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PLAYERS CAN NOW LEAVE ABUSIVE TEAMS – FIFA

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MBABANE – Contracted players can now terminate their deals with clubs which delay their salaries or mistreat them.


This followed a landmark agreement signed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the FIFPro, an association for professional players last Monday.


The deal gives players the freedom to walk away from contracts if their salaries are not paid for two consecutive months, and or if their employers abuse them with orders like being forced to train alone in the event of a disagreement.
According to the new rules announced last Monday, players are getting more power from FIFA to leave soccer clubs who delay paying salaries or mistreat them.


The changes were confirmed by FIFA and FIFPro, the global group of player unions, as they signed a six-year working agreement.
The Netherlands-based FIFPro, which represents more than 60 000 players worldwide, also agreed to withdraw a complaint about the transfer system it filed to the European Commission in September 2015.


“While clubs in the richest leagues invariably treat players well, there are other leagues in which the employment rights of footballers are routinely ignored,” FIFPro President Philippe Piat said in a statement.


In some cases, players have been tied to clubs which fell months behind in paying salaries, and have been harassed with tactics designed to intimidate them into leaving or signing contracts on less favourable terms. Clubs face FIFA imposing an immediate transfer ban if they fail to pay compensation awarded to players, which could amount to six months of salaries. Research by FIFPro in 2016 showed 41 per cent of thousands of players asked had been paid late in the previous two years.

Players have also now been promised faster rulings, and tribunals in more countries, to settle contract disputes faster and more fairly. Meanwhile, Mbabane Highlanders captain Xolani ‘Chocco’ Sibandze said this was good for players.
“Teams will respect players now because we have the right to do what also suits us and this is supported by FIFA. Personally, I have not experienced such but some of my colleagues have fallen into this trap and you find that they are benched for rest of the season without releasing or loaning them to other teams.

 

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