FIFPro chance for out-of-contract players
Thursday, July 19, 2012
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This weekend's FIFPro international tournament in the Netherlands will give more than 100 players who were at professional clubs last season the opportunity to show their worth.
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UEFA and the players' union FIFPro have reinforced their relationship at European level, and European football's governing body is giving its full support to the FIFPro Tournament, which showcases players in search of new clubs, and takes place in Rijnsburg, the Netherlands, on Saturday and Sunday.
More than 100 players who were at professional clubs last season will have the opportunity to show their worth, with teams from France, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia and Denmark on show, as well as one from the host country. Players can be out of contract for a number of reasons, such as injury or coaches' preferences, and the FIFPro tournament offers a lifeline to young hopefuls and seasoned campaigners alike. In previous years, more than half of the players involved have been successful in securing a new contract in their home country or abroad.
FIFPro represents more than 50,000 footballers worldwide. Its European division consists of 24 member unions. FIFPro Division Europe also represents the players within the Professional Football Strategy Council (PFSC) in which matters of importance for European professional football are discussed alongside UEFA, the ECA, representing the clubs, and the EPFL, representing the leagues. In March this year, UEFA and FIFPro Division Europe strengthened their bond by the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding between the two bodies at the XXXVI Ordinary UEFA Congress in Istanbul.
Further details about the FIFPro Tournament, click here.
