Photo by ISIphotos.com
As you may have read elsewhere on Tuesday, there is a Belgian soccer team claiming to have signed New York Red Bulls youth prospect Johnny Exantus (left in photo). Just how legitimate a claim that is remains very unclear.
While the signing was announced by Real Racing Club of Montegnee on Sept. 2, Exantus is currently attending Columbia High School in New Jersey and has been playing for the school’s soccer team. He has scored in each of the team’s first two games.
Not only that. There is also some question about the professional or amateur status of the club in question, Real Racing Club, which plays in the Belgian Fourth Division. (The club calls itself a professional club, but claims that the program
So if a player signs with an amateur club, has he really signed a thing? More importantly, why would a player regarded as one of the top youth prospects in the nation sign with a fourth-division team in Belgium? And if he did sign, why is he still playing high school soccer in New Jersey?
While the Real Racing Club does appear to actually exist, there do seem to be some red flags regarding its legitimacy. Whether its the curious fact that the club is Belgian yet has an English-only website, or the fact that only two of the club’s many contacts have team-issued email addresses (the team’s sporting director has a yahoo email address listed on the team site), there is something just a tad bit fishy about the club’s description of itself (a professional club that sounds like a quasi-college set-up).
As much as the club’s status, and the listing of 15 American players on its squad list, make for some head-scratching, my focus right now is on Exantus and what exactly his status is (while the RRC website does describe the club as an academic and athletic experience, there is no description of what sort of professional ties or contracts are involved between players in the program and the club). Signing with a professional team would mean the Red Bulls would not be able to sign him this winter (which is a possibility if Exantus is not under contract elsewhere), and it would also make Exantus ineligible to play high school soccer in New Jersey (and would force his team to forfeit its first two wins).
That said, if Real Racing Club is not a professional team, then Exantus wouldn’t be bound by any contract, thus making the club’s announcement misleading. (Based on the wording on the club’s website, it suggests that taking part in the program does not jeopardize the player’s college eligibility, and therefore is not a true professional club. If that is true, then Exantus is not bound by any professional contract with Real Racing Club)
So what exactly happened? I am hoping to find that out today. A call to Columbia High School head coach Gene Chyzowych has yet to be returned. An email message to Exantus has also not been answered. Columbia is scheduled to play West Morris Central today at 4pm.
Red Bulls fans shouldn’t assume that Exantus will join the Red Bulls even if Exantus is not legally bound to a contract with Real Racing Club. Sources have told me for some time that Exantus wants to play in Europe. Whether that desire led to the desperation move of signing with a low-level Belgian club remains to be seen.
I will update this story as information comes in. For now, feel free to share your thoughts on this story in the comments section below.
This is so sketchy.
This is a college program so it is a little different than most youth academies which target younger players. They also announced “signing” several Panamanian youth internationals at the same time they announced Johny’s signing. In this case, signing would seem closer to a college letter of intent than a professional contract. It also implies that Johnny would need to finish high school before going on to a college program.
The affiliation with a US based university implies the college curriculum will be in english hence the english orientation of the website.
Seems like an interesting idea. I wonder if MLS has any rules about this concerning club rights. I know a player can go to college after being in an MLS youth system but that the Club maintains their right to hiim when he comes out. What happens in this case where there is a formal affiliation with a foreign (albeit amateur) club.
Join MLS, so you can make less than a burger flipper at McDonald’s …
don’t be stupid Johnny X! Wait another year or 2 and join RBNY. I’m going to take a wild guess and say even the MLS is better than the Belgian fourth division! What a bold statement! But you see where I am going at.
Ossington,
Yes the names *could* have been made up, but a few minutes on google will show that they are, in fact, not made up.
is this really any different than ‘signing’ with Friedel’s place in cleveland? Or Bradenton? Or a basketball player going to Oak Hill? Or Mt. Hood Ski Academy? You give scholarships to the great kids to attract other kids who pay tuition and fees. Big deal. If you think you can make a run at being a real professional, why waste time in college training only 20 hours a week in season? The red bulls still own his mls rights, yes? So it’s a bargaining chip as well. Would you take fifteen grand to spend much of the first season on the bench or go to Europe and get intense training in a continental atmosphere? Look what happened with Kassel, the red bulls lowballed him, and he took what for him was a better offer in college park. Maybe this is Exantus basically calling rbny’s bluff on a potential contract tender. I bet it will take at least the GenAd spot to get him to the new Arena, don’t you think?
Fisherman….I might be wrong (I don’t think so), but your definition of a Senior developmental contract is entirely wrong.
An SD contract is simply the higher of the two two levels (eexcluding a GA). Thus pays $17.7k as opposed to $12.9k. It’s not a set term and can be upgraded at any time and to any level based on performance.
Generation Adidas deal are 2+2, typically but that is not a Senior Developmental deal.
You will seldom see a GA deal for less than $45k, and most are around $65k and increase annually. On the higher end they’re about $125k, but have gone to $500k, then $550k with Freddy Adu.
There is no $30k contract in MLS. Minimum wage for 2008 is $33k. The league also institutes a mandatory pay rise (10% I think) for players under a certain amount (maybe $60k). The minimum wage also goes up by a fixed amount each year.
Again, there’s nothing to stop players moving up based on merit, international recognition etc… either before or at the end of their contracts. Sure, MLS doesn’t bend over backwards mid contract unless it sees something it really likes, or wants to avoid a free agent situation (like Bocanegra or Nelsen).
I’ve seen several Canadians go to this team, and even spoken with a couple. The consensus was that it was good experience as an alternative to NCAA. They did feel like they were being brought over with a view to being sold up the chain, but that this in itself wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
It all seems perfectly legit to me.
Matt-
The names could have been made up.
If its all true, whatevs, dudes trying out new avenues in his career. if dudes talented the MLS just lost out on another talented player and needs to sort itself out so this doesnt happen in the future.
Thank you, Paul, for clarifying the situation for those of us freaking out about kids moving to Belgium to play soccer (the horror!).
There are something like 30 kids on the team from Canada and America. Do you people really think 30 sets of parents would send kids of to Belgium for no reason? And if they were getting scammed, don’t you think the kids would, you know, come home immediately and alert the powers that be? Some of the kids there have been there for over a year now.
Is Johnny X a US citizen?
Is he cap-tied to Haiti?
Dear Sirs
I was forwarded this post & feel that I must reply to this..
RRFC Montegnée is a small ex 1st Division football club (matricule 77) in the Liège region of Belgium. Montegnée has partnered with american institute Heidelberg college,Ohio, to replicate the student athlete program in the USA.
All players are STUDENT ATHLETES, NOT PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS.. They train seven times a week and go to the Heidelberg college at the training ground in Montegnée.
We are not ” Scam Merchants”, we provide a unique university football program in Europe with a full time professional staff..
Regards
Paul Topping
President
Royal Racing FC Montegnée
Stade Joseph Vanstraelen
Rue Branche Planchard
Montegnée
Liège, Belgium
http://www.royalracingfc.com
Fisherman “Dont drink the koolaid that Red Bull is such a great option for a young kid, look how many foreigners came in, and put our kids on the bench or into the stands for that matter.”
ouch, ill give this point to the fisherman
Try this article for some perspective:
http://www.bradfordcityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10266~1178782,00.html
This appears to be a legitimate club with a history. Whether their ambitions are in line with reality is an entirely different story. In the active European transfer market, a club like this only has to get lucky every once in a while to cover its costs. Playing in the 5th division of Belgium isn’t exactly a high level and I wonder how much development really occurs. US players with a realistic shot at MLS would be better served working their way up here. In the long run, MLS is a higher level and a two or three years in the league will still leave the door open to better opportunities. The big draw is probably the Belgian passport, because I doubt the pay is much if anything. A player who shines in MLS will still have opportunities to make serious bank down the road and a UEFA passport isn’t that big of an advantage, if you get stuck playing in the styx for 3 years and don’t grow as a player.
The fact that the logo for RRFCM appears to be a rat should be the first clue…
It doesn’t look that fishy. Just looking through the website it looks like this is just an amateur team that players can use to get noticed by real European teams while also saving college eligibility. As far as the “signing” goes, athletes “sign” to go to a college as well. I imagine it’s a similar process here.
Jimmy23
the senior developmental contracts are 4 yrs (well actually 1+1+1+1) 17 yr one, 30 year 2, 33 yr two and 36 yr three. The league refuses to negotiate for the first two years. they will negotiate on year three but want more years added on.
if you want your son to sign one of those go ahead, I personally dont think that going to “online college” at a lower level academy isnt such a bad option, although there are other starter options that may be better. Dont drink the koolaid that Red Bull is such a great option for a young kid, look how many foreigners came in, and put our kids on the bench or into the stands for that matter.
I didn’t know Belguim was big enough to have 4 divisions.
Posted by: kco | September 17, 2008 at 01:15 PM
RE: It’s Europe …. even a country the side of Rhode Island can have at least 25 divisions
Can someone call the USSF to see if they received a player release for him? Last time I checked, unless he’s 18 years old, he’s not playing anywhere outside of the US anytime soon.
It’s total B.S.
30k? We’re paying him that much? I’ll have to talk to Gazidis about that …
Fisherman, nice to see you’ve had your fill of the kool-aid. Comparing that team to Royal Antwerp had my laughing my as$ off. This team is a scam. Players get sold a bill of goods on how much the program will help them. Wouldn’t be the first time some shady Belgian clubs were used to process foreign players for Belgian passports. Only in this case you have Americans falling for the trap.
And who said anything about anybody taking an MLS developmental contract? Those contracts are crap, no question, but Dane Richards isn’t on one. He’s on a senior minimum of 30K or something like that. There are no four-year developmental contracts. Sounds like you’re the one who needs to do their homework.
So what motivation at all would this club have to put out a note about Exantus of all people?
I understand the questions about legitimacy, but I’m curious to hear Exantus’ explanation — he’s probably the only person who can really clarify what, if anything, he did.
Maybe it’s one of those Kandji Deals …
Ives,
this isn’t such a big “mystery”
1. First of all, do your research better. The club is actually inthe 5th division.
2. They have an academy situation where players can go and get a college degree at the same time as having excellent training, as well as matches.
3. The players after 3 years of living in Belgium can qualify for an EU passport, thus opening all the doors that come with it to playing in countries where they would not be able to for either Work Permit or Fiscal reasons.
4. The exposure to others clubs in not just Belgium, Holland, Germany, France and England is excellent. You are aware that Man U use Royal Antwerp as their feeder club…
5. An MLS Developmental contract is 4 years, 12k the first then 17 for Senior Developmental followed by an Option for 30, with no negotations for playing well (ask Dane Richards), then maybe MLS will give a modest pay raise, but tack on another 3 years becasue they only do 4 year contracts. Furthermore the MLS deals are gross, while contracts in Europe are net, are higher because of the exchange rate, and typically include room and board as well.
So that is why a kid what rather go to a “fishy” euro academy than sign for Red Bull.
According to the wording on the team’s site, it seems like RRFCM were the ones who ended with partnership with Bradford City, no?
“With deep regret, we must announce the ending of our partnership with English league two club Bradford City. RRFC Montegnée has not received any agreed youth sponsorship monies from Bradford City for a period of six months, which is contrary to the approved contract between Bradford City FC & Royal Racing FC Montegnée.
We wish Bradford City all the best in their future football endeavours, but we feel it is important in the development of RRFC Montegnée that both parties move on.
Royal Racing Football Club Montegnée is now talking to other English clubs, whom wish to partner with the club.”
I made some additions to the story but have not heard from any of the particulars.
What makes things confusing is the fact that the club makes a point to call itself a professional club yet it’s description of itself is more of a youth academy/amateur club. The contradiction, and the vagueness of some aspects of the website’s descriptions of the club/program make it seem very fishy.
At this point it sounds like Exantus isn’t bound to any sort of contract, and if he is, then that pretty much contradicts a lot of what the club says about itself on the website.
hope johnny cleans up vs West Morris. We used to beat them like a rented mule.
” Gene Chyzowych ”
It needs to be pointed out that this man is historically important to soccer in the US, as a player and as a coach, particularly as the head coach of the US national team in the 1970s
Yeah saw that too Ives. Ended the partnership just this month, too. The setup is pretty weird.
But in a way, it makes sense. I just don’t think it has been too successful as of yet.
Uh….this program looks a lot like PSA.
It is an academy program. It would be interesting to find out who is funding it. Then, the answers will come to light.
He just may be getting himself into a good academy program. They do stress education as one of their offerings.
Belgian teams and scouts have been involved in a lot of shady dealings with African players in the past – promising them contracts and transfers to big-name squads, for example, only to leave them stranded without any support at all. This is likely not the same story, but it seems like another example of trying to get up-and-coming players on the cheap.
From the clubs website, on the Student Athlete page.
“All student athletes will retain their amateur status and not jeopardize their NCAA or NAIA status should they take part in this program.”
http://www.royalracingfc.com/studentAthlete.php
they seem to list other players in the red bulls youth system…joey spivack, for example.
Being Belgian this whole thing does indeed seem strange. Firstly, the website is entirely in English when the club claims to be by Liege, a working, industrial town where English is not really spoken at all. Lastly, clubs in the fourth division average if they are lucky gates of 300 people. I agree with the above post, the club is probably not owned by a belgian, and if this Johnny Exantus is any good, he would not sign with a belgian second division club, let alone a fourth division one.
What I found interesting was that the only club you can seem to find RRC having a partnership with is Bradford City, but Bradford City ended the partnership after less than a year.
A quick google search of a couple of American players on this club’s roster says they actually exist and were even part of the local ODP program and were D-I signees before signing on with this club.
And, naturally, reap the benefits when these kids fetch transfer fees. It sounds like a soccer pyramid scheme, it’s sick.
That makes sense…
Does Belgium not care about it’s native language that much? I mean, in most European nations, English is known and taught, but they still would rather maintain their identity culturally and speak their language.
What if this contract was just signed? Why would the team have to forfit it’s first two wins?
I dunno. Doesn’t sound like anyone knows what’s going on.
What I can piece together is that this team is most likely owned by an American or a Canadian.
It claims to be a “professional” team but it runs itself more like a prep academy here in the U.S., for example a Mont Zion or Oak Hill Academy for prep basketball players.
The site says the club takes “student athletes” who wish to sign professional European contracts while getting an educational degree at a nearby European university or an abroad American University. Two such schools in Belgium are the Boston University Brussels — Graduate programs and Vesalius College.
The club houses its players.
So in essence, their players go to school to get an “accredited degree” while getting exposure playing on this team in the Belgium Fourth Division.
If not a professional contract, the players/”student athletes” as the site calls them receive stipends.
The club have formed some partnerships with other clubs to allow those teams to sign players on Royal Racing whatsitcalled.
Bradford City, which is currently in League Two, has a partnership with this club and has recently signed one of its players.
From what I can tell, the American/Canadian who owns this team goes out to America and scouts high school-age players and tries to convince them to go this route if they want a European contract.
Corsendonk, FTMFW!!!
Look at this! On the roster page, the only information is the player’s origin and field position – AND there are links to “sponsor the player” for 250 Euros/season or be a “boot sponsor” for 150 Euros/season. I wonder if you get your name tattooed onto the player if you sponsor him?
http://www.royalracingfc.com/squad.php
I didn’t know Belguim was big enough to have 4 divisions.
And who are all these other American players we’ve never heard of?
English is spoken in Belgium quite a lot. That is not surprising. Kiss Johnny X goodbye.
If he wants to go to Europe, would it be possible for RBNY to loan him to RBS? There is always talk about European players coming here, just seeing about sending players to Austria?
Who uses yahoo anymore anyways? Gmail is the way to go
If its smell fishy … Why don’t NYRed Bulls themselves clear this up …
Is he with NYRed Bulls or not?
Yeah, uhhhh, weird. That whole “english-only website” deal screams sham to me.
Sounds a little weird if you ask me… why a 4th division team. Excellent work Ives, can’t wait til you receive some more info about this.
Hmmmm, smells fishy, just like a cheap Belgian whore.