What happens to a football club that pays late?
Under FIFA's rules, a club that delays a payment due to a player or another club by more than 30 days, without a contractual basis, can be sanctioned once the creditor has put it in default in writing and given it at least ten days. Sanctions range from a warning to a ban on registering new players.
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The rule
Article 12bis of FIFA's Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players requires clubs to meet their financial obligations to players and to other clubs, under player contracts and transfer agreements.
When a payment counts as overdue
- It is more than 30 days late, without a prima facie contractual basis.
- The creditor has put the club in default in writing.
- The creditor has given it at least ten days to pay.
Sanctions
FIFA's Football Tribunal can impose a warning, a reprimand, a fine, or a ban on registering new players for one or two windows, alone or together. Repeat offences are punished more severely. Overdue pay also earns 8 per cent interest a year if requested.
For players
Two unpaid monthly salaries, with written notice and 15 days to pay, also give a player just cause to end his contract. Our article on unpaid wages explains it.
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Questions people also ask
Does it apply to transfer fee instalments?
Yes. It covers payments due under transfer agreements as well as player contracts.
Does the creditor have to claim?
Yes. The creditor must put the club in default in writing, and bring the claim within FIFA's jurisdiction.