According to French media outlet RMC, Rothen criticized the involvement of Malik Fofana's family in his transfer process on a television program, deeming the demand for commission "shameful."
On Thursday's episode of French radio station RMC's "Rothen s'enflamme," former French international striker Christophe Dugarry expressed strong dissatisfaction with the negative impact of some of the player's teams on the Malik Fofana transfer saga. Fofana's eventual decision to join Sunderland was linked to issues surrounding agent commissions.
The transfer saga of Malik Fofana sparked heated debate on the show "Rothen s'enflamme." After several twists and turns, the Lyon winger finally secured a move to the English club on Tuesday. Part of the catalyst for the saga was the demands for exorbitant commissions from his agents, particularly his uncle. Crystal Palace had initially offered a higher price than Sunderland and were also willing to pay more for the player's advisory team, but Sunderland ultimately secured the deal late at night.
Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sager, who previously coached Fofana at Lyon, had spoken with the player and hoped the prospect of a move to a London club would convince the Belgian international, but ultimately failed to secure his services. While Sunderland offered Lyon a worse transfer deal, it would bring the player's key advisor a €500,000 fee.
"These people come here for only one thing: to make a lot of money."
Rothen stated, "There will be more unbelievable things to come. We all know that the group surrounding football players has only one goal—to make a fortune. There are very few agents and consultants who truly consider things from the player's perspective. The priority should be the competitive aspect, that is, where they can achieve a breakthrough in their careers. I admit that Fofana's move from Ligue 1 to the Premier League would indeed provide him with valuable experience, but comparing the two clubs, and considering his familiarity with Crystal Palace's manager, Crystal Palace was clearly the better option. Moreover, his family was also involved in this matter."
The former Paris Saint-Germain left midfielder also believes that Fofana himself bears some responsibility for this seemingly passive choice. "Ultimately, it was the player who signed the contract, not his agent or his uncle. The player himself signed it, which means he accepted everything," Rothen added. He also directly criticized the player's uncle: "This uncle demanding €500,000 in commission, I really want to ask him: Are you planning to fight your butt off in the dead of winter in Sunderland?"
"The actions of the family members are utterly despicable and appalling."
Dugarry, a member of the 1998 World Cup-winning team and a guest on the program, also expressed his disgust at the current chaos in football. The former Bordeaux star objectively analyzed: "Fofana may lack some assertiveness and experience; he couldn't firmly refuse these arrangements. The pressure from his family was undeniable, and this introverted young man, to some extent, passively accepted the whole situation. But the most egregious are undoubtedly his family members; their behavior is unimaginably outrageous. The first thing you should ask a player is: Where do you want to go? The player's own wishes should be paramount."
However, Dugarry was not surprised by this phenomenon in football. This summer, FIFA President Gianni Infantino's plan to sell World Cup-related rights, driven by commercial interests, sparked considerable controversy in the football world.
"Compared to the negative impact of the actions of the top football figure in the last World Cup, how much worse can this be? Since Infantino is willing to sell the football to the highest bidder, how can we expect the players' families not to demand a 500,000 euro kickback from the club? Although such phenomena have existed since ancient times, from some perspectives, football today is truly despicable."
