BRUSSELS: FIFPro, the international players’ union, has warned professional footballers to be wary of signing for clubs in Greece, Turkey and Cyprus.
FIFPro said that players should be particularly careful of joining teams that are not playing in European competitions, with many clubs having failed to keep promises regarding payments. The union added that players have been increasingly forced to take out legal action, which could take a long time and end up being very expensive.
“FIFPro wants to caution players and unions about the bad behaviour of clubs in Cyprus, Greece and Turkey,” FIFPro said.
“Cyprus has for years occupied the first position, by a wide margin, as regards the number of disputes submitted to FIFA’s dispute resolution chamber, while Greece and Turkey are vying for second position. In all three countries, the number of disputes increases every year. The only exceptions are those clubs that play in European football: these accept the UEFA club licensing system, which reduces the risks.”
FIFPro added: “Clubs do everything possible to win players over, offering them fabulous wages, a luxurious home, ambitious plans, a bonus for signing a contract, a bonus scheme or a percentage of a future transfer payment.
“Unfortunately, FIFPro has found that many clubs don’t keep these promises. Generally, after a few months, the club turns out to be short of financial resources, so the player has to wait months to be paid. Very often, he never collects (the wages). Some players find themselves forced to abandon their homes, because the club cannot or will not continue paying the rent and bonuses are never mentioned again.”
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