The surprise transfer of Isco to Union Berlin has failed in the home stretch. Both sides declare that the other had not kept to agreements.

The former Real star Isco has been quite relaxed about his failed transfer to 1. FC Union Berlin. After his ultimately fruitless short trip to the German capital, the 30-year-old told a reporter from local channel 101TV Sevilla on his return to Spain: “These things happen in football.” Nevertheless, the transfer farce made headlines: only after the medical check did the two sides realise that they could not come to an agreement after all.

There are no precise details on the reasons. There was speculation in the media that there might have been a misunderstanding between net and gross sums. In Spain, the salary is stated in net.

According to Oliver Ruhnert, managing director of professional football at Union, the Gestifute consulting agency had demanded changes at the last moment. As a result, the transfer had fallen through. “There, even if the player is already here, we don’t get involved in doing any things that don’t suit us,” Ruhnert told TV channel Sky.

For its part, the five-time Champions League winner’s adviser agency told Spanish newspaper El Mundo that Union had only offered a six-month contract until the end of the current season. Before that, however, a contract up to and including the 2023/2024 season had been announced, the newspaper wrote. There were also differences over the salary and the commission for Gestifute.

The reporter wanted to know whether Isco would now sign for second-division club FC Málaga when the 38-time international returned. The 30-year-old, who has been without a club since leaving Sevilla FC last December, failed to answer the question and closed the door of the taxi, as could be seen in a video distributed on Wednesday.