Football fans are inherently concerned with learning more about the inner workings of clubs, and getting more information about their favourite players. It makes sense because most of these players earn an insane amount of money, and their lives are anything but normal. The clubs on the other hand, are all run more like businesses, rather than the community organisations they once were. They are now used to dealing in massive sums of money, and in certain cases, are owned by countries acting as companies.  So keeping with this theme, we bring to you a number of unusual clauses in star players’ contracts, as leaked by El Mundo.

Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona) –  Club Ambassador Clause

Vermaelen was signed for Barcelona from Arsenal at a time when the defender just couldn’t stay fit. So it was weird that the Catalans went ahead with the signing. However, the information that has emerged from the contract leak has helped add a little colour to this story. Basically, the defender received a yearly bonus of 100,000 Euros, under the condition that the Barcelona training team would be allowed to use him in any position they deemed fit on the field. Pointless considering he was barely ever fit. The second condition was that, the club officials would use him to represent Barcelona at official functions. So he was basically an ambassador for the club, a role that’s generally reserved for retired players. That’s a shame really, since Vermaelen was a really good defender, who’s career was ruined by his inability to stay fit.

Van Der Vaart (Real Betis) – No Red Boots Clause

Upon arriving in Spain in 2015, Van Der Vaart agreed to a clause that stated, he could use any sports shoes, but they must never contain the colour red. This was because red is the colour worn by local rivals Sevilla. Van Der Vaart pocketed a hefty 114,428 Euros 14 times over, over fourteen months.

Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) – Variable Salary

Lloris’ first Tottenham contract had some not so common clauses. Like for example, the current Spurs skipper pocketed 7,000 Pounds per start, 8,000 Pounds for each game in which they won, and 3,500 Pounds for a draw or a defeat. I’m sure his contract looks a lot more handsome now.

Mario Balotelli (Liverpool) – Be Nice Bonus

Mario Balotelli is not a particularly pleasant man. He has always been a pain to manage. So when Liverpool took the risk by signing Mario, they offered the Italian 85,000 Pounds per week, plus an additional 150,000 Pounds for every 5 games that he played, 5,000 Pounds for every goal that he scored, and half a million if he top-scored in the league. The strangest part of his contract was the half a million bonus that he would receive for just staying out of trouble, both on and off the pitch.

Cristiano Ronaldo (With Everyone Who He Employs) – The Shut Up Agreement

Every time Ronaldo hires a new household employee, they are made to sign a whole host of agreements. One of the clauses in this agreement states that- his privacy must be respected. None of the details of his private life could be divulged until 70 years after his death, or the last of his relatives.