FIFA confirms: Contracts of foreign players in Ukraine & Russia suspended

Change deadline set

FIFA has confirmed a temporary change to its transfer rules for foreign players under contract in Russia or Ukraine. Now the transfer market opens for these professionals. The French newspaper “L’Équipe” reported on Monday that the world football association would open a special transfer window in view of the war in Ukraine, in which foreign players from Ukrainian and Russian clubs can exceptionally also leave their clubs outside of the regular transfer phases and at least temporarily.

In the evening, FIFA announced that in relation to the situation in Ukraine, all contracts of foreign players and coaches in the Premier League there would be automatically suspended “to give players and coaches the opportunity to work and receive a salary, and to protect Ukrainian protect clubs, unless the parties to the relevant contract expressly agree otherwise”. Football was stopped in Ukraine after the Russian army invaded. Now the players can go abroad. According to FIFA, players and coaches in Russia also have the right to unilaterally suspend their employment contracts until the end of the season in the Russian Premier League (June 30, 2022).

Note: This article appeared in a first version on Monday at Transfermarkt at 5:40 p.m. and was later updated.

Restrictions: FIFA sets deadline day & maximum number of contracts

With special permission from FIFA, players like David Neres (25, photo) and Tetê (22, both Shakhtar Donetsk) can now move to another club abroad in a kind of loan transfer until June 30, while their contract with the Ukrainian employers remains valid . FIFA also made two exceptions: signing with another club should only be allowed up to and including April 7, and the number of such contracts in the team per foreign club is limited to two.

FIFA also reiterated its condemnation of Russia’s ongoing violence in Ukraine and called for “a speedy cessation of hostilities and a return to peace”.

Many Brazilians in particular are active in Ukraine from abroad. 29 from the South American country are under contract with Premier League clubs. Shakhtar Donetsk, who have already agreed to transfer their players on loan, have 12 alone. The second largest group of foreign professionals in terms of numbers are the Croatians in the league (6), followed by four each from Slovenia and Georgia (to all foreign players in Ukraine). In Russia, FK Krasnodar had already released all of its foreign players (8 professionals).

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