Renedy Singh: Indian Football Clubs Need to Respect Player Contracts and Salaries

Football Players' Association of India (FPAI) president Renedy Singh has asked Indian clubs not to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic and respect players’ contracts and pay them their salaries as soon as possible.

The former Indian captain pointed out that with bigger clubs now facing a financial crunch, it will be tough for the inexperienced footballers, who face the possibility of not getting their dues cleared.

Also Read | US Soccer Federation to Reconsider Anthem Policy After Women’s Team Asks For its Removal

"Now, due to the pandemic, money-wise, everything is getting difficult everywhere. We have talked to a few players. A few players are really worried if they will get their money or not,” Renedy said in an interview with the Times of India. “Once they sign a contract, players should keep a copy of the contract with them. This is for the young players. There are a few clubs who can play games (with that situation). Things are better and different from how it was during our playing career.”.

While conceding that the clubs will likely find it difficult to pay their players on time due to the pandemic, he expects them to manage their finances sooner rather than later. Renedy also asked for players to be patient for the next two months but not be taken for a ride. He said that if they are not paid for the next few months, they always have the option to approach the FPAI and subsequently approach FIFA and the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

“I would like to give the example of Katsumi Yusa, who was not paid his salary by East Bengal for nearly a year. He approached us and FIFPro, and soon received his full payment. We are aware of the players who haven't been paid for a while now. I can understand those players who are not on big salaries are the most impacted in this situation, but we will have to wait. It's all about waiting. Patience is the need of the hour,” Remedy added.

Also Read | East Bengal, Chennai City Players Approach FPAI For Help Regarding Terminated Contracts

While emphasising the need to clubs to take cognisance over non payment of dues, Renedy pointed towards action taken against East Bengal’s former chief sponsors Quess and assured players that if the club defaults in payments, they will have to deal with strict action from the AIFF and FIFA. Some clubs in the past have been heavily penalised for non-payment of dues. 

According to the world body’s stipulations, from June 1, 2018, if a club unlawfully fails to pay a player two monthly salaries on the due dates, he/ she is deemed to have a valid reason to terminate his or her contract. If a player is not paid on a monthly basis, the pro-rata value taken into consideration will be two months' salary of the player.

Investors, Renedy said, have a big responsibility towards the team and its players. Renedy says a player waits for the month to end to pay their bills and if the salaries don’t reach them on time, it is bound to affect the players’ performance. 

The FPAI has for their part been trying to reach out to players and have been asking them if they are faced with any kind of trouble.

“As a players' association, the more united you are the more powerful we will be,” Renedy concluded.

Read more sports stories from Newsclick