This kind of transaction has no precedent. It would have the company pay off Ballack’s salary difference and Gamebookers would become the main sponsor of the Bayern Munich. The transaction offered to Munich and Ballack is similar to the famous transaction Gamebookers recently signed with the Greek basketball club Aris. The company bought Vladimir Petrovic for the club in November 2005 and pays for the player’s salary.
Ballack, with 61 matches as team captain, is now the captain of the German soccer team and became a player of the Bayern Munich in the summer of 2002 from the Bayer Leverkusen after a successful Champions League that led the club to the finals loosing 2-1 to Real Madrid.
The president of Gamebookers, John O’Malia, said: “We thought, why buy the front of the shirt when we can buy a player? Ballack is the best German player of his generation, if Bayern lost this player, it’d be a great lost, not only for the club but for the Bundesliga as well. If Bayern accepts, it’d mean the beginning of a new association with Munich, and also to keep him in Germany, specially having the World Cup 2006 coming up, it would be a great accomplishment for the sport in Germany and for Gamebookers.”
O’Malia added: “Besides, the gamblers of Gamebookers love the wonderful soccer the Bayern Munich plays, we commit ourselves to guarantee that the quality of the team in Bayern and in Bundesliga doesn’t suffer because of other European teams with more and better players. This is our way to give back something to the good game, and to our clients.”