UEFA, European leagues threaten to cut contact with FIFA

The Union of European Football Associations threatened Monday to cut contact with FIFA because soccer's governing body failed to seek its input on a new transfer proposal. FIFA last week submitted a new plan to the European Union, which says the current transfer rules violate European laws. UEFA called an extraordinary meeting for Tuesday and Wednesday. "UEFA and the top 13 European leagues totally rejected the document on transfers recently submitted by FIFA to the European Commission and condemned FIFA's decision to forward proposals to the EC without any consultation with the representatives of European football," said a joint statement from UEFA and the European leagues. UEFA and the European leagues, who feel that FIFA's package gives too much consideration to elite professional players and not enough to the clubs, are demanding that FIFA withdraw the new proposals, agree to more stability for clubs and promise the full involvement of European football in future negotiations. Under FIFA's proposal, players could leave clubs with three months' notice and could break contracts if they were unhappy at being benched, disagreed with the coach's tactics or the club's sporting policies, or if the club was relegated. In 1995, the European Court of Justice struck down FIFA's transfer rules and said players whose contracts had expired could switch teams within the EU without having their old clubs pay transfer frees to their new teams. According to EU employment laws, a soccer player has the same rights as any other employee in Europe, which means he should be able to break his contract at any time and seek another job. FIFA said it was "surprised at the reactions expressed by certain groups following the presentation of new proposals. FIFA is committed to find a golbal solution that will be satisfactory to all parties."