Combat action. Despite the absence of official competitions and a football activity reduced to nothing since the start of confinement in most countries of the world, the thinking heads of Fifa remain in full reflection. And aim to implement various reforms to try to respond to the financial crisis that affects all clubs and accompanies this health crisis. Several lines of study, which the New York Times echoes, are at the center of the discussions. With a common denominator: launch a football safeguard plan to avoid any bankruptcy.
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The suspension of the sports season - with the impossibility for clubs to benefit from the usual economic returns (TV rights, receipts ...) - raises questions with the institutions. Some presidents have already stepped up to alert the authorities to the possible bankruptcy of some if the current fiscal years did not find a date to conclude. President of ECA, the European clubs union, Andrea Agnelli has recently become the spokesperson for the most powerful. With strength and gravity. “ Football is now at a standstill, as are our sources of income on which we depend to pay our players, staff and other operating costs. No one is immune. And the boss of Juventus, one of the richest clubs in the world, to insist by evoking an " existential threat ".
Faced with this growing concern, Fifa has drawn up priority axes. In particular one: salary management. Since the confinement, some clubs, like in France, have introduced partial unemployment (84% of the net salary that is paid), others have consented to a substantial drop (20% at Bayern Munich), when in Leeds, the players decided not to temporarily receive their emoluments so that the administrative staff could be paid. As a reminder, the payroll proves to be the main expense of clubs. In Munich, Bayern's turnover is estimated at 750.5 million euros, with a payroll of 336.2 million. Faced with all these initiatives, Fifa is considering the establishment of a global framework to avoid procrastination. As the New York Times reports, this could concern a fall in wages or their postponement, the time to get out of the crisis and for competition to resume its rights.
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Another area of reflection addressed by the world body, the summer transfer window. A significant source of revenue for clubs, it was due to open on June 1, but with the crisis, its opening and closing dates will be affected. And modified. The number of 16 weeks - instead of 12 in normal summer transfer window - is reported by our New York colleagues. Fifpro, the international players' union, logically finds itself in the loop of discussions when we know that some players / coaches will find themselves at the end of the contract on June 1. In this regard, extensions, the time that the competitions end, could be effective. Last topic put on the table of discussions, the possible establishment of a solidarity fund which would notably have the mission of helping the relieved players of the least remuneration. So many vast projects which will quickly lead to concrete action. Hurry up.
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