Hyndman on Ricchetti: Disappointed
November 26th, 2008 . By: Buzz Carrick
Causing headaches for FC Dallas for the second straight of season is the continued request by Pablo Ricchetti to receive the larger contract he says he was promised when he signed with Dallas. Ricchetti has recently requested a trade to the LA Galaxy or a release so he can join a team in Mexico. FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman says he’s not pleased by Ricchetti’s most recent move. “It’s kind of tough for anybody in any working environment to walk into an office and say I’m demanding a new contract and a new salary. In our culture, that is not received very well. As a coach, I’m disappointed because this was a player that I stood by and supported completely.”
Yet Hyndman admits it may be a cultural misunderstanding of the way things are done in the US that has led Ricchetti to make this move, and the coach is hopeful some middle ground can be found. “At the same time, I realize this is not his culture. I’m sure a lot of this is coming from the way things have been in his culture. So, I’m hoping that we can compromise and find some way of making sure that he’s still sure and still very much wants to be here.” Can a middle ground be found? It may be out of the coach’s hands as negotiations on contracts are handled by General Manager Michael Hitchcock, one of the people Ricchetti says has misled him about the original deal he signed. So the coach knows a solution to this impasse may not be in his ultimate control. “I’m kind of new to this thing as you know,” says Hyndman. “I think it was a very wise decision that decisions with strategy go to Michael Hitchcock, who has been the general manager and dealing with contracts.” But perhaps all is not lost with this situation as the gaffer says Ricchetti is a key player in the Red Strips team. “Pablo has been very important to us. I may have been quoted as saying that sometimes I considered him the MVP of the team. I know that Kenny [Cooper] scored 18 goals and can’t ever say that he wasn’t a value but I think that Pablo has done a lot for the team and I wanted to recognize what a good player he is.” Despite Hyndman’s assessment of Ricchetti’s value to the team, there is a contract in place with more option years than previously reported. “At the same time,” Hyndman says following his praise of the player. “I do know that he’s got two years left on this contract.” Can we really expect the team to volunteer to pay more money when a contract is in place? This is after all a team with a less than .500 record. In the end Hyndman’s answer appears it will be virtually the same as the one Morrow and Hitchcock have given the FCD Defensive MVP before. 17 Comments Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI Leave a comment |
blame hitch. that’s probably the only way he can get people to play here…by lying. if his word isn’t good to the players, what good can it be w/ the fans. how many players have complained about his “promises.” now, he throws the word dynasty w/ this organization. you have to have a competent FO to have success.
Its not a cultural problem on Ricchetti’s part. Expecting someone to follow through on their word should be a part of everyone’s culture. Last season, FCD offered Ricchetti less money than was promised but he could have the captain position. Ricchetti obviously declined to take the arm band as compensation. Just give him his money already! He’s not being an ass about it, He’s not asking for some ridiculous amount, He just wants what was promised to him. If you cant keep your promise, let him go somewhere that will.
Richetti has signed a few contracts in his career and he should have a sophisticated agent. So ultimately Richetti should have required his contract to include any promises or performance incentives.
That being said, I think FCD should try to meet Pablo somewhere in the middle becuase Pablo has been one of the best players on the team over the last two years. I don’t buy Hyndman’s argument that everyone will line up for more money if they give it to Pablo. You only give it to those that have played consistently at a high level and are being paid much less than comparable players. This year that would be Pablo and Kenny.
Speaking of Kenny, many seem all too ready to give him more money that his current contract requires to keep him here. Of course the situations are a little different, but not so different that FCD should be dealing with them so differently.
Welcome to real football; this is how it’s done all over the world but not in the little league that is MLS (minor league soccer)
This is embarrasing
We pay $1m for Denilson, $400k for Davino and we can’t pay Kenny and Pablo what they deserve?
Pablo is one of our best players and we going to loss him just because our GM. Who will be our DM? Saragossa? Or maybe we can bring a DP to play there
Pablo was told the same pack of lies as Cooper and Toja and then FCD goes out and pays stupid money to the likes of Davino.At HSG the inmates are running the asylum.
This does seem to be a bit of a replay of the Cooper situation. While FCD is certainly in the position to demand Richetti honor his contract, I have to think that playing “Gotcha!” with players on contracts and salary promises will catch up with the team sooner rather than later.
Just let him go. No need to try to make him look like a jerk in the process. He understands his value, and like everyone, deserves a chance to ask for a raise. FCD deserves the chance to turn it down, like always. That’s showbiz.
Everyone knows this organization can’t recognize the opportunity to do something smart. Now Schell and J’Ell are really gonna shake things up.
Paging Saragosa and Guarda, you’re Brazilian, right? Some salary cap space has opened up since Cooper and Richetti want to get paid for their value, and we’d rather see them go. Would you like a raise? Can you play forward perchance?
i’m tiring of these players who claim to have a verbal contract from mgt. why on earth would they not have it ‘in the contract’ when they sign it? If its not there its not there. same for kcoop, same for rich
I guess I am confused. According to Hitch we have like 1m in allocation money. What can this money be used for? I know to get more players. But why cant we spread some of this wealth to the guys on the team who earned it.
I know some are going to say he should have had this in writing. But he trusted his employers. Simple as that. We werent in the room when the “verbal contract” was agreed to. But if there was an agreement in principle the FO should live up to that agreement.
Pablo and Kenny played their hearts out this season. They should have some reward for it.
what culture is dipsh!t talking about? it’s not the culture of soccer. it’s not the culture of football. it’s not the culture of futbol. it must be the culture of losing.
Part of me says renegotiate and sign him we can not afford to lose both Pablo and Kenny in the same year. The other part says is he can get a contract elsewhere then the transfer fee needs to be around Toja money. MLS would definetely listen to those kind of calls.
SH need to open his eyes. Contracts in America are renegotiated all the time. so it is not a cultural thing as it is an MLS thing.
is in the same contract reflected that he has to be a leader and advicer for young players?
I think they want, and Pablo gave to them, some leadership. So, if you ask for more than a contract say, pay more and finish the question
Brendan, what do you mean “will catch up to the team sooner rather than later.” It already has. Toja chose Romania over more lies from Hitch. Coop is on his way out and Pablo will most likely follow.
The problem here is Hitch. He is our very own Alexi Lalas. Completely incompetent. He inherited a playoff team that was built up after a few down years, and now it is in a downward spiral. Does he need to hire Steve Sampson before we realize that this guy has to go?
ohh dang…
can we please use some of this
extra cash to keep Cooper? Please!
I love FCD and all but I can’t imagine it without KC…
Can’t just pull his scholarship…gotta pay him…
Said earlier in these comments: “We werent in the room when the “verbal contract” was agreed to.”
No, we were not. So why is it, then, that everyone assumes that it’s Ricchetti whose story is the absolute truth? Crazy thought here: what if there was no such “agreement”? We don’t even have the full story on any of this alleged corroborating “evidence” (team’s dealings w/Toja, Cooper) so many of you consider gospel.
I am no supporter of how Hitch has mismanaged many things about this team, but it just seems a little too easy to blame some alleged broken promises every time some player is unhappy with his contract - the contract that he, himself, signed.