Joaquin to Valencia

[dave_1988]

Joaquin has moved from Betis to Valencia... via an unusual loan to Albacete...

From Wikipedia:

Joaquín was thought to have moved to Valencia in early August 2006 for €15.0 million, along with a swap deal that included Regueiro. However, some difficulties in the payment appeared, along with Regueiro's insistence in staying at Valencia, which meant that the transfer was delayed.

A bid of €25.0 million was later accepted. Joaquín was loaned to Albacete as punishment by Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, due to Joaquín taking a certain percentage of the €25.0 million transfer fee. Lopera used a clause in Joaquín's contract whereby he could be loaned to any club if it was decided by Betis. Joaquín went to Albacete using his own transport and to prove that he went to the club he had himself photographed by operatives working nearby. The switch to Albacete was then cancelled.

Joaquín then officially moved to Valencia CF in late August 2006 for €25.0 million, having sorted out financial dealings with Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, signing a five year contract, with the choice of a further one year extension.

Thinking it could just be some joker on wikipedia, i found a spanish article on AS.com (which i translated with an online translator):

According to the Chain TO BE, this Thursday lived a situation that seems of joke. Joaquin was yielded by the Betis to the Albacete by hours as form of punishment by his happens to the Valencia and to put pressure to the set ' ché to accelerate his draftee.

Joaquin was in Albacete and a photo was made to certify that there was been in the city manchega. And it is that from not to have gone, it had received a fine of 3 million euros.

The player returned at daybreak to Seville and this morning, by order of the club, returned to train with its companions of the Betis later not to enter the call against which it will possibly be his next equipment.

Now that doesn't make much sense, but it does look like Joaquin was sent to Albacete! Now what sort of punishment is that?!

[Fez of Mahrez]

Maybe it's the Spanish equivalent of being sent to Coventry.

[Gené and Tonic]

Gotta love the spanish system