The fact that players change clubs after the start of the season is a nuisance for many fans. An earlier end of the transfer window was requested in 2017 – but rejected in 2019.
There are key players who leave their clubs after the start of the season: Filip Kostic may move from Eintracht Frankfurt to Juventus Turin, Anthony Modeste has already left 1. FC Köln for Borussia Dortmund. Players changing clubs after the season has started has been a source of trouble for years. A “Cheating on the Fan” Max Eberl stated in 2017 during his time as manager of Borussia Mönchengladbach and referred to the departure of players after fans had already bought their season tickets.
But why is it actually possible to switch so late and why is this not prevented?
In 2019, German clubs refused to shorten the transfer window
In addition to Eberl, the then President of the German Football League (DFL), Reinhard Rauball, also called for the transfer window to end before the first matchday in 2017. He criticized at the time: “This year there has been an in and out tourism that is no longer justifiable. That’s why a stake has to be hammered in there.“But this peg was never hammered in. Because many agreed with Rauball, in a survey by the specialist magazine “Kicker” in 2017, 17 Bundesliga clubs were in favor of a reduction. But there is international competition between the national leagues.
Former DFL President Reinhard Rauball called for the transfer window to end earlier in 2017.
The fear in the Bundesliga: If the DFL gets the transfer window to end earlier via the DFB, this could have a negative impact on the clubs if the transfer windows are open longer in other leagues. The problem became clear in 2019, when it came to implementing the demands. “If players are poached from our clubs without being able to compensate for this with adequate signings, we would weaken ourselves”, said Ansgar Schwenken, director of football at the DFL, in an interview with the sports show. Therefore, those responsible for the clubs later came to the conclusion that “that this is not the right way”at least as a solo effort in Europe.
Shortening the transfer window is currently no longer an issue
A shortening of the transfer window in Germany would only be conceivable if there were a Europe-wide regulation or at least a joint approach with the four other major leagues from England, Spain, Italy and France. There were talks about this at the time, but no agreement. A few months after that debate in 2019 came the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to information from the sports show in the DFL, a shortening of the transfer window was not pursued further and is currently not an issue.
Italy and England ventured in 2018 – in vain
Italy and England ventured out in 2018 and independently announced an earlier end to their transfer windows. Arsenal’s manager at the time, Arsène Wenger, was also among the supporters. “We shouldn’t have players in the dressing room who are already halfway in their heads”he said in 2017: “That has to be clarified before the season.” However, the other leagues did not follow suit, both quickly saw themselves at a disadvantage and adjusted their transfer windows in 2019 (Italy) and 2020 (England) to the other leagues.
In the summer of 2022, all windows in the five major leagues end on September 1st. In Germany it was supposed to end on August 31, but the DFL clubs decided to extend it, “to avoid a competitive disadvantage”, as stated in a statement.
| country | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLOSELY | 1.9. | 8/31 | 5.10. | 8.8. | 9.8. |
| ESP | 1.9. | 8/31 | 5.10. | 2.9. | 8/31 |
| ENG | 1.9. | 8/31 | 5.10. | 2.9. | 8/31 |
| IT | 1.9. | 8/31 | 5.10. | 2.9. | 17.8. |
| FRA | 1.9. | 8/31 | 5.10. | 2.9. | 8/31 |
*2020 postponement due to Corona interruption
Transfer windows are based on the start of the Champions League season
This even results in a certain degree of uniformity, because the transfer windows of the national leagues are based on the start of the season. However, in the European club competitions, i.e. Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.
Anthony Modeste moved from Cologne to Dortmund after the first matchday.
On September 2, 2022, clubs must submit their player list to UEFA, so the five major leagues are giving their clubs until September 1 to register players.
UEFA President 2017 with a wish, but without a suggestion
It seems unlikely that bringing this deadline forward by UEFA could indirectly lead to a Europe-wide solution. England, Germany and France started the season on the first weekend in August, Italy and Spain on the second. UEFA could thus fulfill the wishes of some leagues, but not those of others. In the 2017 discussion, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin also spoke out in favor of an earlier end to the windows, but there was no concrete push from UEFA.
So the annoyance remains for the time being: the 2022/23 Bundesliga season will be over its 4th matchday when the transfer window in Germany closes. For example, Filip Kostic, who played for Frankfurt against Bayern on the first day of the Bundesliga match, could play against Eintracht in the Champions League if he made a change for Juventus.