18:26 - 22 Oct 2024

Players left waiting for more than a year for payments after clubs fold

Football

Over 400 players have been left waiting for more than a year for payments owed to them by FIFA through a fund aimed at assisting footballers affected by club bankruptcies. The FIFA Fund for Football Players (FIFA FFP), established in February 2020 in collaboration with the global players' union FIFPRO, was supposed to distribute payments by September 30 last year to 420 players. However, as of Tuesday, these payments have yet to be made.

Relations between FIFPRO and FIFA have become increasingly strained, with FIFPRO Europe currently involved in two separate legal battles against FIFA regarding the international fixture calendar. Furthermore, Manchester City midfielder Rodri indicated last month that players were "close" to striking over issues related to fixture congestion.

In 2020, FIFA allocated $16 million (approximately £12.3 million) for the FIFA FFP. While payments had been disbursed as expected in previous years, players were informed they would receive a portion of the fourth and final batch covering the period from January 1 to December 31, 2022, but these payments have not yet been processed. This final batch was expected to distribute $4 million (about £3.1 million) among the players, with amounts varying based on factors such as salary and contract length.

FIFPRO has sent multiple letters and emails to FIFA requesting updates on the overdue payments, but there has been no response. FIFA has released information regarding past payments, including the $5 million allocated to players affected between July 2015 and June 2020. During that period, FIFA received 1,089 applications and approved 1,005 linked to 109 clubs across 36 countries.

At the launch of the fund, FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated, "We are here to reach out to those in need, especially within the football community, and that starts with the players, who are the key figures in our game." FIFPRO has not commented on the situation, and FIFA has been approached for a statement regarding the delayed payments.