FIFA allows transfer window to open before the end of season

Bengaluru, June 12: Football's global governing body -- FIFA -- will allow leagues to open their transfer windows before the current, delayed season has been completed as the sport recovers from the impact of the lengthy novel coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdown.

FIFA has passed a series of temporary amendments to help deal with the havoc to the football calendar caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

Most notably, these include allowing the first registration period, better known in Europe as the summer transfer window, to overlap with the delayed end to this season by up to four weeks.

FIFA provides further guidance on COVID-19 football regulatory issues:
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— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) June 11, 2020

In normal circumstances, the transfer window does not open until the season has been completed, but many leagues are only just restarting having been halted in March, and will not now finish in many cases until late July.

However, while transfers will be permitted before this season ends, clubs will not be able to field new signings until the next season begins.

The transfer window can stay open for up to 12 weeks.

Earlier La Liga President Javier Tebas, indicated that the window in Spain would only open once the season has been completed and run from late July to early October.

Previously, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has said that the window in England will also only open once the season has finished.

In France, where the season was declared over in late April at the height of the pandemic, the domestic transfer window opened on June 8.

In the case of players whose existing contracts are due to expire before what will now be the end of this season, FIFA has called on clubs to extend those deals in good faith and on terms that are equitable and reasonable."

Many players in Europe are set to be out of contract on June 30, several weeks before the campaign now concludes.

FIFA has also recommended that players who have signed pre-contract agreements to join new clubs on July 1 be allowed to stay at their current clubs until the season ends.

Meanwhile, it has also introduced an amendment allowing players who are free agents to play for three different clubs in the course of the same season in order to avoid any concerns regarding unemployed players.

(With inputs from Agencies)