Real Valladolid have confirmed today that they are taking legal advice on how to proceed over Patrick Ebert’s meeting with Atletico Madrid last week.
The attacking midfielder was caught by Marca last Wednesday having lunch with Atleti sporting director Jose Luiz Perez Caminero.
Speculation is that Atletico, who have previously been linked with making a move for the 26-year-old, were discussing a possible deal for the summer. Ebert has an €8m buyout clause.
Valladolid, who chose not to offer reaction out of preference for focusing on the weekend game with Osasuna, have now issued a statement on the situation.
“Real Valladolid has been informed by the media and by other means that the director of sport for Atletico Madrid has held at least two meetings with the agent of a player on our team, on February 21 at the Estadio Vicente Calderon and with the player himself in the town of Torrecaballeros on March 27.,” read the statement posted today.
“These meetings have taken played without the knowledge of Real Valladolid, despite having reported to the director of sport at Atletico Madrid in December that our club was not willing to part with the player in the winter and that, if they were interested, they should turn directly to Real Valladolid in the summer transfer market.
“As these meetings are expressly prohibited by sporting law, because you cannot negotiate with a player from another club before six months of the end of his contract, Real Valladolid has placed this situation in the hands of its law firm to establish if the sporting or economic interests of our organisation have been damaged.
“Real Valladolid has waited until today to make public its position due to the important League match this Sunday and we had to give time to Atletico Madrid to apologise for the behaviour of their team manager, a fact that has not happened.”
