“Mental health is seriously endangered” – Golla’s transfer dispute concerns lawyers

He is one of the world's best circular runners. He is captain of the German national team. And he is currently the most discussed figure in handball.

There is now a crazy clause dispute surrounding Johannes Golla. “Sport Bild” revealed the news of the season on October 1st: Golla, who only moved to MT Melsungen in the summer (contract until June 30th, 2031), wants to return to his former club SG Flensburg-Handewitt with his family. Now everything indicates that the 28-year-old will actually be playing on the Baltic Sea again soon. However, the legal route to the amount of the transfer fee due is still open.

According to the clause, “the transfer compensation that the employer receives from one of the above-mentioned clubs is EUR 500,000.00 plus VAT”, the “mentioned possibility can occur no earlier than June 30, 2028”. If Melsungen does not qualify for an international competition, the sum is reduced to 375,000 euros.

Golla is taking a heavy toll on the controversy

It also says: “The contract between the employer and the player will then be canceled on June 30th of each season, provided that a written transfer agreement between the employer and the receiving club has been concluded and signed by the receiving club by January 31st of the current season at the latest.” There are now different opinions about these passages. Only logical, because: the earlier the clause comes into effect, the lower the freely negotiable fee will be.

Even the worst possible case for the MT is in the – legal – space: resourceful labor lawyers could construct a formal error based on the ambiguous wording. Formal errors in employment contracts concluded for a limited period of time can result in the fixed-term contract becoming a non-limited contract and thus a contract with four weeks' notice at the end of the month.

This would fit: Golla is said to have terminated his MT contract in writing over two weeks ago, but on what date (October 31, 2026 or June 30, 2027) is unknown. In the meantime, information is being spread in the handball scene that there should be a second contract with changed clause wording.

Consequences on the transfer market

Golla is having a hard time with all this trouble. In an Instagram post he confirmed mental problems: "People who know me well have long since seen that I'm not feeling well and that it's no longer 'just' homesickness, but that my mental health is seriously at risk."

Golla, who is represented by the lawyer Dr. Jan Frederik Reese (member of the Flensburg Economic Advisory Board) is massively increased about his statement. In addition to the transfer poker with Flensburg, the North Hessians have other problems. The MT has to find an adequate replacement, which seems almost impossible given Golla's class.

Potential newcomers are withdrawing interest due to the changed situation. According to information from “Sport Bild”, Melsungen’s negotiations with Sweden’s top talent Axel Mansson, who is under contract with Skjern Handbold in Denmark, were already well advanced. Also because the 21-year-old Swede wanted to play on a team with Golla. Now Mansson is said to have started thinking – because of the Golla hammer.