FIFA braced for challenges over player contract extensions

FIFA is braced for legal challenges over the recommendation that player contracts should be extended until the seasons halted by the coronavirus pandemic can be completed. “I guess it’s no different than a system we already had that happens even before we had this COVID-19 issue where if there was any challenge, it would it would go through the proper football judicial bodies.. We fully understand that that may happen again this time and we’ll deal with that accordingly, whether it be at the national level, confederation level or even at the FIFA level.” READ: How Liverpool conquered the FIFA Club World Cup Another complication is that sports lawyers do not view the guidelines from Zurich-based FIFA as binding for any player, club or league. “Under Swiss law — as in most jurisdictions — it is impossible for a club, a players’ association or a league to unilaterally extend an individual contract of employment that expires on a specific date,” attorney Despina Mavromati, who founded SportLegis Lausanne, told the AP. “And, even if a case goes to FIFA and then to CAS, it will be extremely difficult — if not impossible — for a club to enforce a unilateral extension of a player’s contract.” Belgium-based lawyer Sven Demeulemeester doesn’t think FIFA’s recommendations are legally enforceable because contracts fall under national law. “At best, FIFA’s guidelines may lead to subsequent individual negotiations or collective bargaining on a national level,” Demeulemeester said, “but they have no legal value as such.” European leagues have been told by UEFA to try to complete seasons that were paused in March.