By Andrew Warshaw
January 28 – The international players’ union FIFPro is holding a crisis session of its members in Greece today and tomorrow after negotiations to overhaul the transfer system broke down.
FIFpro claims around 4,000 players file cases with FIFA each year over either not being paid by their clubs or having their contracts terminated unjustly.
FIFPro’s Dutch secretary general, Theo van Seggelen (pictured), described the system as “failing football and its players” after reform talks collapsed when clubs and leagues could not agree on a way forward.
“Basic measures must be introduced to give players stability,” he said. “The volume of cases means players have to wait several years for a hearing which, in more than 90 percent of matters, is decided in favour of the player.
“Given the short-term and precarious nature of a player’s career, these delays cannot be tolerated.”
“FIFPro is increasingly concerned by the gap between rich and poor in the football industry, and how the game continues to face economic problems despite record revenues.
“However, the bigger discussion can only take place if key stakeholders such as the European Club Association (ECA) and European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) are to support basic measures that will ensure a player contract in professional football is stable and secure.”
“FIFPro was open to negotiate reforms to the transfer system that would improve it for all football stakeholders. The transfer system is failing football and its players, and highlights the need for further reform.”
Negotiations opened last March and now FIFPro has called an extraordinary meeting of its Europe division to decide how to proceed. Player associations from up to 30 countries are expected to attend.
FIFPro says the ECA and the EPFL have failed to accept four key proposals to ensure contractual stability.
One of them says a player should be allowed to terminate his contract at 10 days’ notice if he is unpaid for more than 30 days. Another entitles players to financial compensation when contracts are terminated without just cause. Crucially, in such cases players should be allowed to join another club without the restriction of any transfer window, FIFPro argues.
“These reforms would make the contract of a professional player a two-way street,” said van Seggelen. “The situation can be contrasted to the rights of a club where a player breaches a contract, which would see him often responsible to pay his own transfer value and subject to a mandatory ban.
“Transfer values have, of course, spiralled out of control and can see players liable for the payment of millions of dollars, something no other employee would have to bear. The transfer system is failing football and its players.”
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