Tuesday 09 September 2025 – 20:00 I by Redactie
Stijn Francis, one of the most famous Belgian brokers, has taken it to what he calls the hypocrisy in football. According to the founder of Stirr Associates, clubs and players use the same hard tactics to drive their way, but they are assessed very differently by the outside world.
Francis did not have a magazine on LinkedIn. “Football rewards bullies. Time to change the rules,” it sounded. He points out that players are often forced to put pressure, for example by no longer training or by refusing matches. From their position, he says, his such actions are proportionally and often justified.
Casus Club Brugge
The file of Club Brugge and Ardon Jashari illustrates that. The midfielder forced his transfer to AC Milan by missing team activities and training separately. Eventually he got his way, but the criticism of his attitude was sharp. Francis calls that a selective indignation. “Clubs often use exactly the same resources that they abhor when players do the same.”
He refers to Dedryck Boyata, who had to train separately by Club for months and even put in another dressing room. “Everyone spoke positively about their professionalism, but the club opted for structural insulation. That is then sold as a sporting decision.”
Pot and boiler
According to Francis, the conclusion is clear: the pot-wastage-the-boiler story plays everywhere in the football world. Players who put pressure are labeled as difficult, while clubs with similar tactics get away. “The decency standard is applied selectively,” he concludes. That is why Francis argues for more ethics and especially clear rules that make objective lump sums possible.
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