Players protest in Romania

Debt protest
The Romanian players association, AFAN, of which former FC Dinamo Bucuresti, Bayer 04 Leverkusen and VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach player Ionut Lupescu is the president, organised the protest in response to the clubs being allowed to build up large debts to players by not honouring wage deals.

Players outraged
The players and the AFAN are outraged because the Romanian Professional League (LPF) decided to postpone any discussion about this issue and the clubs' obligations to pay off their debts until February 2003.

Clubs represented
Approximately 100 top-flight players took part in the march with all clubs except FC Cealhaul Piatra Neamt having a representative. The 100 players first stopped in front of the LPF headquarters, and waved a symbolic red card in protest at their actions and demanded the resignation of LPF president Dumitru Dragomir.

Dragomir defiant
Dragomir refused to discuss any cases of non-payment of players except for the four that have been officially recognised by the LPF - those of Cristian Munteanu from Dinamo who is owed money by his former club Otelul Galati, Dan Potocianu of FC National Bucuresti and FC Steaua Bucuresti's Iulian Miu and Catalin Lita. The LPF president outraged the players further by saying: "The club Presidents paid 95 per cent from the debts and they have now as debts only US$4,000 (€4,000)."

FRF protest
The players' march moved on to the statue of former Dinamo captain Catalin Haldan who died two years ago, and the players laid flowers in honour of their fallen colleague. They then moved on to the headquarters of the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) where Ionut Lupescu and AFAN president, Alex Radulescu read an open statement to FRF president Mircea Sandu, saying: "You were also a football player and you know what we are going through."

Code of conduct
The AFAN is recommending a new code of conduct for clubs, obliging them to pay wages no later than 60 days after the agreed deadline as well as demanding a ten per cent cut of all broadcasting and advertising monies paid to the FRF and LPF to be paid to the AFAN.

Long-term disagreement
The protest marked an escalation in a long-term disagreement between clubs and players, with one player - Iulian Miu - even suggesting that players should delay the kick off in all games played on 1 March 2003 by 20 minutes to highlight their plight.

Becali incensed
The most influential and powerful Romanian player agent, Ioan Becali, said: "This union will make further steps, but everybody must understand that the players are workers with families and that they must receive the money stipulated in the contracts. At least the minimum amount stipulated in the contract. "The FRF and LPF must have negotiations with the AFAN, because it represents the players, who are gladiators and have to be respected," he added. "There are a lot of cases which weren't resolved and this is not OK."

New agreement

Sandu responds