We’re happy for Milan! Skriniar’s saga cost Slovak clubs hundreds of thousands

Slovak clubs involved in the development of Milan Skriniar had the right to receive a decent amount of money — but his move to Paris Saint-Germain closed that door. How much did clubs like Zilina and Pohronie lose?

He was one of the most sought-after players on the transfer market. Last summer, national team captain Milan Skriniar was on the verge of becoming the most expensive Slovak footballer in history. Inter Milan had reportedly received a 60 million euro offer from Paris Saint-Germain. But the club rejected it. The same happened during the recently ended winter transfer window — this time, the offer was said to be around 15 million.

Football business usually results in all parties walking away satisfied. But that’s not the case with the Skriniar–Inter–Paris triangle. Inter won’t receive a single cent, as his contract ends on June 30 and he’ll leave for free. Paris missed the chance to use the Slovak during the spring part of the season. And Skriniar? He’s now in a five-month notice period and may face fan backlash and a different approach from coach Simone Inzaghi.

Slovak clubs MSK Zilina and FK Pohronie — both of which helped develop the three-time Slovak Footballer of the Year — also lost out in the end. According to FIFA rules, they were entitled to a development compensation if a transfer fee had been involved. So, how much did they miss out on?

FIFA introduced its training compensation scheme in 2001, granting compensation to every club a player has played for between the ages of 12 and 23. How is it calculated? "Five percent of each transfer fee is set aside for development compensation. Clubs receive 5 percent per year for the first four years, and 10 percent per year for the remaining eight years," explains football analyst and manager Jozef Tokos.

Had Skriniar’s transfer gone through, Zilina — where the national team captain spent eight seasons — would have received the most. If the transfer to PSG had materialized in summer 2022 for 60 million euros, Zilina would have received 2.1 million. In winter, when the reported fee dropped by a quarter, they would have still gained 525,000 euros. "We’re not sad the transfer didn’t happen. We’re happy Milan agreed with such a prestigious club like Paris Saint-Germain and will join them on July 1," said MSK Zilina sporting director Karol Belanik in an interview with Pravda.

He confirmed that the club closely followed the developments in their former player’s transfer saga. "Toward the end of the transfer window, we were indeed thinking about what our share might be through the development fee. But Inter and PSG didn’t reach an agreement," Belanik added.

Back to Skriniar — the 27-year-old former Inter Milan captain began his career in Ziar nad Hronom. After a merger with Dolna Zdana, second-tier club FK Pohronie would have been eligible for compensation as well. "Only two years of his development apply to us, since he moved to Zilina when he was 14. Based on the information I have, we would have been entitled to around 300,000 euros. That would have been a big financial boost for us," said FK Pohronie director Igor Rozenberg.

According to him, what matters now is supporting Skriniar and being proud of his move to PSG — even if it’s on a free transfer. "His journey is an inspiration to many young footballers in Slovakia. In just a few months, he could be stepping onto the pitch alongside Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe. He’s living the American dream — in European football," Rozenberg added.

There are cases in both European and Slovak football where clubs don’t even realize they’re entitled to development fees. If they don’t monitor the transfer market and the careers of their former players, they simply lose out. "It’s not an automatic process. Clubs have two years and 30 days to file a claim. If they don’t, they lose the money," Tokos explained. (...)