The past few days have witnessed the announcement of several Arab Gulf Football League clubs, dispensing with some prominent names of top stars, before deciding the league's position on the cancellation or the completion of the rest of the last seven rounds.
Athletes described these decisions as a sound step on the right path, to deal with the crisis of the Corona virus, and the financial consequences expected to leave it economically for clubs in the future.
The unit took the initiative to announce the elimination of its attacker, Tigali, international defender Hamdan Kamali and Hussein Abbas, in addition to the Spanish coach, Manuel Khomeiniz.
Al-Nasr took the same initiative, so he decided not to extend the contract of his Spanish player, Negredo, and it was reported that Al-Wasl was on his way to dispense with a large number of players, in the forefront: Galvaro, Jaipur, Triche, Abdullah Kazem and Khaled Sabeel.
Some reports also linked the departure of the Brazilian club, Ryan Mendez and Caio Lucas, from Sharjah Club, while Bani Yas club dismissed the extension of the contract of his German coach, Wynver Schaefer.
The athletes considered that the clubs are no longer ready to sign players with large sums, as was previously the case, and that these early decisions aim to rationalize expenditures and not to add any burdens to their budgets, which are expected to shrink in the next season.
They told «Emirates Today»: “Such decisions have started to be implemented in Europe, as major clubs have decided to get rid of the highly paid players, in an attempt to reduce the value of payments.”
For his part, the former chairman of the Committee on the Status and Transfer of Players, Dr. Salim Al-Shamsi, affirmed that "clubs took advantage of the expiry of the contracts of their senior stars, and announced their position early not to extend their contracts, due to the high salaries they were charging in the past."
He added: "I consider that this step is a sound and successful beginning to deal with the changes that have occurred in the soccer world, in particular, because of the Corona virus, and its negative impact on the economic situation, which will undoubtedly affect the clubs."
He explained, "Regardless of whether or not the league is completed, the club's drift behind paying salaries to extend players' contracts for an additional four months will not be feasible, especially since the intention is no longer present in their continuity with their teams next season."
He continued: «Frankly, I am surprised by the position of some players, at a time when the International Federation and the National Union decided to reduce the players’ salaries, so if some people do not care about the current circumstances, and demand
With the same salaries that he obtains in the past, and some of them ask for an increase despite his age, and this thing does not suit the current conditions, and he forced the clubs to take a courageous step. ” The former Al Wasl player and the current agent, Munther Ali, stressed that getting rid of the players who were creating significant financial burdens on their clubs are decisions that should have been applied long ago.
He said: «We must agree at the beginning that the players are the only beneficiaries of the speculations that were previously occurring between clubs, to attract distinguished players, whether citizens or foreigners, and this wrong policy flooded a number of clubs in debt, but with everyone making sure that exchange On football it will not be the same as before. (Prudent) decisions began to see the light, and this is something I think is positive and will return the inverted pyramid to its correct image. ”
He added: «Everyone agrees that the balance of exchange on football is not commensurate with the expected return to the level of our league, and we heard about numbers of players that were exaggerated without clear reasons for what is going on, and what is happening now from decisions, is a beginning to correct the path and an ideal application for professionalism, which we missed the application Its rules and origins in the past ».
He continued: «The message was clear that spending should be rationalized due to (Corona), and football will inevitably be part of that policy, and I imagine that any player who will not respond to the changes that are currently taking place will be attached to the names that were dispensed with.
The former Al Wasl team manager, Bader Hareb, emphasized the positive decisions of the clubs regarding the disposal of high-paying players.
He said: "It was the first of the steps taken by clubs that do not have high budgets, there is no longer any reason to retain its players without the need for their efforts, or to receive salaries that carry their treasury with sums greater than their financial capabilities."
He added, “I like a lot of professional thought that Al-Wahda club deals with its players, as we have become accustomed to managing dispensing players who do not benefit the team or demand financial numbers that are not consistent with the annual financial budget of the football team, and the examples in the past are clear. Some names have been dispensed with. Among them: Khaled Jalal, Muhammad Al-Shehhi, Al-Khedim and Muhammad Abdul Basit. The unit was not affected by their departure, because the club has a distinguished base of young players. ”
He pointed out: «Reality confirms that a few clubs whose goals have become clear from the league championship if it was decided to complete it, and the rest will not compete for the title or for the landing, and as long as the cards have become open to all, what is the point of keeping players going to overburden budgets with sums, as long as they will not change the reality of the clubs In the competition schedule ».