FIFPro tournament for out-of-contract players

Players' union FIFPro is assisting professional footballers who are out of contract to find new clubs by staging a tournament at the Colovray Stadium in Nyon on Saturday and Sunday.

The event, held under the auspices of FIFPro and the Swiss players' union SAFP, aims to give players the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of potential new employers for the 2014/15 season.

Six squads comprising out-of-contract players are taking part in the competition – Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Slovenia, Serbia and Switzerland – with the teams representing their respective national players' unions.

Scouts, technical directors and officials are invited to come to the event to watch the players during six matches in two groups on 5 July and three fixtures the following day. There will be VIP access for club representatives as well as catering facilities beside the pitch, offering a close-up view of the matches.

The CVs of the players taking part are in this booklet 

FIFPro, with whom UEFA works on issues of mutual interest, has been organising the tournament to help out-of-contract footballers since 2005. A considerable number of players have joined new clubs as a result of the tournament.

"We see this as a great service for our members to give their players an extra boost when searching for a new contract," said FIFPro director of players' services Tijs Tummers. "History proves that visiting scouts are often pleasantly surprised by the quality on offer, and with the addition of Croatia, this tournament is the biggest it's ever been."

As clubs around Europe look to finalise their squads ahead of the new season, FIFPro will also stage a six-team tournament for western European players' associations to be held in Rijnsburg, Netherlands, on 19 and 20 July.

The match schedule for Saturday and Sunday is the following:

Group A: Switzerland, Slovenia, Serbia
Group B: Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia

Saturday 5 July
11.30: Switzerland-Slovenia
12.45: Greece-Bulgaria
14.00: Switzerland-Serbia
15.15: Greece-Croatia
16.30: Slovenia-Serbia
17.45: Bulgaria-Croatia

Sunday 6 July
12.30: A3 - B3
13.45: A2 - B2
15.00: A1 - B1