Premier League Clubs Battle to Keep Stars Amid Partner Unhappiness
English football faces a growing crisis as Premier League clubs increasingly fear losing their top talent for reasons completely unrelated to the beautiful game. According to reports, the partners of foreign footballers are finding life in England increasingly difficult, potentially prompting their significant others to seek moves abroad.
Player care expert Hugo Scheckter revealed the scale of the problem, telling the Irish Sunday Mirror: 'It can be hard moving to a new country.' He added: 'We're definitely seeing that as a bigger issue, where players are happy, partners are not, and then that's leading to a player either wanting to leave or talking about potentially having to leave, which is a disaster for clubs.'
High-Profile Cases Highlight the Problem
The most striking example in recent years involved Angel Di Maria's wife, Jorgelina Cardoso. The Argentine winger moved to Manchester United from Real Madrid for £59.7 million in August 2014, but was sold just eleven months later at a £15 million loss after a disappointing season.
Cardoso didn't hold back in her criticism during an August 2022 interview with Argentinean TV channel LAM. She described English food as 'disgusting' and claimed British women 'look like porcelain'. Most dramatically, she revealed: 'I just told him, "Darling, I want to kill myself, it's nighttime at two o'clock."'
Cardoso explained that she had initially resisted the move to England, telling Di Maria: 'If you're ever transferred, make sure it's anywhere in the world but England.' She added: 'People are all weird. You walk around and you don't know if they're going to kill you.'
Manchester Dining Draws Criticism
In October 2022, Sara Arfaoui, wife of then-Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, echoed similar sentiments about life in northern England. The French-born model took to Instagram to complain about the dining scene in Manchester.
She wrote: 'Sorry, I'm sad to be honest but nothing. I tried so bad to find a good restaurant but horrible food everywhere.' Arfaoui claimed she couldn't find 'a real Italian or good sushi or just fresh food… everything frozen', adding that restaurants seemed focused on 'making money with drinks and shots like nightclubs, not quality food.'
However, in a surprising turnaround almost eighteen months later, Arfaoui told Daily Mail Sport that she actually missed Manchester after Gundogan's move to Barcelona in summer 2023. She explained: 'After making friends, I was really happy. I had my own life and routine in Manchester and I have one of my best friends there.'
Clubs Take Action with Support Teams
Premier League clubs are now taking proactive measures to address this growing concern. Many are hiring dedicated 'care teams' specifically designed to help unhappy wives and girlfriends adapt to life in the UK.
This represents a significant shift in how clubs manage their international players, recognising that a player's performance can be severely impacted by their family's wellbeing off the pitch.
The situation highlights the complex challenges facing modern football clubs in the global transfer market, where keeping players happy extends far beyond the training ground and requires comprehensive support for their entire families.
