Two players in the Czech Republic informed player union (CAFH) that they have been separated from the first team squad.
One player was sent to the B team earlier this summer, because he had refused to extend his contract, which is due to expire in December this year. The club gave him three options: accept a transfer to another club, extend his contract or remain in the B team until his current contract expires. When a possible transfer was called off, he was banned from the first team.
The other player, under contract with another club in Prague, was told last week that the level of his performance was dissatisfactory.
Both players have involved the CAFH for legal support.
It is still a common practice in various countries, not only in the Czech Republic, that clubs ban players from the first team to force them either to agree to new contract terms or to push them to leaving or terminating their contract. FIFPRO is regularly informed about such cases and considers this to be a coercive practice against the employment rights of players.
FIFPRO wants to remind clubs and players that it is prohibited to exclude players from the first team through these coercive methods. FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (art. 14 par. 2) state that “any abusive conduct of a party aiming at forcing the counterparty to terminate or change the terms of the contract shall entitle the counterparty (a player or a club) to terminate the contract with just cause”.
For players in the Czech Republic the situation is more complicated as there is still no independent and impartial arbitration body in their country. The Football Association of the Czech Republic is depriving players from a fundamental human right because it continues to ignore art. 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights and art. 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We advise all players who are facing similar problems - in the Czech Republic and in all other countries - to contact their player union or FIFPRO for advice.
