What do Bebé’s transfer to Manchester United and a drunk tourist from Mallorca to Ballermann have in common? Well, both of them wake up at some point, both of them overwhelmed – and both of them don’t know how they got to where they are right now.

It shouldn’t be a clumsy blunder towards Bebé, but the idea « We’ll get a 20-year-old player without professional play for nine million euros » seems in retrospect more driven by the residual alcohol on Playa. of legendary trainer Sir Alex Ferguson likes this.

Bebé’s story already had a character from American Dream. The native Portuguese’s rapid rise went from an orphanage in Lisbon to playing amateur tournaments in the Portuguese premier league in Vitória Guimarães. Guimarães secured the then 20-year-old for just €50,000 in today’s prospect and tied him down for five years with a nine million euro release clause.

Bebé also had a very successful time there. For exactly six friendlies. That’s when United came on and without ever seeing a single competitive game from the young winger, the Red Devils put the money on the table and, bang, Bebé was top of the club’s shelf.

But applied the principle Mutti showed a child when you decided in seconds to buy something that turned out to be complete junk: « You should have slept on it one night. » Because Sir Alex Ferguson himself admitted: « I knew Real Madrid was in limbo and Benfica too. It was one of those decisions that had to be made quickly.

In this case maybe too fast. Because Bebé was not only athletic, but ready for the stage. « I never took Manchester United seriously and I never understood a word Alex Ferguson said, » the winger admitted in an interview with maisfutebol.iol.pt.

His stats for United reflect that. In four years, Bebé has played seven competitive games and scored twice. Even with his many loans he never really flourished, his transfer history could fill an entire book. He was last loaned out to Real Zaragoza by Rayo Vallecano. In the Spanish second division.

When we talk today about transfer misunderstandings like Eden Hazard at Real Madrid, Renato Sanches at FC Bayern or Memphis Depay at FC Barcelona, ​​we have to keep in mind the mother of transfer misunderstandings – Bebé at ManUnited. Because here, it seemed like no one really knew what they were doing. And that happens from time to time to tourists on Schinkenstraße.