The Greek club is forcing the Spanish player to leave by not paying his salary and making him train separately from his teammates.
"Aris’ behavior is totally unacceptable," said FIFPRO General Secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann.
"A professional footballer has the fundamental right to timely payment of his remuneration, and the right to train with his teammates."
Menendez’ contract with Aris, currently 4th in the Greek top division, expires on June 30th.
Aris has not paid his salary since July 2019, the beginning of his second season with the club.
On January 5th, Aris ordered Menendez to train separately from the first team. He has two mandatory training sessions: one at 7.30 am and one at 3.00 pm. Menendez also has to train without a coach or doctor present, which is mandatory.
Aris’ leadership did not explain why he had to train alone.
“I have to train in terrible conditions”
— by Alex Menendez, player at Aris FC
“I demand to again train with the rest of my colleagues,” Menendez told FIFPRO. “I comply with the schedule that the club sent me, but I have to train in terrible conditions.”
Menendez knows that Aris wants him to leave. “They already told me that.”
FIFPRO and the player unions of Greece (PSAP) and Spain (AFE) are assisting Menendez.
During transfer windows, various clubs such as Aris are forcing players to leave by making them train separately, at inconvenient times or in difficult circumstances.
In the last few days, FIFPRO received complaints from various players in similar situations in among others the Czech Republic, Poland and Turkey.
