Covid-19 and Football

[LondonLax]

10 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

Are you suggesting they allow new transfers - so players can play for a new club?

I can see players leaving clubs because their contracts have expired, but I can't see the leagues letting them play for their new clubs.

It might then also be possible to let players that have already negotiated contracts in advance that start on 1st July to play for their new clubs - both would be awful from a sporting integrity position, but would at least be clear.

I don't think you can just open the window and allow new negotiations and deals to take place until after the end of the season.

Consider a few cases

- Ziyech, who on 1st July will be a Chelsea player - if there are games to be played by Chelsea, should he be made available? If he is, then Chelsea gain a sporting advantage - if he's not, then they're having to pay him to do nothing but train - there'd be the potential for a legal case to cover his wages.

- Foster, the Watford keeper - out of contract on 1st July - does he sign a new temporary contract with Watford to see out the season? He's risking a potential long term injury without a long term contract - is there an insurance responsibility? What if he's lining up a "retirement home" deal as a back up for a big club for three years and doesn't want to risk losing that - does he stay home? Can he then claim a restraint of trade legally because he's not permitted to get a job even though he's out of contract? For Watford, do they just have to agree to whatever he demands if he wants to stay on? They lose both of their senior keepers on 1st July - if he wants £400k a week for a month, do they have to just pony up or face up to having no senior goalkeeper?

- Keinan Davis - out of contract on 1st July - still a young man and one that will get interest from clubs - if he doesn't sign for Villa, again there's the potential for a restraint of trade if he can't play for someone else - but if you let him sign for another club, you get a problem with sporting integrity if for example he scores for West Ham against Villa on the last day. Unlike Ziyech, clubs won't want to sign him on 1st July and pay him to do nothing while they finish the season, so he'll likely be left with a period where he can't work.

If you open the window, then you do face the idea of Grealish playing out the season in red, you face the prospect of one of the relegation teams going out and spening £150m on new players to get out of it - an open window is the Wild West. 

It get's really tricky after the 1st July and whilst FIFA can maybe have some influence over registrations - they can't just say "We've had a think about it and we're going to ignore employment law during this time" it's ridiculous - it seems to be what they're claiming.

 

There didn’t used to be transfer windows just a few years ago. Players could transfer clubs at any time, including in the last few games of the season in their clubs agreed to it. It wouldn’t be that big of a deal to have the window open while the season is still being completed. 

(having said all that, I don’t think the season will be completed and there will likely be problems running next season as well). 

[The Fun Factory]

In terms of  players moving I think it would be difficult even in a practical sense. The housing market has frozen so it would be even difficult for a player just to find a new apartment/house to move to.

I was watching Sky News this morning and the Italian Heath Minster does not see even opening bars and restaurants until after a vaccine has been found which at best will be between 12 to 18 months. I just can't see how you can get football playing before such other more important parts of the economy first.

Edited April 13, 2020 by The Fun Factory

[Zatman]

Spurs decided to reverse the furloughing decision. Cant see Newcastle do similar 

[PaulC]

3 hours ago, Zatman said:

Spurs decided to reverse the furloughing decision. Cant see Newcastle do similar 

Mike Ashley will be the last to reverse it 

[villa4europe]

4 hours ago, Zatman said:

Spurs decided to reverse the furloughing decision. Cant see Newcastle do similar 

Liverpool and spurs got pelters for it and reversed it under fan pressure 

Norwich should be slaughtered for buying a player

Newcastle everyone just shrugged their shoulders said "that's Mike Ashley for you" and moved on

[VillaChris]

Bundesliga clubs testing their players 2-3 times a week apparently and some donating their blood to University research groups.

Still doubtful they'll resume on May 9th because of lack of contract training (think all 18 clubs are in some form of training now).

[Zhan_Zhuang]

And yet here in the UK we can't even test the frontline workers, can you imagine if the government start to allow the PL tests?

Edited April 13, 2020 by Zhan_Zhuang

[VillaChris]

4 minutes ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

And yet here in the UK we can't even test the frontline workers, can you imagine if the government start to allow the PL tests?

Germany is far superior, 100k tests a week which at least gives an idea of the spread. Really the complete lack of testing has been a massive failure from the government with PPE equipment of course but everyone is too obssesed with lockdowns to notice until the last week.

Premier league does realise this. I imagine they're thinking if we get to mid June mass testing will finally be in place so it will be a little more socially acceptable to test footballers. If not they'll be riots at the Government so criticising players will be least of people's concerns.

[VillaChris]

Lazio having a go at the Italian health chief after he admitted he was a Roma fan.

https://www.football-italia.net/152100/lazio-scientists-arent-fans

Quote

Lazio spokesperson Arturo Diaconale has urged Giovanni Rezza to focus on ‘finding a cure’ for COVID-19 after the health chief admitted he was a Roma fan.

Rezza said he would advise against the season resuming, but the integrity of his statement has now been called into question by Diaconale following his revelation that he supports Lazio’s arch-rivals.

“Sometimes being a fan also affects scientists and gets to their heads,” he told Adnkronos.

“They are experts who would be much more useful if, instead of concerning themselves with issues like football, found a way to effectively deal with the virus.

“Scientists are scientists, not fans. It would be really welcome if, instead of fuelling football controversy that isn’t needed, they devoted all their energy to finding a cure or vaccine that can stop the infection.”

They're further endearing themselves to the neutral there!

[sne]

I see no issues what so ever with this, sure it will go down smooth and hitch free.

FIFA will be taken to court by every player, agent and club in Europe.

Quote

Chief Legal Officer Emilio Garcia Silvero has revealed that FIFA won’t open the transfer market on July 1 and players on expiring deals should therefore be able to complete the current campaign in the event of a resumption.

The calendars have been modified to go beyond the normal seasons and the contracts expiring on June 30 has been a hot topic among Presidents in the media.

But Garcia Silvero has claimed that, despite not being able to automatically extend the current contracts, FIFA will not reopen the registration as normally, meaning that the players will remain available to their current clubs in the event of a return to the pitch.

“FIFA can’t extend the contracts beyond June 30, but the transfer windows will not be the same and the players can’t be registered,” he told Cadena Cope, according to Calciomercato.com. “I fact, the market will not open on July 1.

“If a deal ends on June 30, theoretically, the player should return to his club. However, the registration will not be open, therefore a deal would not be processed.

https://www.football-italia.net/152078/garcia-silvero-market-will-not-open-july-1

Quote

PREMIER LEAGUE players will be blocked from switching clubs before the delayed end of the season — even if they are out of contract.

And Fifa are considering a one-off, third transfer window next term because the summer trading spell will be so short.

 

The summer transfer window normally runs from July 1 to the start of September, with the other for the month of January.

But in the 2020-21 season, a third window is set to be introduced, possibly in October or November.

Fifa regulatory director James Kitching added: “This would be dealt with flexibly, as long as the total 16-week transfer  period is not extended.”

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/11390368/free-agents-summer-transfers-blocked/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=sunfootballtwitter&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1586813449

[Zhan_Zhuang]

What a mess, just cancel already!

[The_Steve]

Another painful, unworkable idea. Laughable.

[abdulaziz1]

4 hours ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

What a mess, just cancel already!

I don’t think they can take a decision before the end of May. Possibly beginning of June. They’ll have a better picture and they’ll have more governmental support, people will also justify their decision. I read that even Mane says that he understands if Liverpool won’t win the league. People are starting to get used to it. 

So until then I think we’ll keep hearing ideas.

[Zhan_Zhuang]

I understand what you mean, just a new-level of stupid ideas I'm fed up of hearing.

Maybe in a month we will know for sure as hopefully by then Lockdown will be over?

[sne]

Gerald Haug, one of the guys advising Angela Merkel and head of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina is calling for up to a year and a half without fans at sporting venues and concerts.

That's a grim prospect for a lot of small club and all venues.

[Amsterdam_Neil_D]

2 hours ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

just a new-level of stupid ideas I'm fed up of hearing.

100% Agreed,  also it's quite a hard sell currently and in the near future when the equivalent of a plane load or two of people are dying every day from the virus is announced on the news.  So they cut from that to the footie results do they ,  the total words removed.

It's getting pretty grim now,  so good luck to them with the Prem "Razzamataz" and "Fireworks" in the empty stadiums in a month or two.

  

[The_Steve]

 

Quote

 

The English Football League and Professional Footballers' Association have proposed that clubs defer up to 25% of players' wages in April because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The agreement applies to Leagues One and Two, with Championship clubs expected to make individual decisions.

Under the limits of the deferral, players earning less than £2,500 a month would still be paid in full.

Any reduction in wages must not take a player below earning that amount.

In a joint statement, the EFL and PFA said the move was a "recommendation and not a directive as there are clubs who have stated no requirement to take immediate action at this time".

In addition, the two bodies said that they will "form a working group of six club captains/PFA delegates from the third and fourth tiers, supported by a representative nominated by the PFA, to engage in dialogue in respect of players' wages".

The statement continued: "In establishing the new group, the EFL and PFA acknowledge the common problems faced by the League and member clubs, and the need for all parties to be part of a solution.

"Dialogue with the working group will enable the League both to listen to the concerns of players and to explain the extent of the financial challenges.

"It will focus not just on the short term (May and June) but will address the medium-term position from the start of July onwards and into next season."

• 'Clubs at every level are at risk' - the financial nightmare facing football

The statement added that a number of Championship clubs have made local agreements with players and other teams will hold talks this week.

English football is stopped indefinitely and there has been no play in any of the top four tiers since Tuesday, 10 March.

At present there has been no suggested date for when football could return.

On Tuesday, Luton Town chief executive Gary Sweet said that clubs throughout the EFL were "at risk" unless the game's authorities took action.

On 3 April, the Premier League agreed to advance £125m in payments to the EFL and National League, although only £2m of it will go to the 68 National League clubs.

However, the situation in the EFL is so bad that Tranmere Rovers chairman and former Football Association chief executive Mark Palios said that without a strong plan this week it "will potentially lead to carnage, for clubs players, owners and fans alike."

Writing in the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday he said: "This week is absolutely critical for the EFL and the survival of many of the 71 clubs that it represents."

 

 

Link.

 

 

 

[Zatman]

I wont watch any games behind closed doors, I dont have Sky and dont stream games anyway and would only watch at a pub even if a Villa game

I miss a lot of things at the moment but football low down the list

[PaulC]

5 minutes ago, Zatman said:

I wont watch any games behind closed doors, I dont have Sky and dont stream games anyway and would only watch at a pub even if a Villa game

I miss a lot of things at the moment but football low down the list

There’s a lot of people who don’t have anything else in their lives but live sport on tv would feel differently. 

[Zatman]

Just now, PaulC said:

There’s a lot of people who don’t have anything else in their lives but live sport on tv would feel differently. 

not everybody has Sky or BT though. The interest for players playing in training session atmosphere wont be exciting for people anyway