- Title: SWITZERLAND: UEFA TO SEEK URGENT TALKS WITH FIFA FOLLOWING TRANSFER ROW.
- Date: 17th January 2001
- Summary: EXTERIOR OF UEFA HEADQUARTERS IN NYON (JANUARY 17, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. UEFA FLAG 2. MEMBERS OF UEFA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE LEAVING 3. TV CREW INTERVIEWING UEFA CHIEF EXECUTIVE GERHARD AIGNER 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) UEFA CHIEF EXECUTICE GERHARD AIGNER SAYING: "We will have to ask FIFA to come to a negotiating basis and to make it clear that this document, or whatever, will be eliminated from the future discussions." 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) UEFA CHIEF EXECUTIVE GERHARD AIGNER SAYING: "Officially FIFA claims that this is a constructive way forward, that the (European) Commission agrees with it, that the players union agrees with it. FIFA obviously agrees with it and some other bodies in football agree with it... It remains for us to say that our member associassions and our leagues don't agree with it and this is of course pertinent for us." 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AIGNER SAYING: "We assume that we will have a constructive result after these talks (with FIFA) which will give us the possibility to negotiate, together, with the European Commission. If this should not be be possible then we will have to check our next steps. And these (steps) we will decide then." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 1st February 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NYON, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Reuters ID: LVABO0PZQF5IKQHM5A7CI7WMAW9E
- Story Text: After a two-day emergency meeting of UEFA Executive
Committee, the European soccers governing body said would seek
an urgent meeting with FIFA to try to resolve a row over
changes to the transfer system.
UEFA said on Wednesday it would seek an urgent meeting
with FIFA president Sepp Blatter and general secretary Michel
Zen-Ruffinen to try to resolve a row over changes to the
transfer system.
Speaking after the emergency executive board session of
European soccers governing body, UEFAs Chief Executive Gerhard
Aigner said the meeting, tentatively set for Friday, would aim
to secure an agreed way forward.
He said UEFA had also offered to meet with the relevant
European commissioners to explain the concerns of European
soccer about proposed changes to the transfer system.
UEFA made it clear, however, it was not seeking to begin
separate negotiations with the European Commission (EC) as it
had threatened earlier this week after FIFA lodged its own
proposals with the EC.
In a statement issued after the meeting, UEFA said it was
concerned by FIFAs action, adding: The new FIFA document
creates a distinction between the EU/EEA area and the rest of
the world which is potentially damaging to European football.
The FIFA document includes proposals which weaken two of
the key principles for European football, namely contract
stability and the development of an effective system of
compensation.
The Commission, the administrative body of the European
Union (EU), want players to have the same freedom of movement
within the 15 EU countries as other workers. They asked the
soccer authorities to make proposals as to how to bring that
about.
Without consulting UEFA, FIFA submitted a proposal which
would have enabled players to end their contracts if they
disagreed with a coachs tactics, gave three months notice or
the club was relegated.
This document incensed UEFA, the most powerful
confederation in world soccer, and they hosted a meeting on
Monday with equally furious representatives of the top 13
European leagues.
The consensus within European soccer is that some respect
for the contract between a player and a club must be retained
if the game is not to be altered dramatically.
UEFA also want to see an arbitration system to rule on
transfers, to compensate the selling club for the development
of a player and loss of commercial earnings.
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