Contract clauses explained.

Tried searching for this, but couldn't find a full answer on the forums. Is there a source for definitions and explanations for the contract clauses. Specifically looking for relegation release clause and minimum release clause. How do these work exactly?

(Forgive me for asking the obvious... American gamer here, not used to these features, as they're not in American sporting contracts.)

Relegation release clause - if the team is relegated a division the player can be bought by another club for that fee.

Minimum release clause - the player can be bought for that fee.

Ideally you don't want players on these as you might lose them to other clubs relatively easily.

minimum release clause - if you make an offer of this amount, it CANNOT be refused by the club.

relegation release clause - if the club is relegated from its current division, you can make an offer for the player at this value, and again, it CANNOT be refused...

Relegation release clause - If the player's club is relegated and another club makes an offer that is the same or more than the clause it must be accepted by the player's club.

Minimum release clause - If a club offers the amount specified here then the players club must accept regardless of the circumstances.

Hope that helps.

Okay. Minimum releas clause is a price if offered for a player that club MUST accept. All offers higher are also accepted.

Relegation clause is the same thing but becomes active only if the player's club gets relegated.

Great answers... clears up a lot. So if you do have a player that demands one of these, you want it to be as high as possible, to keep most teams from taking advantage of that clause. That makes sense.

For the Relegation Release Clause, is there a time limit on how long after relegation a team can take advantage of that? That off-season only? Immediately? Forever?

How does that work for a team that may be relegated in one season only to be promoted back up the next season? Or vice versa (up in one season, down after the next)?

for the relegation release clause, its active until the player signs a new contract.. and yeah, ideally they both want to be as high as possible for your players..

edit: so clubs that are relegated usually go straight into negotiations with these players and try to get rid of the clauses.

I don't think there is a limit of how long after relegation but if you offer him a new contract after relegation then obviously that clause can be changed. If you got promoted again I still think the relegation clause would be active but I am not sure about that but he is more likely to be gone by then as those clauses are usually much less than minimum release clauses.

i seem to remember, certainly on older versions of FM, the release clause stays in place until the player signs a new contract, regardless of whether the team does go straight back up the following season.

So it's worth one's time to check those relegated teams for quality players with a clause like this? Do you take advantage of this in FM'08 often? Or more taken advantage of? Or is it really a rare clause to exercise?

its definitely worth having a look for, but personally i dont come across many players that have it in their contracts. its worth looking at the whole squad though, as more often than not, a lot of the quality players in the relegated team want to move on, and are available at knock-down prices...

Sometimes I do and if you go to Spanish clubs almost all the players have minimum release clauses even if they are indispensable to the club. If you are a top team you can get players like Messi, dos Santos, Aguero, Sergio Ramos as they all have minimum clauses and sometimes they are affordable.

Every spanish club player has a Min Release fee

You get some OTT ones, and you get some steals

Ustari - 3.1m (iirc)

Marcelo - 5.5m

And when your looking for relegation release clauses that are active, check when his latest contract was signed so you dont think the games bugged

minimum release clause - if you make an offer of this amount, it CANNOT be refused by the club.

relegation release clause - if the club is relegated from its current division, you can make an offer for the player at this value, and again, it CANNOT be refused...

right answer....

Sorry to dig up bones of the dead, but...

I'm playing in the SPL, 2041, Rangers have been relegated from the Premiership. They have a midfielder with a current value of $7,750,000 and a contracted "relegation release clause" fee of $7,500,000. I offered Rangers $7,750,000 as a transfer fee (meeting the relegation release clause), and they countered with $23,000,000 and another $2,000,000 over 2 years. Can they counter a transfer fee 3x the release clause?

Sorry to dig up bones of the dead, but...

I'm playing in the SPL, 2041, Rangers have been relegated from the Premiership. They have a midfielder with a current value of $7,750,000 and a contracted "relegation release clause" fee of $7,500,000. I offered Rangers $7,750,000 as a transfer fee (meeting the relegation release clause), and they countered with $23,000,000 and another $2,000,000 over 2 years. Can they counter a transfer fee 3x the release clause?

No they have to accept if you meet the clause which suggests you haven't in some way.

Some possible explanations could be:

A) FM doesn't see them as relegated yet, has the season end date run, new season created?

B) Relegation release clause could be for foreign clubs only.

I would check the contract page of the player, any scout reports you have and also the offer screen to see if you can spot any indication why you wouldn't meet it.

Sorry to dig up bones of the dead, but...

I'm playing in the SPL, 2041, Rangers have been relegated from the Premiership. They have a midfielder with a current value of $7,750,000 and a contracted "relegation release clause" fee of $7,500,000. I offered Rangers $7,750,000 as a transfer fee (meeting the relegation release clause), and they countered with $23,000,000 and another $2,000,000 over 2 years. Can they counter a transfer fee 3x the release clause?

Did you submit the bid or just hit suggest offer?

No they have to accept if you meet the clause which suggests you haven't in some way.

Some possible explanations could be:

A) FM doesn't see them as relegated yet, has the season end date run, new season created?

B) Relegation release clause could be for foreign clubs only.

I would check the contract page of the player, any scout reports you have and also the offer screen to see if you can spot any indication why you wouldn't meet it.

the inbox had a "Rangers have been relegated" item, but it's still a month away from "new season restart". I don't see any indication in the contract details that it's "foreign clubs only" clause (I generally see those only on the regular minimum release clauses for foreign clubs, lost a great midfielder to Barca once because the player had a $25 million clause (and he was worth $35 million)).

Contract details just say "$7.75 million relegation release clause, scouting report however says "estimated cost $23.5-$30 million". Mind you, I have $79 million in the transfer budget and he's a 20 year old with 4-star potential, just don't want to overpay if I can poach him for way less.

Did you submit the bid or just hit suggest offer?

The first time I "suggested bid' and got the 3x counter bid, tried a second time as "submit bid" and it came back two days later with the same amount.

What happens then if you wait for the new season and then submit a bid? Maybe relegation isn't official until the new season.

What happens then if you wait for the new season and then submit a bid? Maybe relegation isn't official until the new season.

I have noted that in the past week, the player's value has now dropped from $7.75 million to only $2.7 million, and he was already transfer-listed before I put in a bid, so I'm even less likely to pay Rangers $25 million for a player who's lost 2/3s of his value and they don't want him anyway.

I have noted that in the past week, the player's value has now dropped from $7.75 million to only $2.7 million, and he was already transfer-listed before I put in a bid, so I'm even less likely to pay Rangers $25 million for a player who's lost 2/3s of his value and they don't want him anyway.

Its looking like you need to wait for the season end to take advantage of the clause but its sounding like you might get a bid lower than that accepted now.

I have noted that in the past week, the player's value has now dropped from $7.75 million to only $2.7 million, and he was already transfer-listed before I put in a bid, so I'm even less likely to pay Rangers $25 million for a player who's lost 2/3s of his value and they don't want him anyway.

If you get him for less, good on you, but that's pretty poor management on Rangers' end. This might point to a hole in the game though.

Curious to see how this shakes out for you.

Its looking like you need to wait for the season end to take advantage of the clause but its sounding like you might get a bid lower than that accepted now.

I offered $8 million plus $3 million over a year and they accepted it (although Schalke can match the bid, evidently).

Hmm...we came to terms, but although I put in a "end of season" bid, the contract terms say that it'll go through June 27th...2042 (more than a year from now). Meh, it'll give me a year to shake out the squad and find him a place to play.

The only other explanation I can think of is that he signed his current contract after Rangers were relegated. So the release clause applies if they are relegated again. Check the contract signed date.

The only other explanation I can think of is that he signed his current contract after Rangers were relegated. So the release clause applies if they are relegated again. Check the contract signed date.

I know before I made my first offer, the contract was to end in 2042, and being in the last stages of the 2041 season, I put the bid in for "end of the season"/transfer period, so I'm not sure why they get to keep him for another year in the Championship. I really wouldn't have made that large a bid if I knew I'd lose an entire season of him playing at Premier-level.

Relegation release clauses aren't really asked for much. I think Andrej Kramaric has one at Leicester because I know we (Chelsea) have something to do with his future or an agreement for a future move.

But everyone has basically answered your question. Relegation release clause, if you get relegated and the clause is set at £5m. Soon as your relegated, or after a certain date, any club bidding £5m for said player cannot be refused.

Minimum fee release exactly same but can be triggered anytime, relegated or not. However in real life they work slightly different in Spain as far as i know, because they're classed as "buyouts" not minimum fee releases and there is all sorts of tax and VAT involved. I remember reading about it