB Stuttgart.
Isco: Berlin plunged into chaos when the skillful Spanish midfielder, a five-time Champions League champion, sought to join Union in the winter of 2023. He had already passed his medical, but the seemingly settled deal dissolved into a farce at the last moment. Both parties pointed the finger at each other for the collapse and traded accusations.
Sekou Sanogo: Hamburg eyed the versatile defender from Young Boys Bern on a winter loan with an option to buy in 2016. All terms were agreed, Sanogo had undergone his medical, and he was already in Hamburg – but the decisive email from the Swiss club landed four minutes past the deadline, eerily resembling the Choupo-Moting incident.
Despite the late-minute hiccups being common in football transfers, it's worth noting that Joao Palhinha came close to joining FC Bayern Munich in August 2023. The rugged midfielder had completed his medical, worn their jersey, and was even spotted at Säbener Straße. Regrettably, the deal disintegrated at the final hurdle due to Fulham's inability to find a replacement in time, forcing them to retain Palhinha.
