On Monday, May 22, FIFA officially announced the decision on the contracts of legionnaires with Russian clubs for the next season. It was expected – foreign players are again allowed to suspend agreements for one year, transferring to any foreign club for free.

But there is an important nuance. If a year ago we were talking about all legionnaires without exception, now there is a reservation: only those who have done it this season have the opportunity to suspend the contract. Everyone who stayed, as well as players who moved to Russian clubs after March 7, 2022, do not get the right to leave for free.

– FIFA’s decision was the result of negotiations between the RFU and FIFA, – Izvestia was told in the communications service of the RFU. – In fact, the rule on the possibility of suspending the contract now applies only to those who previously suspended the contract and left Russia. Players and coaches who stayed to play and work in Russia, as well as those who in the future, for example, in the summer transfer window, will sign a contract with a Russian club, will not be able to unilaterally suspend the agreement. We continue to consider the very decision on the possibility of a unilateral suspension of the contract as an unreasonable and redundant measure, at the same time, the changes introduced today to the FIFA regulations on status and transfers allow Russian clubs to be more protected and exclude the possibility of abuse by foreign players of this rule.

And here is a typical story of a pessimist and an optimist, a glass half empty and full. On the one hand, robbery in broad daylight continues. Our football will again lose a lot of money, unable to sell its assets.

Let’s say Dynamo’s Sebastian Szymanski had a great season at Feyenoord. It is clear that in Poland he would have been beaten for playing in a Russian club, certainly cutting off access to the national team, so the chances of playing for the blue and white tended to zero. But it would be easy to get for the midfielder those € 14 million, in which the player is estimated by the authoritative portal Transfermarkt. And who is now going to pay a lot for someone who is available for free?

“Good news will come when our clubs are fully restored in all tournaments in which we can participate,” Dmitry Svishchev, chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, told Izvestia. – I think that now there are completely illegal sanctions against Russian football. It is necessary to restore the RFU and our clubs without any restrictions. We are well aware that Russian football is isolated illegally. I communicate with the leadership of the RFU. I know for sure, they work daily to restore our clubs. They communicate and negotiate. This is probably the right way, but a very long one. Does FIFA want to return our football to international competitions? Yes, they do.

An optimist will object: FIFA’s position on Russian clubs has become warmer over the year. Yes, there are “lost” legionnaires who cannot be returned. But we have become accustomed to the absence of Ejuke, Balbuena and others for a year. But new fugitives are not expected. Clubs can easily plan their future and acquire newcomers without fear of being stabbed in the back with sudden departures at any moment. This is already a serious step towards the normalization of football work.

The author is the head of the football department of Sport-Express, the former head of the press service of FC Dynamo

The position of the editors may not coincide with the opinion of the authorShare: