Sébastien Ledure, the Belgian lawyer behind Lukaku’s move to Inter: ‘Romelu is the highest paid player in Serie A’

He remained in the background throughout the negotiations and even during the official presentation of Romelu Lukaku. But if there is someone without whom Lukaku’s return to Inter would not have happened, it is his personal adviser and Belgian lawyer, Sébastien Ledure, a world reference in sports law.

It was in his office on Place Flagey, far from the cameras and microphones of San Siro, that Me Ledure received us to comment on the most spectacular transaction of this start of the transfer window.

Let’s start at the beginning. How long have you known Romelu?

“For five years and through… her mother. She was starting to ask herself certain questions and she spoke about it to someone from her bank. That’s how we got in touch. We saw each other two or three time at the Hotel Steigenberger, then she offered me to meet her sons. Little by little, Romelu gained confidence. He had already decided to leave the agent Mino Raiola for Federico Pastorello.”

But let’s be clear: this deal was done without any agent.

“Indeed. It’s becoming a trend among elite players. Mbappé and Griezmann do like that, Hazard and De Bruyne too. Neymar even has a box with dozens of lawyers working for him. As for Romelu, he has preferred that Pastorello not be involved in this matter given his very close ties with the former management of Chelsea and given that he has several other players at Chelsea Romelu has not yet made a decision regarding his possible future with Pastorello; he put it in the fridge. But he didn’t want this sort of double hat from his agent to interfere in one of the most difficult operations in football today.”

Was it such a complicated transaction?

“At first, nobody believed it was going to happen. Last week, your Italian colleague Fabrizio Romano (Editor’s note: a specialist in scoops during the transfer window) called me saying: ‘What you did, it’s a masterpiece, it’s a masterpiece.’ The question was: how can a player who was sold for more than 100 million to a club go back to the same club that says there is no money to take him back? And, on top of that, you should know that during the transfer last year, relations between the former management of Chelsea and the management of Inter were very tense. If there hadn’t been a change in ownership at Chelsea, I highly doubt that this transaction would have been possible.”

To put it bluntly: without the war in Ukraine, Lukaku would not be at Inter.

“Maybe, yes, but don’t make it your title. Maybe we would have found a solution anyway, but it would have been even more difficult.”

Did Roc Nation, the American box of Jay-Z which manages the commercial interests of Lukaku, De Bruyne and Witsel, play a role?

“Yes. Normally, this agency which manages his image rights does not intervene in such negotiations. But when I saw that Chelsea had been taken over by Americans, I told Romelu that Roc Nation could be our ally. It’s a small world, everyone knows each other. And we approached the negotiations more American-style and less European-style.”

Did the first contacts date from Lukaku’s famous interview with Sky Italia on December 31, where he declared that he was not happy at Chelsea under his coach Tuchel?

“No… This interview was from the heart and was perhaps awkward. It was an initiative that he took on his own and that he probably wouldn’t take again. He suffered the consequences for the rest of the season. , as it weighed down his day-to-day work environment. But he quickly made it clear to me that, given his 29 years and the fact that he is at the peak of his career, he could not afford to lose a new year. It’s an open secret that he was not on the same wavelength as his coach. But the negotiations only started at the end of the season.”

How many round trips did you make between London and Milan?

“Some in May and June. And the rest was done by telephone and videoconference. It was a negotiation where you had to move forward step by step and place your pawns intelligently. You had to go there by submarine: by working quietly but effectively and respecting the sensitivities of all parties.”

Presumably you had a direct line with Romelu.

“Of course. And I went to see him before he left on vacation. He knew everything and he attended the most important conferences. In my work philosophy, I represent the player, but he must know everything. There is total transparency. He is in control of the situation.”

He made financial concessions to reach an agreement.

“Yes. But much less than what the press says. I read that he cut his salary by a third or a half. It’s not true. He will be the highest paid player in Serie A. All three parties have made concessions which are smart. The player has a part of what are called ‘variables’ or ‘incentives’ that allow him to navigate. This part can even be advantageous for him. My job was to get the best possible terms for my client, not for Chelsea or Inter. Romelu is paying me, not the clubs.”

And the rental price – 8 million – is it correct?

“Broadly, yes, although these ‘variables’ can make the rental price quite expensive for Inter.”

There were no other clubs that wanted to buy it instead of renting it?

“Uh… Indeed. They were big clubs whose names I won’t mention. But these leads were never really serious because Romelu very quickly decided that he wanted to go to Inter. He spoke several times with the Inter coach (Simone Inzaghi) – as he had with Conte before signing for Inter in 2019 – to make sure we were on the same page.”

Inter haven’t negotiated a buyout clause. A return to Chelsea in June 2023, is it possible?

“There will still be three years of contract. But no one can say anything about that.”

Last thing: Romelu has often said that he intends to play again one day for Anderlecht.

“He’s already spoken to me about it too, but he hasn’t set a year. We’ll have to see if the conditions are right at that time. It’s an idea he’s had in mind for a long time. “And I don’t know a player who is as determined as Romelu. When he makes a decision, very few people are able to change his mind. And what a passionate footballer! I’ve never seen him with a drink alcohol in hand. I’m not going to say that he lives like a monk, but still. That explains why he felt unhappy at Chelsea this season: Romelu must be able to exercise his passion.”

“I am not their nanny”

Five framed jerseys adorn Me Ledure’s office: those of Lukaku, Vrij (Inter Milan), Depay (Barcelona), Vertessen (PSV) and Noah Mbamba (Bruges). “We mainly work for elite players who are already established, or for very young players with great potential, like Vertessen or Mbamba”, says the lawyer.

Footballers were not his first clients. “I was the lawyer for Justine Henin for ten years. And for athletes, like the Borlées. My first clients in football ten years ago were the agent of Gerard Pique of FC Barcelona, ​​and the Cameroonian Stéphane M’Bia, captain of OM.”

Until Footgate and the Football Leaks, Belgian players or playing in Belgian D1 did not contact the Cresta law office of Me Ledure and his associates. “There were only a few people who worked in Belgian football, including very few lawyers. How is it possible that in a transaction you represent both the player, the agent, the buying club and the selling club? This is a real case. There was a small circle of people who decided everything. These practices were considered normal. It was part of Belgian culture. We opened the door to abuse.”

“I’m not saying that all agents are crooked. There are good people and they are still needed in the majority of transactions, namely to find clubs for their players. But I am here to negotiate and maximize the income from my players during their twenty-year careere. “

Since 2018, the situation has therefore changed. “We see an awareness of players and their families to want to be better informed about their rights, taxation and their general situation. And we are looking for someone who only defends the player. Our ethics prohibit us from working for several parties. In fact, footballers are mini-societies. Some have understood that they have to be protected.”

No question, for Me Ledure, of pocketing millions on a transfer. Not even when it comes to Lukaku. “Don’t get me wrong: I’m not complaining. We’re paid like lawyers in business law. I make a good living. But it’s the players who pay me, not the clubs. That’s already a mini -revolution in itself. So I work for the players who can afford to pay me well. But there is a difference between that and earning 50 million euros, having offshore companies and yachts.”

Me Ledure is not very active on the Belgian market. “We made striker Jutglà from Barcelona to Bruges. In the past, I represented Pozuelo. And Montanier, the former coach of Standard. Recently, Nicolas Raskin came to find me with his dad. But we are not profiled not like a Belgian-Belgian firm. We mainly work on European issues, but also in China, the Middle East and – before the war – in Russia.”

His role bears no resemblance to the task of an agent. “I am not the nanny of the players. I tell them moreover: ‘I’m not your boyfriend, I’m not going on vacation with you, I’m not going to see in the morning if you slept well and ask you if your little hot chocolate was good. And I’m not going to fix your holidays or your girlfriends.’ “

With Lukaku, the bond is a little more family. “After all these years, there is obviously a relationship of trust between us. but I know the limits.