The World Leagues Forum (WLF), which represents professional football leagues around the world, has noted today’s decision made by the FIFA Bureau of the Council on the release of players for the upcoming international period and welcomes FIFA’s decision to extend measures already in place.
The World Leagues Forum (WLF), which represents professional football leagues around the world, has noted today’s decision made by the FIFA Bureau of the Council on the release of players for the upcoming international period.
The WLF, which has been supporting the relaxation of the obligation to release players and the strengthening of health protocols, welcomes FIFA’s decision to extend measures already in place for September national team matches. Those measures provide that clubs do not have to release their players if there is a mandatory period of quarantine of at least five days upon arrival or return from the country where a player must go, or a travel restriction to or from the country were the players must go.
The WLF also believes that the obligation to release players should be further relaxed when competitive matches have been postponed because of the pandemic but friendly matches are scheduled instead. In the context of the current pandemic, focus should be on required competitive matches as to avoid unnecessary travels and health risks. For these friendly matches, the obligation to release players should be lifted.
In all cases where players will be released, the WLF outlines the importance of health and hygiene protocols at the highest standards and the necessity for the strict implementation of and compliance with these protocols.
To conclude, the WLF understands the need for all competition organizers to be able to operate even in the context of the current pandemic. But this must be done under consideration of domestic health situations, while implementing rules and protocols of highest standard that guarantee the safety of players.
WLF Media Contact:
Jerome Perlemuter, General Secretary, World Leagues Forum
jperlemuter@WorldLeaguesForum.com
Website: www.WorldLeaguesForum.com
Note to editors:
The WLF is the world association of professional football leagues. It includes 42 Leagues from around the World (listed below). Its purpose is to improve governance structures in world football, address the issues of professional football and foster cooperation between its members. www.worldleaguesforum.com
Asian Football Confederation (AFC):
J LEAGUE (Japan), QATAR STARS LEAGUE (Qatar), SAUDI PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE (Saudi Arabia), MALAYSIA LLP (Malaysia), AUSTRALIAN CLUBS ASSOCIATION (Australia), UAE PRO LEAGUE (United Arab Emirates), INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE (India)
Confederation of African Football (CAF):
LIGUE DE FOOTBALL PROFESSIONNEL (Algeria), PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE (South Africa), KENYAN PREMIER LEAGUE (Kenya), NIGERIA PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE (Nigeria), ZIMBABWE PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE (Zimbabwe), LIGUE NATIONALE DE FOOTBALL PROFESSIONNEL (Morocco)
Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF):
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER (USA), LIGA MX (Mexico), LIGA NACIONAL DE FÚTBOL PROFESIONAL HONDURAS (Honduras), UNAFUT COSTA RICA (Costa Rica), LIGA PANAMENA DE FUTBOL (Panama), LIGA DOMINICANA DE FUTBOL (Dominican Republic)
South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL):
DIMAYOR (Colombia), SUPERLIGA ARGENTINA DE FUTBOL (Argentina), LIGAPRO (Ecuador)
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA):
SERIE A (Italy), LA LIGA (Spain), BUNDESLIGA (Germany), LIGUE DE FOOTBALL PROFESSIONNEL (France), PREMIER LEAGUE (England), EREDIVISIE (Netherlands), DIVISIONSFORENINGEN (Denmark), FORENINGEN SVENSK ELITFOTBOLL (Sweden), LIGA PORTUGUESA DE FUTEBOL PROFISSIONAL (Portugal), SWISS FOOTBALL LEAGUE (Switzerland), SCOTTISH PROFESSIONNAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE (Scotland), EKSTRAKLASA (Poland), SUPER LIGA SRBIJE (Serbia), UKRAINIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (Ukraine), ISRAELI PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUES (Israel), LIGA PROFESIONISTA DE FOTBAL (Romania), PRO LEAGUE (Belgium), RUSSIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (Russia), TURKISH CLUBS UNION (Turkey), SUPER LEAGUE GREECE (Greece)
