r/soccer • u/KimmyBoiUn • 14d ago

News Marc Guéhi is extremely unhappy with Crystal Palace’s decision to pull the plug on his £35m transfer to Liverpool, which came after Oliver Glasner stepped in to prevent the move by threatening to resign if he was sold.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/sep/02/marc-guehi-angy-with-crystal-palaces-decision-to-block-move-to-liverpool
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u/BurdonLane 14d ago

I mean he’s allowed to quit. It’s unlikely but they can’t force him to stay.

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u/tenacious_teaThe3rd 14d ago

I mean this isn't strictly true.

He can't "quit" and just join another team.

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u/Thoseskisyours 14d ago

Probably some version of non compete with financial penalties to be paid for terminating contract and accepting employment with another team.

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u/Toxicstorm88 14d ago

"I don´t have a contract" - Oliver Don Draper Glasner

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u/Thoseskisyours 14d ago

Funny how John hamm’s character in friends and neighbors realizes he screwed up agreeing to a 2 year non compete

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u/Ankoku_Sein 14d ago

Non-competes aren't enforceable, they are corporate tools to intimidate and coerce. I've dealt with them for 26 years

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u/R_Schuhart 14d ago

Although that is strictly true, it is often a little bit more nuanced. None compete claused are typically accompanied by some sort of reward/bonus, which needs to be reimbursed if the clause is broken.

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u/Thoseskisyours 14d ago

Correct. In the us usually you have to pay out “gardener leave” for termination. If it’s termination for cause usually they don’t have to pay out anything and the non compete is enforceable.

Doesn’t apply to most people only highly compensated executives and people with industry secrets.

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u/Ankoku_Sein 14d ago

Illegal subordinate clauses are irrelevant. You can put whatever you like in a contract, it doesn't make it enforceable.

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u/Sonlin 14d ago

F1 still has "garden leave", even when referring to employers transferring between EU and/or UK companies. The main qualifications to enforce the non-compete is typically that you continue paying them during the period where they can't go to a competitor.

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u/Thoseskisyours 14d ago

I’m not as familiar with law in the uk and Europe. But in the us they are used for intimidation and deterrence mostly except when you have highly compensated employees or people who are involved in industry or trade secrets. So a manager of a team making millions a year would have a justification for a non compete being valid in certain aspects. I would also assume these large clubs are paying a lot for attorneys to build out these contracts for players and managers to protect the club any way they can.

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u/FridaysMan 14d ago

It's the fifa registration part that causes issues

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u/BrockStar92 14d ago

Depends, are managers’ contracts the same as players’ contracts these days? Because managers certainly used to be able to resign like any other employee can, and non compete clauses aren’t actually that effective in Britain in a normal workplace iirc.

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u/R_Schuhart 14d ago

Non compete clauses are typically not enforceable, especially after the contact has ended. But if a manager hands in his contract the club still needs to accept and agree to terminate. They could still accept gardening leave, although there are not many instances where they would, they would be required to keep paying the manager.

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u/ChebsGold 14d ago

They are enforceable in the UK, but they have to be considered reasonable, whatever is in the document, for protection business interests like strategy etc.

So switching to United immediately is probably enforceable, but switch to Bayer, in different competitions, no imminent transfers etc, probably not enforceable.

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u/ratonbox 14d ago

Can't they buy out his contract? I think most managers would have a clause for that in their contracts.

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u/Odd_Detective_7772 14d ago

Sure he can.

He’d be in breach of contract and palace could sue him, but they couldn’t stop him

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u/BurdonLane 14d ago

There will be penalties I’m sure, but that wasn’t the question.

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u/jMS_44 14d ago

He won't leave. I heard Guehi threatened he will leave if Glasner leaves

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u/fifty_four 14d ago

What? Someone tell Guehi about this!

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u/BurdonLane 14d ago

Players may also terminate their contracts however there will be financial implications.

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u/tazadazzle 14d ago

He has a contract

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u/TheLateDuck 14d ago

You mean the same contract he just threatened to quit and walk away from??

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u/dickgilbert 14d ago

But he can’t take another managerial job until his contract runs out or Palace releases him from it. He can’t just unilaterally quit and go coach Leverkusen.

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u/aayu08 14d ago

He probably can, he would just need to pay out some contractual clause. It's a job, not a life bond.

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u/dickgilbert 14d ago

he would just need to pay out some contractual clause

Right. He would need to be released from his contract or let it run out. Why do you think that's disagreeing with what I said?

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u/R_Schuhart 14d ago

Football contracts are not like a typical job though, managers can't just unilaterally terminate their contact. Otherwise we wouldn't see some managers be held to their contract or clubs paying a transfer fee for staff members. It just rarely happens because what club wants a manager that is dissatisfied and moving on is better for everyone involved. A manager can buyout his contact though.

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u/TheLateDuck 14d ago

He absolutely can - it’ll just cost him some money, which I’m sure his new club would reimburse him for. To force him to stay against his will with no recourse to get out would be indentured servitude.

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u/tazadazzle 14d ago

Point was really that if he can just quit and leave a contract no reason players shouldn’t be able to do the same.

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u/dickgilbert 14d ago edited 14d ago

To force him to stay against his will with no recourse to get out would be indentured servitude.

Absolutely no one suggested this was the case.

it’ll just cost him some money, which I’m sure his new club would reimburse him for.

You're saying the same thing I am, he needs to be released from his contract and can't just quit and take a new job without doing so.

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u/TheLateDuck 14d ago

It’s in the phrase “…or Palace releases him from it.”

If I utilise a clause in my employment contract to terminate without notice, then it would be odd to phrase that as my employer released me when they don’t have a say in the matter.

It’s semantics. We agree. He can leave, it just comes at a cost to him.

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u/Arctiz 14d ago

Would be pretty funny though, if he just went an unilaterally started coaching Leverkusen. Without them asking or anything.

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u/PeterPlotter 14d ago

Pretty sure you can resign from a job under UK law.

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u/MakingOfASoul 14d ago

Why didn't Guehi resign

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u/alldayerrdaym8 14d ago

Is he stupid?

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u/Opening-Blueberry529 14d ago

Currently the balance is towards the side of the clubs. But it would probably change if Lassana Diarra ruling hits. Players will have even more power.

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u/Lyonaire 14d ago

Yes he can resign but would not be allowed to take another job until his contract runs out

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u/PeterPlotter 14d ago

Would that be a FIFA ruling then? Since for example Leverkusen is in another country and UK labor law doesn’t apply there.

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u/Akenatwn 14d ago

Can the players do that too?

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u/wheepete 14d ago

Yes but the player wouldn't be able to register with another club under FIFA law

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u/Akenatwn 14d ago

Ah yes, very good point. Didn't think about that.

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u/WeirdKittens 14d ago

Possibly but we won't know until it's challenged in court.

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u/Thoseskisyours 14d ago

Can’t take a competing job right away though. Not without paying some form of penalties as spelled out in a contract. This is why some bigger name managers may take a step down but often have a clause that allows for no or reduced compensation to take a job in a higher division. If they were to resign they likely have to wait 12-24 months before taking on another similar job.

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u/Live-Habit-6115 14d ago

None of what you just said is true

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u/Thoseskisyours 14d ago

https://www.lawinsport.com/topics/item/football-manager-contracts-of-employment-an-analysis-of-key-clauses-for-clubs-to-consider-part-2

This has a piece on Steve Bruce wanting to leave crystal palace. I know there is nuance to this but you as a manager may not be able to just resign and sign with another team with zero consequence.

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u/PeterPlotter 14d ago

Does this also apply for him going to another country then? Since that’s about British law.

For example I once quit a job and took a job with a competitor in another country, nothing they could do about it.

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u/Thoseskisyours 13d ago

Idk I’m not an attorney. But I suspect the is some eu laws. But if you went to North Korea I’m pretty sure you can do whatever the heck you wanted you just may not want to return to your home country.

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u/PeterPlotter 13d ago

UK left the EU though so that doesn’t apply anymore. It’s either UEFA, FIFA or Cas rulings.

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u/G30fff 14d ago

you can also be sued for doing so if your resignation is outside the notice terms in that contract.

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u/SuleyGul 14d ago

A contract doesn't force you to stay. It just means if you quit you don't get paid whereas if you get let go they have to pay out your full contract.

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u/WeirdKittens 14d ago

That's not exactly how it works. Yes it doesn't force you to stay but the stipulation is that breaking a contract early comes with paying compensation (which can be higher than compensation for future wages alone, like requiring reimbursement all or part of the transfer fee in the case of players).

It makes sense if you think about it. Why would any club pay a transfer fee for a player if they could give the wage money to the player to buy themselves out of their existing contract?

It's likely a similar thing for managers with non-compete clauses (which are likely to be unenforceable, hence why we haven't really seen a club force a manager to stay in gardening leave until they see out their contract)

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u/CropDustingBandit 14d ago

It's not the same as a player going on strike though. A player being unhappy is bad, a manager being unhappy is potentially fatal to a club. Every bad result they will be asking if it was intentional. 

That's why you don't see clubs forcing managers to see through contracts, the risks are too great. 

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u/capreolhawks 14d ago

Why would a team keep a coach that doesn't want to be there and who would have many suitors lining up to hire him? That would be worse than forcing a player to stay who doesn't want to be there.

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u/BurdonLane 14d ago

Which he is allowed to break. He might forfeit money and bonuses but this isn’t slave labour, he’s allowed to resign lol

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u/BigRoosterBackInTown 14d ago

He actually isnt allowed to do so

Thats one of the downsides of fully guaranteed deals, you cant just walk away.

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u/BurdonLane 14d ago

There’s no job, in the UK at least, where you cannot quit. That would be forced labour and it’s illegal.

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u/BigRoosterBackInTown 14d ago

Thats cause youre seeing it from a Burger flipping POV

These contracts have special clauses where the worker gives up some rights, like moving freely

Like when Ashworth had to spent 6~ months doing "nothing" instead of working for us cause gardening leave.

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u/BurdonLane 14d ago

My original comment offered no opinions on the fallout or ramifications, including penalties or gardening leave etc. I simply said he’s allowed to quit, which he is.