By Andrew Warshaw
September 17 – More than a third of Europe’s professional footballers are not receiving their salaries in full according to Theo van Seggelen, the head of the game’s international players’ union.
Two weeks after the close of the summer transfer window, FIFPro boss Van Seggelen (pictured top) has called for a complete overhaul of the system and has criticised irresponsible club owners who, he says, are refusing to respect contracts and paying scant regard to the current economic climate.
“If the patient is sick, you have to give him some medicine,” said Van Seggelen, whose organisation represents more than 50,000 professional players worldwide.
“More and more clubs are getting into financial difficulty but they are behaving as if nothing has happened.
“Everybody is thinking about himself and no-one is respecting contracts any more.
“It’s time to completely re-evaluate the transfer regulations.”
In an interview with insideworldfootball just as UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations are starting to bite, Van Seggelen said FIFPro would like to put an end to the system of players and clubs haggling over money as contracts are wound down.
“Look at someone like Robin van Persie [pictured below],” he explained.
“He is bought by Manchester United for more than €30 million (£24 million/$39 million) even though he had only one year left on his Arsenal contract.
“He’s a good example of huge salaries being paid to the top players with no money left for anyone else.”
As a result, says Van Seggelen, fewer and fewer players lower down the scale ever make the grade.
“We think the money should be spent on the education of young players rather than on players coming to the end of long contracts,” he said.
“The current system creates a rat race that makes it more difficult for the average player to get a job.
“We have to do something about this.”
Although, according to UEFA statistics, less money was spent on transfers this summer than in the past four years, Van Seggelen says more needs to be done.
“We are 100 per cent behind Financial Fair Play [regulations] and nor are we saying players don’t earn their money,” he insisted.
“But all this haggling has to stop.
“When a player signs a contract, that should be binding – for both sides.
“We estimate that more than 30 per cent of players at smaller clubs Europe-wide are not receiving their salaries.
“I’m not just talking about Eastern Europe but also in countries like Spain and Portugal.
“Partly it is because of this game of Russian roulette that is going on at the top of the game, either offering re-contracted players too much money or selling them on at a huge fee.
“It’s got to change.”
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