Swede For A Swede
35 year-old club captain
Jörgen Falkbo departed as planned, for sunny Campania, in southern Italy. Division Five side Black&White2003 offered $1.84 million for the thrice-decorated hard man, who will forever be fondly remembered as Grilled's Cup Captain.
A move back to Europe was always on the cards, but Falkbo's age understandably was a consideration. France's U.S.fennecville (Division Six) expressed an early and solid interest, but negotiations never entered an advance stage, as they signed the Swiss George Lennox instead.
The ever-popular, if sometimes gruff Falkbo kept up a smiling face at Changi Airport, where he was accompanied by several dozen appreciative supporters, bearing a two aluminium foil replicas representing the honours he helped win. "It's a lovely place, I may even back come here after retirement!" Falkbo said, only half-jokingly.
Armed with the extra cash, Grilled cast about for a direct replacement, and Sid made a case for his 23 year-old countryman Florian Kroker. They had trained together briefly in their youth, but Kroker preferred to stay put in his homeland, opting for a S$5.4 million move west across the country to Depresja prawnika.
It wasn't a big disappointment for the Birds, who had several more names on their shortlist, and the well-travelled
Anders Fredgård, 25, jumped at the opening. This will be the sixth move of his illustrious career, which has taken him to Norway, Israel and most recently, probable Ecuadorian champions, korsarios.
The main reason for Fredgård's transfer availability was his 71st minute straight red card in korsarios' 5-0 hiding of Papichulos, which made him ineligible for the title decider against legendary El Barcelona S. C. - who famously ejected ChAmPzz from the Hattrick Masters this season.
Grilled swiftly took the versatile defender for S$5.1 million, a notable reduction from his peak valuation of S$8.5 million in the heady old days of transfer market vitality, when he was sold by Boogienights to ChaosBalls. This was done under to noses of Swedish Division Five side Viking FC, who had been tracking him for awhile.
Other candidates considered were the "Danish Tower" Gunnar Aaby, and the veteran Swiss ex-U20 international Andrea Nightengale, of the Russian Cup champions, Eagle's wingers. There had been some discussion with local Pulau Ubin club Holy Satans about their Swedish U-20 fullback Fredrik Svensson, but the asking price turned out to be too steep.
Since Fredgård will be ruled out for the relatively unimportant season closer against Herron, Grilled have agreed to a fully-paid one-week vacation in his native Sweden for their newest acquisition, in the hope that it will help Fredgård regain his best form in time for the new campaign.
