The BBC is reporting that the summer transfer window will be moved and contracts ending on 30 June will be extended for a short period “under proposals agreed by football’s major stakeholders.”
The Corporation website says it understands that talks between the world governing body Fifa and including confederations, federations, clubs, players and leagues have reached agreement over a number of issues arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
All parties now accept that completing the 2019-20 season by 30 June, as initially hoped, will not happen.
Aleksander Ceferin, president of European governing body Uefa, has spoken of the campaign being concluded in August, but with domestic leagues and cups, plus European competitions to fit in, there is no guarantee of that given football across the continent remains suspended.
The report says agreement has been reached that contracts due to expire on dates before the expected end of this season, do so when it actually ends instead, with new deals beginning before the 2020-21 campaign eventually begins.
New dates for the transfer window – which had been moved back to 1 September in England – will be sanctioned by Fifa providing they fall between the two seasons, with the organisation pledging to try to harmonise the dates as much as possible so clubs and leagues are not unfairly disrupted.
Fifa has also urged clubs to protect jobs if at all possible, including pay cuts and deferrals, and the use of government schemes.
If asked to settle disputes, Fifa will, among other things, assess whether there has been a genuine attempt to find a resolution, what the economic status of the club concerned is, the net income of the players and whether the players have been treated fairly.
While it is accepted this advice is for guidance only and could be challenged legally, all parties hope it will be accepted in the spirit the contracts were agreed in the first place.
