A leading sports lawyer says out-of-contract players in England can ignore FIFA proposals and leave their clubs at the end of June, even if the season has not resumed.
Nick De Marco QC, who has represented sports governing bodies, players, clubs and agents since 2002, says players will be entitled to “walk away” from clubs if their contracts expire on June 30.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters warned of a potential £1billion loss due the coronavirus pandemic if the season is not resumed.
“We face a £1billion loss, at least, if we fail to complete season 2019-20, and further losses going forward if the seriousness of the pandemic deepens and extends into the future.”
Masters argued it was the right of Premier League clubs, such as Tottenham, Newcastle, Norwich and Bournemouth, to utilize furloughing in the circumstances, having seen Liverpool reverse their decision following widespread criticism.
Masters added:
FIFA have announced contracts will be extended and transfer windows shift in line with the changing fixture list after the COVID-19 crisis. A decison that is sure to be met with lawsuits as FIFA does not have the power to unilaterally extend player contracts.
Nobody knows when the current season will resume, or even if it will resume, so FIFA have taken the step of guaranteeing some elements that were up for debate.
Specifically, that allows player contracts to be extended beyond June 30 to the natural end of the season, and moves the transfer windows to an appropriate time for the clubs and players in this new reality.
UEFA President Aleksandar Ceferin admits the idea of Champions League and Europa League play-offs are “an option,” but either way all leagues “must finish by August 3.”
All football has been suspended in Europe’s major leagues due to the coronavirus pandemic and it’s not clear when, or indeed if, the campaign will be concluded.
What we do now have is a deadline, set by Ceferin during an interview with German television station ZDF.
“It must finish by August 3, both the Champions and Europa League. It is an extraordinary situation we are in, so we are flexible on dates and kick-off times. If the crisis eases earlier, then we can start sooner.”
The Premier League has announced that the 2019-20 season ‘will only return when it is safe and appropriate to do so’.
The English top flight had initially hoped to resume on April 30 at the earliest, but that is no longer realistic due to the coronavirus pandemic not yet peaking in the UK.
This afternoon, it announced in a statement that the campaign had been placed on hiatus until ‘it is safe and appropriate’ to start up again.
It was acknowledged that the Premier League will not resume at the beginning of May – and that the 2019/20 season will only return when it is safe and appropriate to do so.
In as selfish a move as an organization has made in recent times, the Premier League is willing to risk the health of their players, staff and fans in a attempt to avoid TV contract rebates of up to £762 MILLION.
The Premier League are reportedly working on aa plan to restart the season behind closed doors on the first weekend of May with a scheduled finish date of Sunday July 12.
The proposals, which will be discussed in detail on a conference call of the 20 clubs on Friday, would need to be approved by the Government, public health bodies and the PFA.
Chelsea could be set for a sensational move for Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer this summer after appearing to finally lose patience with Kepa Arrizabalaga.
World-record signing Kepa has come under pressure this season after recently losing his place to 38-year-old deputy Willy Caballero.
The Spaniard was dropped after a series of error-strewn performances in January, but regained his place shortly before the season was curtailed by coronavirus.
And according to German newspaper Bild, Neuer is seen as the ideal replacement by Frank Lampard.
The research group CIES Football Observatory have just released its most valuable squads in the transfer market from Europe’s top-five leagues, and it is the current European and World Champions who now sit top the pile.
The Liverpool squad is now worth a whopping €1.4 billion (£1.27 billion), which puts them ahead of every other club on the continent. Second is Premier League rival Manchester City at €1.36b.
Spanish giants Barcelona (€1.17b) and Real Madrid (€1.1b) are third and fourth respectively, with Chelsea shockingly in fifth place (€1.08b) despite having been banned from signing players in last summer’s transfer window.
Frank Lampard has questioned the mentality of his Chelsea players in the wake of another disappointing result in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Blues missed the chance to capitalise on third-placed Leicester’s defeat at Norwich on Friday after being held to a 2-2 draw by Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
Chelsea took the lead against the Cherries shortly after the half-hour mark when Marcos Alonso smashed the ball home from close range after Olivier Giroud hit the bar with a superb improvised volley.
Kepa Arrizabalaga could sensationally request to leave Chelsea after losing his starting spot under Frank Lampard.
The £72million goalkeeper, signed from Athletic Bilbao in 2018, reportedly believes that the Blues boss has failed to honour a verbal agreement between the pair – which would have ensured Kepa remained first choice.
And according to media reports in England, the 25-year-old is even prepared to walk away from Stamford Bridge but fears being priced out of a move.
Kepa Arrizabalaga ‘ready to quit Chelsea’ with Frank Lampard failing to honour ‘verbal contract’
Kepa Arrizabalaga could sensationally request to leave Chelsea after losing his starting spot under Frank Lampard.