Speaking to Footballer Connect, former Nigerian defender Taribo West recalls the strange experience he had as a professional player in France which ultimately lead to his move to Inter.
“I virtually played for free when I was at Auxerre. I signed a five-year contract with the club, but I did not fully understand the terms and conditions of the deal. When I began to realise the issue, I went straight to the coach and told him that I wanted to leave. Instead, the club sat me down and showed me the finer details of my contract. There, I could see exactly what I had agreed to. While the other defenders in the side were making up to 120,000 French Francs, I was only being paid 3000 (approximately €500 euros)!
“Once I learned what they were paying others, I wanted to set fire to Auxerre immediately. I called my manager who tried to calm me down. I went back to my coach, and it was in that meeting that I met another agent who told me that many clubs were interested in buying me. I had offers from Arsenal, Juventus, Glasgow Rangers, Betis, Sevilla and, of course, Inter.”
