EXCLUSIVE: 'Big clubs are trading kids like horsemeat', says Ken Bates

05 September 2009 17:12
Ken Bates has torn into England's leading football clubs, accusing them of 'destroying the careers' of young players and trading them like 'horsemeat'. [LNB]The Leeds chairman, who won a £5million compensation claim against Chelsea when they lured two 16-year-olds to Stamford Bridge three years ago, was reacting to the storm that is engulfing his former club over their capture of French superkid Gael Kakuta. [LNB] Speaking out: Former Chelsea chairman Ken Bates has slammed big clubs for the way they attempt to lure young players[LNB]FIFA have banned Chelsea from buying players until 2011 after they were found guilty of inducing Kakuta to break his contract with French club Lens. On a day when Fiorentina joined Le Havre in filing a complaint about Manchester United, Bates spoke to Sportsmail and insisted that Chelsea are not alone. [LNB]'The problem here is that the big clubs are stripping the small clubs of their youngsters,' he said. 'They are like Japanese fishing trawlers, just sweeping up everything in their nets. The big clubs treat the little clubs like ****. Right now some of these boys are just being traded like horsemeat.' [LNB]Hot topic: Gael Kakuta has been thrust into the spotlight following Chelsea's transfer ban[LNB]Yesterday in Paris, Kakuta's family confirmed that the 16-year-old was lured to Chelsea with the offer of a signing-on fee in the region of 81million as well as a 830,000-amonth contract. A family source said figures that have been widely reported in France, and now here in England, were 'about right'. [LNB]His agent, Roger Boli, said 'the deal was right for him at the time'. [LNB]'I don't want to discuss the figures,' said the former Lens favourite who later played at Walsall and Bournemouth. 'But the Premier League was the right place. Gael was very aware that English football is the most popular in the world - the international media had much more interest in it than French football, and the fans in England are a lot more passionate. [LNB]'For a boy who lived and breathed football we all knew he had to be there. He had family members who had played in England in the past. [LNB]'That said, when the move actually came about there were problems, especially in the first few months. [LNB]'Gael was placed with a host family who spoke French, but he had no English whatsoever. With no family members with him, he was homesick and often returned to France. [LNB]'Slowly he began to take English lessons and, of course, he had to speak the language on the playing field.' [LNB]Fiorentina's complaint about United - which follows Le Havre's complaint about their signing of Paul Pogba - concerns Michele Fornasier's recent move to Old Trafford. [LNB]The Italian club's case will be weakened by the fact that they did not have 16-year-old Fornasier under contract.[LNB] Chelsea ban scandal: Beware the child catchers! 'Big clubs are like trawlers sweeping kids up in the nets'Chelsea ban scandal: So what does happen to the babes at Stamford Bridge?Chelsea ban scandal: The secrets of the stingChelsea ban scandal: FIFA act a warning to big clubs against Gael Kakuta-style signings and to check 'money doping' hints PFA chief Gordon TaylorFIFA have received no complaint over Man United's raid for prodigy PogmaJohn Terry stunned by transfer ban as Brazil president backs FIFA stanceCHELSEA FC

Source: Daily_Mail