A FIFA fund to make up unpaid wages helped 225 players in the latest round of payments, including 61 in Portugal and 50 in Greece, soccer’s governing body said on Friday.
The $16 million FIFA Fund for Soccer Players was created in 2020 with the players’ union FIFPRO. Some clubs were suspected of closing down to avoid paying salaries and then starting up again like a «phoenix» operation.
FIFA has allocated $4 million for calendar year 2021 financial aid applications.
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The payments included 22 for players from Greek club Doxa Drama, plus 19 from CD Aves and 18 from Portugal’s Uniao da Madeira.
FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, on December 2, 2015. The $16 million FIFA Soccer Players Fund helped compensate 225 players in the latest round of payments. (Walter Bieri/Keystone via AP, File)
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The cases in China came from Shanghai Shenxin, Beijing Renhe, Taizhou Yuanda and Guangdong South China Tiger.
«As it is deeply frustrating for players not to receive their salaries, we are pleased that FIFA (fund) is once again providing them with a safety net to ensure they receive part of what they are owed,» said FIFPRO legal director Roy Vermeer. he said in a statement.
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FIFA said the fund has helped 1,370 players and $4 million has been set aside for a final application cycle through 2022.