December 19 – Players union FIFPro has taken the unusual step of advising its members not to agree contracts in Serbia as there is a high risk that they would not get paid their salaries. Their warning came out joints with the Serbian professional footballers association Nezavisnost (SPFN).
Mirko Poledica, president of the Serbian players’ union said: “The current situation is alarming. We currently have 115 cases concerning overdue payables at our NDRC. There are only approximately 500 professional footballers in Serbia. We would not be surprised if some of the clubs file for bankruptcy in the near future.”
Eight of the 16 teams in the SuperLiga have had their bank accounts blocked by the Serbian national bank and are unable to pay their players and other employees.
“We hate to do this, but it is our job to protect the players”, explains FIFPro Secretary General Theo van Seggelen. “Players haven’t been paid for months and encounter serious financial problems. Clubs are on the verge of going bankrupt. On top of that, I received the shocking news that one of the clubs totally disrespects the players’ rights and even allows hooligans to threaten their players.”
In one incident FK Radnicki 1923 players on December 1 said they would strike unless they received overdue salaries. Two days later the club and the coach informed them before the start of a training session that a delegation of supporters would talk to them in the changing room. The fans insulted the players and threatened to beat or stab them if they continued strike, one player was punched.
The incident was reported to the police and the national federation but no action was taken. The Radnicki players did fulfill the fixture, playing in front of an aggressive home crowd that even displayed a banner making a death threat to one player. Following the match several players left the club while others have taken the club to a national arbitration panel.
“There are players who lack the money to buy milk for their children”, said Poledica,. One player who joined Radnicki in August has received just one monthly payment. “He only received €1,000 in four months, but this is not enough to cover four months’ living expenses . Serbia is an expensive country.”
Nezavisnost has offered €200 financial support to all its members in FC Radnicki. “But that is not a structural solution. There are more clubs with similar problems, we cannot pay all the players …” said Poledica.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734867637labto1734867637ofdlr1734867637owedi1734867637sni@n1734867637osloh1734867637cin.l1734867637uap1734867637