Izuchukwu Okosi
Super Eagles winger Chidera Ejuke could be a potential signing for Liverpool following the new FIFA rule on foreign players based in Russia Prime Business Africa reports Tuesday.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war in Eastern Europe, the world’s football governing body FIFA has released new regulations guiding the suspension of contracts.
In a statement released on Monday, FIFA said foreign players currently at Russian clubs who want their contracts suspended can do so unilaterally. It also released new guidelines to protect players currently plying their trade in Ukraine.
FIFA said the new regulations are a temporary annex of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.
Titled ‘Temporary rules addressing the exceptional situation deriving from the war in Ukraine,’ it gives foreign players in the Russian and Ukrainian leagues an opportunity to change clubs.
FIFA gave Russian clubs until the 10th of March (on Thursday) to mutually agree with their foreign players on their contract situation or they will have the right to unilaterally suspend their contracts until June 30th.
The players were given until the 7th of April to register with a new club without consequences.
“Concerning the situation in Ukraine, in order to provide players and coaches with the opportunity to work and receive a salary, and to protect Ukrainian clubs, unless the parties to the relevant contract explicitly agree otherwise, all employment contracts of foreign players and coaches with clubs affiliated to the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) will be deemed automatically suspended until the end of the season in Ukraine (30 June 2022), without the need for any action from the parties to this effect,” FIFA decided.
“In order to facilitate the departure of foreign players and coaches from Russia, in the event that clubs affiliated to the Football Union of Russia (FUR) do not reach a mutual agreement with their respective foreign players and coaches before or on 10 March 2022 and unless otherwise agreed in writing, the foreign players and coaches will have the right to unilaterally suspend their employment contracts with the FUR-affiliated clubs in question until the end of the season in Russia (30 June 2022).”
This means Nigerian players in Ukraine or Russia can agree contracts with other clubs in Europe as their contracts are deemed suspended until the end of June.
The foregoing has fuelled the transfer report in Liverpool. com of a potential move for Ejuke who the club’s website consider as a capable backup to Egypt’s Mohamed Salah.
FIFA’s stance on foreign players and coaches in Russia and Ukraine is reportedly on the request of the the governing body for footballers around the world, FIFPro, who pushed for legislation that will allow foreign players to terminate their contract with Russian clubs and leave for free.
Other Nigeria players in the Russia Premier League include Stephen Igbonu (Nizhny Novgorod), Victor Moses (Spartak Moscow) and Bryan Idowu (Khimk).
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
