Spain's justice system confirmed the sentence against the Albiceleste footballer for breach of contract, and he will have to pay a substantial amount
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Mateo Tanlongo, who has been identified for years as one of the great prospects of Argentine soccer, is going through a complex legal situation. Spain's Supreme Court confirmed in recent hours a ruling that obliges the midfielder to pay one million euros to Racing de Santander, a club for which he never went on to play an official match.
The decision rejected an appeal filed by the player's defense to annul the original ruling and upheld the sentence. This way, the player who came through at Rosario Central will have to face the payment established by the Spanish courts.
The dispute began in August 2023, when Tanlongo and his entourage reached an agreement with the Cantabrian club. The player traveled to Spain, recorded promotional material, and moved forward with the contractual terms, but in the end he did not show up to sign, claiming that he had received a better offer from Danish soccer, more precisely from Copenhagen.
Tanlongo se fue al Copenhague cuando tenía todo listo para firmar con el Racing de Santander
For the courts, that conduct constituted a breach. In the ruling it was stated that the player "was not faithful, was not honest, was not correct, and was not legal" in contractual terms. Both the trial judge and the Social Chamber agreed that the absence of a signature doesn't invalidate the existence of an ongoing employment relationship.
The judges considered the player's consent proven on the basis of various indications: messages exchanged with the coach, the choice of jersey number and emails between the club and the player's representatives.
Meanwhile, Racing de Santander will claim the one million euros plus interest and maintained that the purpose of the lawsuit is to set a precedent. "The club wishes the player the best of luck in the future, but with this claim it has only sought to assert the importance of honoring the agreements reached if we want the soccer industry to become increasingly serious and professional", the institution stated in a press release.
