Transfer talks hit by major stumbling block Hopes of reaching agreement on the future of the transfer system have hit a major stumbling block after FIFA and UEFA warned that unless the European Commission changes its position on two crucial areas there can be no deal.
The two contentious issues are the length of sporting sanctions players who unilaterally break contracts should face and the amount of compensation small clubs should receive form developing players aged 23 and under.
Gerhard Aigner, UEFA's chief executive, has written to the Swedish prime minister Goran Persson, the current European Union president, criticising EU officials and warning him that unless they change their position football as a whole could be damaged and a deal over the transfer system will not be reached.
Aigner wrote: "There can be no further compromises on this issue if we are to protect the fabric of our sport. We are now at the end of the road and fearful of the final outcome if the commission continue to dig their heels in on these fundamental items.
"We have found the commission officials almost impossible to deal with because of their unwillingness to accept the specific needs of the grassroots of the game and their total lack of understanding of how the development of players takes place."
Football and commission officials were hoping to finalise details of a new transfer system on Monday but a final outcome is unlikely to be announced next week.
The two sides have been locked in negotiations for the last six months after the commission ruled that the transfer system had to be amended to comply with European labour laws.
Regarding sanctions on players who break contracts, FIFA and UEFA want to see them banned for a minimum of one year. Under the new system, there would be two transfer windows and the commission is insisting that if a player breaks a contract he should only be banned from one transfer window to the next. Aigner wrote: "We believe this could be extremely disruptive to domestic and European club competitions." The commission also wants to limit the amount of compensation small clubs should receive for finding and developing players who then move on to bigger clubs.
Commission officials yesterday refused to comment on the contents of Aigner's letter but insisted that they were optimistic that a solution could be reached. An EC spokesman said Monday's talks in Brussels will go ahead. Player's union FIFPro, which has broken ranks with FIFA and UEFA to table its own proposals, will not be represented at Monday's meeting although its views were heard by the EC Commissioners in Brussels on Wednesday.
The union, led by its president Gordon Taylor, has been warned to soften its stance or risk having its views excluded from any agreement.
"Gordon Taylor has been told that he must become more compromising if he wants FIFPro's arguments to be considered seriously," said a source close to the negotiations.
