European clubs have said that "a decision by the world players' union FIFPro to break off talks over the reform of the transfer system is regrettable and disrespectful," according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS.
FIFPro said on Friday that "negotiations had ground to a halt after representatives from the European clubs and leagues rejected demands to protect players who were not paid on time, or had their contracts unjustly terminated." FIFPro added that "it would take legal action to restore players' rights." The European Clubs Association said, "The European Clubs Association (ECA) does not understand FIFPro’s sudden change in tone, which is regrettable and disrespectful. ECA and EPFL (the Association of European Professional Leagues) would like to stress that they have always been committed to an open and fair dialogue within the appropriate institutional framework." FIFPpro said last week that the clubs and leagues "had failed to accept four key proposals to ensure contractual stability."
These included a proposal "to allow a player to terminate his contract at 10 days' notice if he is unpaid for more than 30 days, and another entitling the player to financial compensation if his contract is terminated without just cause" (
REUTERS, 2/3).
