Young players are not free

(Published in the Slovak daily Sport)

Nearly two decades have passed since the European Court of Justice’s Bosman ruling, which established that footballers can move abroad without a transfer fee after their contract expires. Many European football associations have since adopted this principle for domestic transfers as well, but not the Slovak Football Association (SFZ). In Slovakia, even after contract expiry, domestic moves may still involve a fee. Meanwhile, many well-known players, like Vialli, Beckham, and Sheringham (twice), have changed clubs abroad for free. Perhaps the most famous free transfer was Ballack’s move from Bayern Munich to Chelsea in 2006, while the most controversial was Campbell’s 2001 switch from Tottenham to rivals Arsenal. In summer 2014, Lewandowski is set to join Bayern as a free player, making him €50 million cheaper than Özil, €64 million cheaper than Cavani, and €91 million cheaper than Bale. Free transfers are common—even in the era of record transfer fees. In Slovakia, Bosman mostly brought in free players from the Czech Republic.

But when under-23 players move abroad without a contract, different rules apply. If the player’s home club expresses genuine interest, follows FIFA’s prescribed procedure, and submits a contract offer of at least equal value ahead of time, then the player cannot move abroad for free. The club is entitled to training compensation. For transfers to top-tier countries (FIFA Category 1), this compensation can be significant—€60,000 per season for every year from the player’s 16th to 21st birthday. For example, if youth international Duda moves abroad in summer 2014, his transfer won’t be free. However, if he moved to another Slovak club, his team would only receive a small fraction of that amount under current SFZ rules.

A professional contract requires agreement from both player and club. Globally, clubs tend to offer long-term contracts to their most promising players. In contrast, many Slovak clubs offer only minimum-wage deals. Frequent contract extensions can severely limit a player’s chance of going abroad, so each situation needs careful consideration. Slovak players over the age of 25 generally only move abroad as free agents. Since the Bosman ruling, there have been countless examples of clubs rejecting low offers from abroad, even when the player wanted to go.

The most favorable period for players is the last six months of a contract when they can choose their future club freely. But especially for young players, both sides should act reasonably. Is a dream move worth spending six months with the B team? In Slovakia, that’s a much more common punishment than in more developed leagues. A smart agreement between clubs can still be reached at the last minute. Sometimes it’s better for a player to stay for another half-season or year, continue playing regularly, and include a sensible release clause in the contract.

Slovak clubs naturally want to sell players for the highest possible fee. But when it comes to buying? As the president of a Corgoň League club told me just last week: “We’re looking for a center-back. A good one. Young. And free.”