Athletes confirmed that the new variables revealed by the Corona pandemic obligate the Football Association to make changes in the players ’contracts, after it was clear that the Football Association’s regulations lack any legal regulation giving clubs the right to reduce the salaries of their players, which forced the Football Association to issue a decision whereby clubs temporarily have the right to reduce the salaries of their players At a rate not exceeding 40% of the salary value, and this sparked widespread controversy in the sports street.
The athletes pointed out the importance of adding three new clauses to players ’contracts represented in a review of the legal drafting of contracts for players and coaches, as well as the inclusion of a special clause in contracts called“ the emergency circumstance and force majeure clause ”, giving the club the right to reduce the salary in certain proportions, ranging between 30% and 60%. Without referring to the Football Association, and setting a special clause in the player’s contract, the coach is obliged to extend his contract with the club until the last game of the season in cases of emergency conditions and force majeure.
They told «Emirates Today»: “Clubs have to change their previous way of dealing with players and coaches, especially with regard to the terms of their contracts with players.”
The head of the Committee on the Status and Transfers of Former Players in the Football Association, Dr. Salim Al-Shamsi, stressed the importance of the Football Association and the Professional Association clarifying more in legal articles, especially issues related to emergency conditions and cases of force majeure, considering that all the current articles present in some regulations are not clear, stressing It is important that all amendments to regulations and laws be very clear and known to clubs as well as to the public.
Al Shamsi added, “Concerning the contracts of players and coaches, each club must put an article in the new contract to deal with emergency cases so that matters are settled in the text of the law and clear and unambiguous, to spare any party legal problems in the future in case of emergency conditions, such as the current conditions that the entire world is going through. Note that FIFA has previously made a recommendation in this regard that the rate of salary cuts in emergency cases be from 20% to 70%.
Al Shamsi stressed the importance of having a special clause in contracts stipulating that the player or coach’s contract be automatically extended to continue with his club until the last match of the season in cases of emergency conditions, strength and force majeure, given that this clause is not present in the current regulations for player contracts.
Al Shamsi pointed out that the League of Professionals decided to cancel the league at the request of the clubs, given that the majority of players refused to reduce salaries according to the percentage set by the Football Association recently, because there is nothing binding in the contracts that makes the player agree on his own to reduce his salary, so the clubs faced problems On this side.
For his part, Obaid Al-Shuwaihi, the legal advisor in charge of players ’contracts, suggested that another item known as the“ future agreements clause ”be added to players and coaches, that the salary of the aforementioned category be reduced without consulting the competent authorities, in cases of force majeure conditions announced by the competent authorities in the state .
"In my estimation, there are two sides in relation to some clubs that did not adhere to or implement the decision issued by the Football Association to reduce the salaries of its players: the first part is that some clubs have excellent financial status and do not need to reduce the salaries of their players, and the second part is that there are some clubs that require I want to court their players and compliment them in order to continue with them, which are the clubs that apply the decision to reduce part of their players only and not all of their players. ”
Al-Shuwaihi indicated that the current crisis also revealed the strength of a large number of clubs' relationship with their players, even though the decision to cut salaries was surprising.
In turn, the players ’agent, Mohamed Al-Attas stressed the importance of the Football Association putting a clause in the players’ contract under the name “Disaster Clause” in anticipation of any circumstances beyond the control, and so that legal matters will be clear to the players.
Al-Attas continued, “I suggest that the rate of reduction of the player’s salary in circumstances outside the control is as follows: If his salary is 100 thousand dirhams, the discount rate will be 40%, and if the salary is 60 thousand dirhams, 30% will be deducted, and the player who receives a salary of 40 thousand dirhams 20% of his salary will be deducted, and the player who receives a salary of 20 thousand dirhams or less will be 10%.
Al-Attas revealed that the players who take over their business have implemented the latest decision to cut salaries by 100% on their own and in a generous manner, without any opposition, in response to these emergency conditions the whole world is going through.
The three proposed items
1- Include an item called "the provision of emergency conditions and force majeure."
2- Determining a specific percentage in the player and coach's salary contract that gives the club the right
Deduction without referring to the competent committees in the Football Association.
3- Establishing a special clause that allows the club to extend the player and coach contract until another
Match of the season in cases of emergency and force majeure.
- Giving the club the right to reduce the salary by rates between 30% and 60% without referring to the Football Association.