Stoke chairman Peter Coates has confirmed that his club will look for compensation from Liverpool after we were found guilty of tapping up one of their schoolboys, the Telegraph reports.
Liverpool are banned from signing Academy players for two years and have been fined £100k for making an illegal approach to an unnamed 11-year-old. We’re also facing legal action from the boy’s parents, after refusing our commitment to pay his school fees in an attempt to fit in line with new rules regarding signing Academy footballers.
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Coates told the Telegraph: “We think we have a case of compensation and are pursuing it. We’re seeing what can be done because we’re disappointed with it.
“I’m not having a go at Liverpool because, unfortunately, they are not alone. It happens and sometimes they get caught.
“But we’re disappointed with the Premier League for allowing the system to be changed, because this would never happen under the old rules.”
The new rules were created to stop youngsters being tapped up with incentives by big Premier League clubs, but it’s actually now left a schoolboy in a situation where he’s not allowed to play for anybody until Stoke receive £49k – the fee we initially agreed to pay the Potters for his youth contract.
It would make sense for them to release them, but are in no obligation to do so and his family are now in limbo, which Coates believes is the fault of the new system.
“One of the reasons we became a Category One club was due to the rules that there was no movement between clubs – in other words, you couldn’t poach from other academies without consent or an agreement,” he continued.
“It brings stability and stops all these things happening, like inducements to families, and the game would be healthier for it.”
Liverpool take on Stoke on Saturday lunchtime, in a clash which will be key to our chances of a top four finish. Stoke are not playing for anything, so hopefully we’ll be able to get the upper hand.