ZIFA Sticks To Player Contracts Resolution
The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) says it is sticking to its resolution that player contracts that expired in December should be rolled over to this year.
This follows complaints by the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe (FUZ) which wrote a letter to the Premier Soccer League (PSL) last week indicating otherwise.
Former PSL champions Caps United have already challenged the movement of some of their players, demanding some form of compensation after they signed players who have moved on without kicking a ball for them.
The 2020 Premier League season was abandoned due to COVID-19-induced lockdowns and some players’ contracts expired before playing for the clubs they had signed for.
ZIFA spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela on Sunday said the association was sticking to a statement it made at the end of last year, which it claims was in line with FIFA guidelines. The statement read in part:
Where an agreement is due to expire at the original end date of the season, such expiry be extended until the new end date of the season, or alternatively, in the event that the 2020 season is called off, the end date of the next ensuing season.
Loan transfer agreements which are due to expire at the original end date of the season are extended until the new end date of the season, or alternatively, in the event that the 2020 season is called off, the end date of the next ensuing season.
Employment contracts which are due to commence at the mid-season break are extended to expire at the new mid-season break to be set by the governing relevant ZIFA affiliates.
FUZ had raised its concerns with the PSL saying FIFA never proposed to extend the contracts between players and clubs with a full additional year. The players wrote:
We would add that according to the FIFA guidelines, as a matter of principle, existing employment agreements shall be governed by the national law referred to in the agreement and/or an existing collective bargaining agreement and the contractual autonomy of the parties … so we urge clubs to negotiate with players on new contracts for the 2021 season.
After the PSL annual general meeting on Friday, PSL vice-chairman Lifa Ncube said:
We will stand guided by ZIFA on player contracts. We will stick to ZIFA guidelines and we resolved on contracts rollover.
