FIFA EXCO: World ban on third-party ownership could take up to four years
KEIR RADNEDGE in ZURICH: Contentious third-party ownership of professional players has been declared illegal but enforcement of the bar may not begin until 2018.
The executive committee of the world football federation, meeting today at the Home of FIFA here in Zurich, approved the recommendation of a working party studying a practice widespread in South America and growing in Europe.
The executive committee of the world football federation, meeting today at the Home of FIFA here in Zurich, approved the recommendation of a working party studying a practice widespread in South America and growing in Europe.
Secretary-general Jerome Valcke said the issue had now been handed back for the TPO working group, headed by England’s Geoff Thompson, to come up with a legal draft for approval by the players’ status committee and then the exco next spring.
TPO has expanded rapidly with investment companies taking a stake in the economic ownership of players. It was banned by the English Premier League after a case involving West Ham’s signing of Argentinian forward Carlos Tevez.
However it is significant factor in South America in general and in Brazil in particular. The unravelling of TPO deals added to the complexity of Barcelona’s notorious purchase in 2013 of Neymar from Brazilian club Santos.
Manchester City’s £32m purchase of Eliaquim Mangala from Porto was one of four major deals sorted out this summer by English clubs.
Legislation
European federation UEFA and Europe-based international players’ union FIFPro both issued statements welcoming FIFA’s move though producing legislation which can be effective worldwide will prove a challenge in itself.
Hence a cautionary observation from Valcke that it could take up to four years before full enforcement was possible.
He said: “The only way to fight TPO is with a ban but it cannot be banned immediately so we will be discussing the number of transfer windows – six means three years or eight means four years – next week here at FIFA with the working group.”
The issue could return to the next exco meeting at the Club World Cup on Morocco in December or, “at the latest” in March.
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