Adrien Silva: Midfielder returns to Portugal as Leicester prepare Fifa appeal

Last updated on 18 September 2017.From the section Football23

Adrien Silva in action for Sporting Lisbon — Silva is expecting a child and has returned to Portugal to spend time with his family

Adrien Silva has returned to Portugal as Leicester City prepare an appeal after Fifa rejected the club's application to register the midfielder.

The Foxes agreed to sign the Portugal Euro 2016 winner from Sporting Lisbon for £22m on 31 August.

Leicester missed the deadline by 14 seconds and Silva's registration was not completed in time with Fifa.

"He's an expectant father so he spent a bit of time with his family," said Foxes boss Craig Shakespeare.

Silva, 28, has played just three competitive games this season - all before leaving Sporting Lisbon - and Shakespeare said that was a "concern" for the player ahead of the World Cup next summer.

"The conversations I've had with him so far are very brief," added Shakespeare.

"But of course in the back of his mind the World Cup will be a concern. I think he is more interested in finding the right solution for here and now."

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23 comments

Comment posted by EzPz, at 12:09 19 Sep 2017
If it didn't go through then surely he is still a Sporting Lisbon player?!

How can he have joined but not be allowed to play?! Doesn't make sense to me... does FIFA allow money to be paid but playing is a different story? :/

I think there should just be a fine for being late.
Comment posted by Readie, at 11:58 19 Sep 2017
If FIFA says he isn't a LCFC player, does that mean he could still play for his old club ? It would keep him match fit and not hurt his international chances as much as not playing at all.
Comment posted by blue_chico, at 11:32 19 Sep 2017
14 seconds is ridiculously pedantic, it implies everybody's watches/fax machines.etc are set precisely to GMT by the second.

I feel for the poor lad caught in limbo by some jobsworth pen-pusher.
Comment posted by Steve, at 12:05 19 Sep 2017
Seems pretty pathetic, but equally everyone knew the deadline was at that time.

Can't really imagine what they can appeal about though - if they were past the time limit, they were past the time limit.
Comment posted by bazinga, at 11:48 19 Sep 2017
We were only signing him if the drinkwater sale went through Chelsea dragged that out to the last hour (ended up paying us what we asked for in the first place) leading us the inputting the the required paperwork through late so we didn't have 2 months we had little to no time to get it over the line.
Comment posted by Dave, at 11:06 19 Sep 2017
All very well to talk about the clubs messing it up, but Silva clearly has a case for restraint of trade. FIFA can't stop him plying his trade as a footballer on these grounds. It should not be possible for a player to fall into a crack like this, and they're going to have to sort it out one way or another: possibly he'll be declared a free agent.
Comment posted by zubeirp, at 11:10 19 Sep 2017
Fifa have allowed other transactions to go through that have longer past the deadline after appeals. After the Fifa scandals, they should have been disbanded. If the footballing world failed to recognise them, they will crumble. Set up a new transparent world footballing body. Fifa wreaks of corruption.
Comment posted by Steve, at 12:21 19 Sep 2017
13. Yes, the money can technically be paid at any time as far as I know, but the player can only be registered for his new club during the transfer window.

So he's been legally bought by Leicester, but not registered for them, which leaves him in a kind of limbo.

Problem with fines for being late is they affect some clubs more than others. Maybe fine a % of the transfer fee?
Comment posted by D1679618928630, at 11:07 19 Sep 2017
Rules are rules.
Comment posted by who_dat, at 15:33 19 Sep 2017
21. 10146mjf2950
Surely a tiny bit of leeway should be given!
===

No.
Where do you draw the line.
Next deadline is missed by 30 seconds, do you give another "bit of leeway?"
Then another, then another?
Comment posted by peter orr, at 13:08 19 Sep 2017
ALL but one piece of paperwork was submitted in time, the fault lay clearly with Porto, (apparently over just 400 euros) so why should City be punished. There is a previous president to allow the transfer to be ratified.
Comment posted by shibby, at 17:01 20 Sep 2017
I find this very annoying. I'm a Leicester fan.

Why wait until the last minute to complete the deal?!

I think it's a shame for us and for Silva but I don't think we should be granted our appeal... teach them a lesson.

Next time choose your players and sign them sooner. I know that losing Drinkwater late was probably why we waited so long but it's still not good enough.
Comment posted by Champ20ns, at 10:48 19 Sep 2017
If you don't want to risk missing the transfer deadline, don't leave it till the last minute!

Reminds me of the Madrid-De Gea saga, they whined because they decided to wait till the last minute so they didn't get to sign him.
Comment posted by Dave, at 13:50 19 Sep 2017
#13

It's a ridiculous situation which shouldn't exist, but FIFA messed-up when writing the rules. The only solutions are either to allow him to play for Leicester, or declare him a free agent and compensate Leicester and Silva for annulling the contract. There is absolutely no question that FIFA are acting unlawfully and that a court would find in Silva's favour in a restraint-of-trade case.
Comment posted by Kermit not the frog but one of the many others, at 11:48 19 Sep 2017
if 14 seconds is OK then what about 14 minutes, 14 hours, 14 days etc etc ?
Have to draw a line somewere otherwise there is no window. Its a DEADLINE
Comment posted by Nehoma, at 13:00 19 Sep 2017
Reluctantly agree that a deadline is a deadline but they should allow him to train with Leicester.
Comment posted by who_dat, at 14:32 19 Sep 2017
18. peter orr
There is a previous president to allow the transfer to be ratified.
===

Which president would that be, Obama, Bush, Clinton?
I doubt that a president could influence the decision.
Comment posted by SwSmith, at 11:15 19 Sep 2017
No Silva lining I'm afraid. Don't do business so late despite the obvious risks.
Comment posted by User0834472277, at 14:39 19 Sep 2017
Yes rules are rules, but come on, 14 seconds! Ridiculous. Surely a tiny bit of leeway should be given!
Comment posted by gnomersimpson, at 12:57 19 Sep 2017
Aparently he's signed on at the local job seekers and is claiming housing benefit until January. The bloke with the wippet down at the local told me it's gospel.