Kia Joorabchian

There was a third party that was on.

And when Mascherano signed for Liverpool, the third party gave up its rights.

And Liverpool had a chance at any moment to exercise an option.

And that was that because they owned his rights and they could just extend that contract further for another four years.

It's exactly the same as if you, when you were a player, had signed a contract with another club and said six months before your contract expired, you had signed a contract with another club and you were going to move.

On that moment, you have no decision once you've signed a new contract of where you're going to go because you've signed a contract to go there.

Carlos had signed a contract to go to Man United and stay there permanently for two plus four years, which adds to six.

He had no decision making in that.

So where you are now trying to change the situation on third-party ownership and take it down a different line, I'm trying to bring it back into the question that you had raised, which was about down-tooling and professionalism, and it wasn't about third-party.

If you want to have a debate about third-party ownership, I'm more than happy to have a debate with you on third-party ownership.

Well, exactly.

I'm not, I'm not, you know, at the end of the season, David Gill called me and said that we want to, we want to exercise the option and Carlos will be in touch.

When you guys were in South Africa that year for your pre-season, David Gill and both Sadarets made an interview about it.

After when the move of Berbatov came available, I think that they needed to use the money for that particular transaction.

And they used that transaction instead of purchasing Carlos.

In January, he had the option.

The moment Sir Alex wanted to sign Carlos was in May.

of that year.

And in May of that year, Sir Alex pulled Carlos and said, we want you to stay before the Champions League final.

And after the Champions League final, he called Carlos and he said, I don't know where you are.