World players' union FIFPro "warned members not to sign for clubs in Serbia because they run the risk of not getting paid," according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS. FIFPro and the Serbian Players' Association (SPFN) said that eight of the 16 teams in the top flight "have had their accounts blocked by the Serbian national bank and could not pay players and other employees." FIFPro Secretary General Theo van Seggelen said, "We hate to do this but it is our job to protect the players. Players haven't been paid for months and encounter serious financial problems. Clubs are on the verge of going bankrupt." SPFN President Mirko Poledica said that "there were currently 115 cases at the country's dispute resolution chamber." He said, "The current situation is alarming. There are only approximately 500 professional footballers in Serbia. We would not be surprised if some of the clubs file for bankruptcy in the near future." FIFPro said that players at first division club Radnicki Kragujevac "were threatened by supporters, who were allowed into the changing room, when they went on strike in protest at not being paid for three months" (REUTERS, 12/17).
