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Remember that time that the New York Red Bulls bought out the rights to Ambroise Oyongo? Yea, apparently his old club, Rainbow FC Bamenda, doesn't remember that either.
Bizarre situation with Ambroise Oyongo and #IMFC. His club in Cameroon claim he isn't allowed to be traded because it was a loan. #MLS
— Kristan Heneage (@KHeneage) February 6, 2015
Heneage, who is a writer/producer for a variety of outlets, isn't the only one saying that Oyongo's trade is fishy. Lequipe.fr's Hugues Sionis is reporting the same news. The below text is a translation via Google Translate.
Rainbow FC Bamenda, who had loaned last season to Red Bulls before they do raise the call option this winter, should never have been able to. Because by virtue of his amateur status, the Cameroonian regional championship club is "not authorized to sign a professional contract" under the regulations of FECAFOOT, who immediately decided. "The contract in question is null and void , she said in a letter sent to the various protagonists, and therefore not enforceable nor the parties or any third party. "
It's hard to know what's going on, and MLS' single entity structure doesn't make it easier. In a normal situation, the Red Bulls and Montreal Impact (who Oyongo was traded to), would have to officially transfer the player. MLS' single entity structure means that both the contract of Oyongo, in theory at least, never changes ownership, since the league is the one that pays the player.
If the Oyongo portion of the trade is voided though, the Red Bulls seem to make out like bandits. They get to keep Felipe Martins, and Sacha Kljestan, who they got with the #1 allocation spot from the trade. Kljestan is an obvious upgrade over Eric Alexander. While the Red Bulls seem to lose out on Oyongo in all of this, the case can be made that he might not have fit into Curtis/Marsch's plans anyway.
We'll have to see how this story develops as there is a lack of clear details at the moment.'
UPDATE: The Impact have tweeted the following statement.
About the situation with Oyongo: We have gone step by step with the league. His contract is in accordance with FIFA regulations. 1/2 #IMFC
— Impact de Montréal (@impactmontreal) February 6, 2015
We will take all necessary actions to make sure that the contract is respected. 2/2 #IMFC
— Impact de Montréal (@impactmontreal) February 6, 2015