Legal advisor Dr. Youssef Al-Sharif, who previously worked as head of the Sports Arbitration Authority in the Football Association, revealed, within the daily episodes he broadcasts with video for «Emirates Today», that a famous football player in one of the professional clubs without naming him, he borrowed money from a bank to buy two luxury cars He and his wife have a monthly installment of up to 30 thousand dirhams, and the value of the two cars together amounts to about two million dirhams, indicating that the player was initially able to pay the monthly installment but was later stumbled after stopping the league due to the Corona pandemic, and not receiving the rewards of winning, Noting that he sent an inquiry She saw legal solutions to getting out of this problem, noting that the status of this player is a warning message to all players not to continue with material exchange.
In detail, Al-Sharif told Al-Emarat Al-Youm: “I received an inquiry from one of the brothers, the players, that it is necessary for me to highlight his inquiries, so that everyone will benefit under the current circumstances.”
He added: “The player says in his question, I am a football player in a famous club of professional clubs, and my contract with him extends to the end of the next season, and my salary is excellent, and during the past periods I have been receiving, like the rest of my colleagues, in addition to the salary, rewards for winning and other support we get for sponsorships. And advertisements, and based on my position, I bought a luxury car for me and another for my wife from the agency, but I funded the cars on one of the banks and the value of the first car exceeded one million dirhams and the second car was close to 800,000 dirhams, meaning the group of the cars is approximately two million dirhams, and I paid an advance payment and the rest on Premiums for five years I come and pay monthly in the range of 30 thousand dirhams, and before Corona I was able to pay easily because the bonuses cover it and increase, but my salary is currently not enough for me, because I have other bank obligations, and if I pay from my salary all these installments I will be at the end of the month almost bankrupt And I asked the bank to postpone the installments and agreed, but he requested to schedule debts, and I have read some press investigations about the clubs ’right to reduce the salaries of their players, in which case my house will be ruined and I will be imprisoned, how should I behave?
Al-Sharif added: “The aforementioned player’s condition will not be the only one. Unfortunately, we were advising people through the programs that their thought should not be consumption, but an investment thought based on saving, but the temptations of life attract them to their lights and they implicate themselves in obligations that exceed their ability in many cases.”
And on the legal status of permissibility of reducing the salaries of players in such circumstances, Al-Sharif said: «The truth is that after the tragedy of Corona a controversy arose about the legal adaptation of this case, and among the precautions that resulted in freezing sports activities, which had a negative impact on income The sports system in general clubs and players ».
He added: “The opinion settled that this law is one of the exceptional circumstances which means creating an effect on the implementation of contracts, making the performance of a contractor’s performance of his obligations burdensome, resulting in serious and severe damage that leads to an imbalance between the performance of the contractors, and the provisions of emergency conditions facing these developments. By restoring the relative balance between the rights and obligations of the two parties to achieve justice, and each of them bears some effects of the new circumstances that were not expected when they were contracted, which is stipulated in Article (149) of the Federal Civil Transactions Law.
On the other hand, Al-Sharif indicated that opinion was also settled that the players ’contracts were subject to the provisions of the labor contract.
"In light of the decisions issued by the state in the aftermath of the Corona epidemic not to reduce the salaries of employees except with the agreement of the two parties, clubs have no right to reduce the salaries of players except in agreement with them, provided that this provides the minimum income for players without prejudice to clubs, according to the recommendations of the last FIFA ».
Al-Sharif confirmed regarding the bank with which the player interacted that the bank is carrying out its activities within the Federal Commercial Transactions Law and in light of this and pursuant to the text of Article (410) of the Federal Commercial Transactions Law, the loan obtained by the player may collect the interest from him in accordance with the third paragraph of Article 409 of The law itself. And the sheriff continued: “Therefore, in the event that the player raises a lawsuit, it is possible through a mathematical expert to recalculate the interest, and the court can drop this interest from the current period pursuant to the emergency conditions provisions.”
Yousef al-Sharif:
"Once a player files a lawsuit, the court can drop interest from the current period, in accordance with the provisions of the emergency conditions."
“Clubs have no right to reduce players’ salaries except in agreement with them, provided that this provides the minimum income for players, without prejudice to clubs. ”