Earmarked as one of the great talents to come out of Mexican football in recent years, things have not gone to plan for Diego Lainez at Real Betis.
The Mexican international arrived for €14m in 2019 but has never quite managed to assert himself in the Betis first team, in spite of flashes of brilliance.
This summer he has left Real Betis on loan for Portuguese football, joining SC Braga. They also have a buy clause that would allow them to secure his services for €7m.
Yet that seemingly straightforward deal has taken on a curious flavour. As per Mundo Deportivo, well-connected Mexican journalist Pablo Carrilllo has revealed that his departure was not purely down to footballing reasons.
Mauro Lainez is apparently highly involved in his son’s career and frequently seeks out arguments with coaches and managers. Intervening where he shouldn’t, it became a great source irritation for his former manager Miguel Herrera at Club America and the same has happened at Betis. Manuel Pellegrini and Real Betis are fed up with Lainez’s father and in addition to the player’s situation on the park, have decided they could do without the hassle off it.
With the amount of money and prestige involved in football, it’s no surprise that the people around footballers are keen to be involved. However it is a little strange how often friends and family members appear to act against a footballer’s own interests.
