Krnáč and Sapara join leadership as current members are re-elected

Goalkeeper Ján Mucha has led the Union of Football Professionals (ÚFP) in Slovakia for a year

The general assembly of the Union of Football Professionals (ÚFP) convened again this week in Žilina, one year after its founding. More than forty players from Slovakia’s top two leagues gathered to discuss key issues, review the union’s progress, and elect new representatives to the board and supervisory committee.

Ján Mucha, goalkeeper for Slovan Bratislava and the Slovak national team, has served as president since last year’s founding meeting. He remains in this role with three years left in his term. “Our membership includes nearly 200 professional players, and we are constantly working to grow and offer every player the opportunity to join. Recently, we’ve been strengthened by players from Bardejov, Poprad, Nitra, and Skalica. I also recently met with players from Liptovský Mikuláš,” Mucha told Šport.

The ÚFP was established last year to represent players’ interests—particularly in disputes with clubs. “We’ve already successfully resolved several cases. We represent players in negotiations with clubs and cooperate with the Slovak Football Association and the Union of League Clubs. It's not always about financial disputes—contract interpretations are often at issue. Players deal with a wide variety of problems, and it's important they have someone to turn to,” said Mucha, a veteran of the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2016.

One recent case involved helping Aldo Baéz terminate his contract early with AS Trenčín. The union also supported players at Tatran Prešov, where the club failed to pay income tax advances and attempted to recoup the amount by cutting players’ future salaries.

Looking ahead, the ÚFP aims to become a member of FIFPro, the international union of professional footballers. Roy Vermeer, a FIFPro representative, visited Slovakia on Monday and attended the general assembly in Žilina as a guest. “To join FIFPro, we must meet several conditions. The integration process has three phases, and we’re currently in the first—observer—stage,” Mucha explained.

Today, the union represents over 90 percent of Slovakia’s professional footballers. Some players haven’t yet applied, and a few have declined membership altogether. “Yes, there are those who don’t see the value. But we keep reminding players that our only goal is to offer support when it's needed. We want them to receive what they deserve from clubs and to be treated according to FIFA’s standards,” said Mucha.

Annual membership costs 40 euros, with under-23 players paying half.
Serving as an advisor to the union is Jozef Tokos, a player agent and sports lawyer who also represented the ÚFP at a recent FIFPro Europe congress in Malta. “This was the union’s first time at such a meeting. I held several important talks relevant to ÚFP’s future,” said Tokos, who also attended Monday’s assembly. Every ÚFP member has the right to attend, but due to space limitations, each club sent only a few representatives authorized to vote on behalf of their teammates.

The following individuals were re-elected to the board: Róbert Vittek, Róbert Jež, Peter Kleščík, and Ľubomír Michalík. Newcomer Martin Krnáč was also elected. The board unanimously confirmed Michalík as vice president, a role he held during the union’s first year.

In the supervisory committee elections, Viktor Pečovský and Martin Dobrotka were re-elected, joined by newcomer Marek Sapara. Each has a two-year mandate. Blažej Vaščák continues as treasurer, a role he assumed last year for a 24-month term. Jozef Tokos also retained his mandate as advisor. “It’s important to me that the players continue to trust me, especially when dealing with international negotiations,” Tokos added.