Soccer

Players waiting for cash after clubs fold does little for FIFA/FIFPRO relations

The fourth and final payments due as part of the FIFA Fund for Football Players (FIFA FFP) were expected by September 30 last year.

More than 400 players left out of pockets by their clubs are still waiting for payments from a FIFA fund
More than 400 players left out of pockets by their clubs are still waiting for payments from a FIFA fund (Andrew Milligan/PA)
By Jamie Gardner, PA Chief Sports Reporter

Over 400 players have been kept waiting more than a year to receive payments due from FIFA as part of a fund designed to help footballers left out of pocket after their clubs folded.

Payments were due to be made by September 30 last year to 420 players as part of the FIFA Fund for Football Players (FIFA FFP), which was set up in February 2020 in conjunction with world players’ union FIFPRO.

However, the PA news agency understands that as of Tuesday the payments have still not been made.

Relations between FIFPRO and world football’s governing body have been strained in recent months, with FIFPRO Europe involved in two separate legal actions against FIFA over the international fixture calendar.

In addition to the legal threat, Manchester City midfielder Rodri said last month players were “close” to going on strike over fixture congestion.

While a strike would clearly be a last resort, PA understands there have been discussions among players and unions around other potential action targeted at next summer’s Club World Cup, including refusing to take part in sponsorship or promotional activity linked to the tournament.

Top players are still pushing hard behind the scenes on this topic, with the Club World Cup part of an international calendar unions and domestic leagues say they were not meaningfully consulted on.

FIFA now stands accused in a complaint to the European Commission, lodged by leagues and unions on October 14, of abusing a dominant position under EU competition law.

Against this backdrop, it has emerged that hardship payments due last September have not been made.

In 2020 FIFA agreed to set aside 16 million US dollars (now equivalent to £12.3m) in total for the FIFA FFP.

Payments have been made as planned in previous years but PA understands players told they had been awarded a sum as part of the fourth and final batch  – covering January 1 to December 31, 2022 – have still not been paid.

These players were due to receive four million US dollars (£3.1m) between them, in differing amounts depending on a variety of factors including salary and length of contract.

Letters and emails from FIFPRO to the governing body chasing the payments on behalf of players have not received any response.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said at the time the fund was launched that his organisation was there to ‘reach out to those in need’
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said at the time the fund was launched that his organisation was there to ‘reach out to those in need’ (John Walton/PA)

FIFA has published information related to some of the past payments, including the five million US dollars distributed to players affected between July 2015 and June 2020.

For that period, FIFA said it received 1,089 applications and approved 1005, linked to 109 clubs in 36 countries.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said at the time the fund was launched: “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 declined to comment. FIFA has been approached for comment regarding the payments.