Wed, April 08, 2020

FIFA approves later transfer windows and extensions to player contracts

FIFA has given approval to move transfer windows to later in the season and to also extend player contracts until leagues are completed once the suspension due to coronavirus is lifted.

FIFA released guidelines in response to the Covid-19 situation which has affected sport worldwide and resulted in the suspension of football. The first guideline relates to player contracts and says that because player contracts expire when the season ends these will be extended so that contracts only expire once the season actually ends. The same rule applies to new contracts beginning, Hakim Ziyech was due to join Chelsea from Ajax on 1st July but this will now be delayed until the next season begins.

Guidance has also been issued for transfer windows with FIFA announcing that these will be moved so that they fall between the end of the current season and the beginning of the new season. A final point that was addressed was for FIFA to call for “football, like other sectors of the economy, has to find fair and equitable solutions tailored to these circumstances, hopefully with a view to protecting jobs and achieving a fair and reasonable balance of interests between players and clubs. Accordingly, FIFA strongly encourages clubs and players to work together to find agreements and solutions during the period when football is suspended.”

President Gianni Infantino “we hope that this collaborative effort can provide a positive example of how football can come together and show unity, solidarity and a spirit of compromise in order to face the challenging times ahead.”

You can read the full statement here.