Christoph Winterbach, the journalist from *Der Spiegel* who’s been dropping all those truth bombs about Manchester City, just called out something absolutely wild: Martin Odegaard’s dad is a rare example of a *positive* leaked story in football. You heard that right: positive. In a game that often feels like it’s swimming in shady dealings, this one guy actually stood out from the crowd.
Der Spiegel’s Bombshells Usually Aren’t This Good
*Der Spiegel* has been all over the news lately, and it’s for seriously heavy stuff. They’ve been at the center of that reported guilty verdict for Manchester City and those whopping 115 charges. City’s still appealing, sure, but if that punishment sticks, it’s thanks in part to *Der Spiegel*’s leaks dragging all that alleged wrongdoing into the public eye. Most of their leaks? They’re usually about the ugly side of football: financial cheating, off-books payments, the kind of stuff that makes you lose faith in the game. It’s usually a dirty business, no doubt.
Martin Odegaard’s Father Dropped a Truth Bomb
But Winterbach revealed a genuinely good story that *Der Spiegel* uncovered, and it’s tied right into Martin Odegaard’s big move to Real Madrid. Get this: Martin’s father, Hans Erik Odegaard, flat out refused to transfer his son’s image rights to the British Virgin Islands. He put it so clearly, saying, “He thinks football players make enough money already, and they don’t need to hide this income because everyone should pay their taxes.” Can you even believe that? An actual person saying “no” to the whole tax-dodging game! The leaked email even quoted him saying, “He will make a lot of money anyway; it’s also a moral issue about how much effort you should make in trying to save yourself some tax money when other people struggle more to pay for theirs.” Talk about a mic drop moment. That’s a real shot across the bow for a lot of these big-money players.
People absolutely loved hearing this. Winterbach even called it a “breath of fresh air,” and for good reason. But here’s the kicker: it’s only a breath of fresh air because it’s such a massive exception to the rule. Odegaard’s father was truly “the one person in a whole scheme standing up and saying ‘no, I don’t want to contribute to that scheme’.” Think about that for a second. In a perfect world, paying your taxes correctly is just the absolute bare minimum, right? Unfortunately, Winterbach confirmed that Odegaard’s dad was “one of the only ones not to go ahead with the plan.” Still, what an incredible example to set, especially for a kid who’d go on to become the future Arsenal captain. Maybe this is a tiny spark, a small reminder that not everyone in the high-stakes world of football is playing the same cynical game.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply