FIFA has decided to temporarily adapt article 17 of the regulations on player transfers. The aim is to maintain a uniform framework globally.
These measures will be applied during the next winter transfer market, which will open in January 2025, while a final solution is still being worked out.
The new provisions will cover topics such as contract termination compensation, joint and several liability for payment of compensation, incentives for contract termination, international transfer certificates and proceedings before the Football Court. FIFA has said it wants to provide stability and regulatory clarity during this transition period.
If a contract is terminated without good reason, the club concerned will only receive compensation if it can prove that the purchasing club induced the player to break the contract. In this case, the player could be suspended for up to six months, while the buying club would face a ban on signing players during the next two transfer windows.
Additionally, FIFA has granted greater flexibility to national jurisdictions, allowing potential conflicts to be resolved through collective agreements applicable in each country. FIFA will only intervene in exceptional cases.
These measures will only apply to the winter transfer market of 2025. After this period, FIFA will resume negotiations with football stakeholders to design a final regulation that respects the ruling of the European Court of Justice, which demands the free movement of professional footballers.
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